Dirt-Cheap Science: Activity-Based Units, Games, Experiments and Reproducibles

by Esther Weiner

Explore food chains, pollution, energy, matter, sound, magnets and more with these economical curriculum-related, teacher-tested lessons, experiments, activities and games. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590491385
• ISBN13: 9780590491389
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.4" x 10.8"
• Age Range: 6 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 5

Customer Reviews

Dirt-Cheap Science: Activity-based Units, Games, Experiments, and Reproducibles

Esther Weiner has many years experience teaching science concepts to elementary-age students, and this thoughtful, easy-to-use curriculum was developed out of that experience. Dirt-Cheap Science, for grades 1-4, is divided into three units: life science, earth science, and physical science. Each lesson within the units clearly presents the concepts to both teacher and students via these subsections--lesson overview, science principles, materials needed, getting started, and procedure, as well as strategic tips, and there is plenty of room on each page for writing notes, too. Copy-ready worksheets are clear and attractive. Though designed for classroom use, I used this with my 2nd and 4th grade sons in our homeschool, and only one or two activities required much modification. The Life Science unit focuses on plants (mostly trees), leaf characteristics, ecology, and edible plants with one lesson involving earthworms and one on the food chain. Earth Science is more varied, with lessons on air, soil, water, pollution, ocean currents, landforms, the moon, the solar system, and more. The Physical Science unit is shorter, with lessons on density, playground physics, sound, light, magnets, and electricity. The lessons are interesting, activity-based, and well-thought-out.