Check out our new apparel for girls and women

We have a new shop available on Café Press. More designs are coming soon, so please check back regularly. For right now, we have this design available on a number of women's and girls' tees, sweatshirts, tanks, hoodies, and more:

Best student microscope ever

I used these microscopes for years, hauling them out to K-6 classrooms as well as putting them on the busy exhibit floor of a science center. They're easy to focus and very hardy, a great buy for grades K-8. I can't recommend them highly enough--they're worth every penny!


Brock Magiscope

• Lab-grade optics for ultimate clarity, 5X eyepiece and 4X objective
• Basic magnification is 20X and may be increased with additional optics available
• Reliable brass on brass focus; Simple to use
• Includes the Lumarod®, providing adjustment-free lighting without mirrors, cords or batteries
• Can be used, safely and effortlessly in sunlight or room light
• Perfect for grades K through 10
• Features fine focusing

Recommended science kits and supplies: classroom animals

There are few things that captivate young students more than animals in the classroom--especially if they can watch those animals metamorphose into adults. The animals below are listed from (in my opinion) easiest to keep long-term to those that require more commitment:

Butterflies
Butterfly kit: Your students can watch butterflies metamorphose from larvae to butterflies! Best of all, it comes with 30 larvae so each student can have his or her own. You can purchase extras if you have a larger class, as well as "refill" the kits with larvae next year.

Hermit crabs

Hermit crabs are super easy to keep. They're low-maintenance and amusing. Our recommended supplier has a number of options for you:

Hermit crabs and food

Hermit crab cove:
Hermit Crab Cove is a sandy beach environment where you can watch your pet Hermit Crabs play all day! Hermit Crab Cove is designed to keep 2 hermit crabs (no bigger than 3" each).Crab Cover Habitat is a wonderful way to teach children the responsibilities and fun of owning a pet. Have fun learning about hermit crabs as you create their habitat and take care of them. Did you know that hermit crabs need to take a bath once a week? Did you know that exercising your hermit crabs in a great way to "bond" with them?

Hermit Crab Kit

Extra shells for hermit crabs

Tarantulas
Tarantula and habitat kit:
While these spiders are not significantly poisonous to man, they are fascinating specimens because of their predatory skills. These docile but solitary creatures can survive on a diet of crickets and must be housed separately (otherwise they will attack and eat each other).
Includes 2.5-gallon plastic aquarium with lid, substrate, piece of wood (for climbing), water dish and complete instructions. (Please note: Tarantulas require live food. We recommend using Crickets (67033-12).)

Reptiles and amphibians:
Turtles: Demonstrate the bone structure evolution that led to the development of land creatures. The physiology and anatomy of these hardy turtles allows you to teach about long-term physical changes in animals.
Includes: care and feeding instructions.

Planet Frog kit:
Appropriate for Grades K+

Students will leap with joy as they witness the magical transformation of live tadpoles into lively frogs - and it all happens on Planet Frog!

This live frog habitat is a break resistant, escape proof rain forest environment complete with a pond, plastic plants, and "rock" cavern for shelter. Send in the mail-in order form included with the kit and soon you will receive, through the mail, live Leopard frog (Rana pipien) tadpoles.

These 100% Earth-friendly tadpoles are not taken from the wild, but are captivity-breed. The vented, see-through lid that encases the habitat provides safe, unobstructed viewing, allowing children to watch as the tadpoles turn into frogs, swim in their own pond, and explore their world. A built-in magnifier provides a closer look at your new amphibian class mascot and doubles as a feeding cap.

Garter snakes:
Non-poisonous and non-aggressive, these garter snakes (Thamnophis sp.) are an interesting addition to your terrarium, and can be used to dispel students’ misconceptions about snakes. Snakes like to eat live fish or pieces of earthworm. Includes complete care and feeding instructions.

American chameleons: Watch these fascinating specimens change color in response to mood and temperature changes. These Anolis carolinensis (which are actually anoles–members of the iguana family–and not true chameleons) are easy to keep in a terrarium. These reptiles enjoy eating crickets or mealworms. Includes complete care and feeding instructions.

Yellow-striped plated lizard: Gerrhosaurus flavigularis. These docile lizards make ideal classroom inhabitants. Native to Africa, they can grow up to 12″ or larger. Care instructions are included. Size: 8–10".

Birds

Incubator and chicken eggs: A classic elementary-school class project. Please be sure to make plans for the care of the mature chickens. It's easy to keep hens in a hutch and coop in the backyard, but roosters need to live someplace where they can crow (i.e., not in most suburban or urban environments).

Ducks:
We usually ship Pekin Duck eggs. This duck is the most common white duck and is found throughout the United States. The eggs will fit in most incubators and hatch in approximately 28 days and the ducklings are very hardy and grow quickly. Package of 12.
Note: Be sure you have plans to find homes for these ducks! You can read about keeping and caring for ducks here and here.

Automatic incubator and supplies: You'll need to get an incubator to hatch your chicken or duck eggs. This is a very affordable one.

What animals have you raised that would be appropriate for classroom use? Leave your recommendations in the forum.

What we're working on: science kits integration for the entire curriculum

We're working on putting together some science kits that integrate several disciplines. Some of these kits will be supplemental materials for existing kits from other suppliers, and some of the kits will be brand new. These brand new kits will require you to purchase a few science from our current recommended suppliers (unless you already have them on hand in other kits), but otherwise we'll provide you with everything you need to succeed.

Our science kits will have a special emphasis on history, literature, and the arts--three areas that get overlooked in many schools in this era of high-stakes reading and math testing. Of course, science is at the core of the lesson plans, and math is included as well. But we believe in reaching all learners--visual, kinesthetic, audio, textual, and more--and the best way to do that, we feel, is to integrate a range of activies from several disciplines, thereby better grounding the science content in students' lives.

Our kits will also have a focus on people: the women and men who participate in all kinds of scientific endeavors, both today and in history.

If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please let us know: drop us an e-mail at sciencefaircoach -at- gmail -dot- com. Thanks!

U.S. school distrcts tune into teaching with science kits

With the school year starting back up across the U.S., many schools have renewed their commitment to science--and many of them are adopting science kits. Here's the latest news:

Elementary school teachers from Darby, Pennsylvania spent part of their summer learning about science through science kits--and also, I suspect, how to use science kits to their best advantage.

Elementary students in Frazier, Pennsylvania are also getting science kits this year:

Later in the year, the district will enhance its science curriculum at Central Elementary School with $25,000 worth of materials to purchase kits that will provide hands-on learning.

As one of 57 school districts in 35 counties across the state, Frazier received a portion of $13.5 million the state budget allotted for "Science: It's Elementary."

More information on the Frazier project is available here.

Ironton, Ohio students are getting a complete science lab with science kits, thanks to funding from the Ohio Department of Education and Southern Ohio Medical Center:

The lab was renovated from an unused outdoor storage building and offers hands-on science kits and resources, technological upgrades and cooperative learning opportunities.

“We believe a quality foundation in science and math instruction is vital to our students’ career choices in the future,” said Jodi Armstrong, Green Elementary and Primary schools principal.

In Humboldt County, California, teacher Warren Blinn is excited about the boost in curricular quality brought about by the purchase of some science kits:

This year, Blinn is gearing up to teach a new hands-on science curriculum from University of California Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science. "Science is one of my favorite subjects to teach, but I haven't done it for several years because there were dedicated teachers who taught it during our prep time," he says. "The district changed that so this year we have these new science kits."

Students at Washington Elementary in Mount Vernon are using science kits that allow for seamless math and science learning from kindergarten through sixth grade.

I like this advice on evaluating science teaching (and science kits) from Ashville, North Carolina:

We also should ensure that adequate attention to instruction in science is given in elementary schools, as this creates the conditions for successful science achievement in middle and high school.

Check to make sure that science instruction is hands-on, relevant and inquiry-based.

Science kits, for example, can be used effectively even with kindergarten children. Children learn very little about science if they just memorize science facts.

At&T just donated $50,000 to Girl Scouts in Georgia to help them purchase science kits on robotics.

Is your child's school committed to science? Or is it predominantly focusing on the reading and math content on standardized tests? If you child isn't getting quality science instruction at school, it's imperative that he or she be introduced to science in another context, such as your home. Have you considered purchasing science kits for your child?

About the author and this site

Hi!

I'm a mom and college instructor who has a passion for bringing science to kids--and especially to girls and other groups underrepresented in science. Studies show that if we can spark interest in science during elementary school--and maintain that spark through the crucial middle school years--then students have an excellent chance of pursuing lucrative and meaningful careers in science.

In particular, I believe in environmental justice and citizen science projects. Why waste your time making an ugly papier-mâché volcano and filling it with vinegar (stinky!) and baking soda (messy!), when your child can be collecting simple data from the neighborhood to help measure neighborhood health?

This site aims, therefore, to provide you with productive means for crafting and conducting meaningful projects for the science fair and for lifelong learning.

Questions? Please feel free to contact me at sciencefaircoach AT gmail DOT com.

Best,

Leslie Madsen-Brooks, Ph.D.
The Science Fair Coach

P.S. This site is supported through advertising and quality affiliate products. Accordingly, if you like the services we provide here, please consider clicking through the links and purchasing the recommended products. Also, spread the word that Science Kits Resources is the web's #1 source for quality science fair projects and easy science experiments. We appreciate your support!

Science kits

I'm crazy about science kits. Why? Because as a parent and teacher, I know that the best projects come from good planning and are conducted with quality supplies. With science kits, there's no shopping around--someone else has done all the legwork and research for you.

Science kits tend to come packaged with detailed instructions for several experiments and encouragement to design your own experiments with the materials. How wonderful is that? Your children or students are practically guaranteed success with their first ready-made experiments. And then once they learn the ropes, they can conduct their own experiments, making new connections in the world and in their minds.

This site aims to provide you with information on purchasing or assembling the best science kits for your family or your classroom. And remember: science kits make great gifts for girls and boys!