unSocialized Free Resources for Home Education

If you’re looking for some hands-on activities to study earth and life science, head out to a garden. It’s a living lab that affords all kinds of opportunities to observe science concepts in the natural world, such as:

• interdependence in an environment

• life cycles and changes

• adaptations and biodiversity

• human impact on the environment.

While in the field, kids get a chance to be the scientists by asking questions, making observations, and coming up with explanations for what they see based on evidence. They can define problems they may encounter in a garden (eg. a plant-damaging pest), and gather additional information to brainstorm solutions.

For an idea of the kinds of investigations that can be done in a garden, visit Nature Works Everywhere, which provides a variety of video lessons and activity guides for topics such as:

• exploring how a garden works as a living system
• analyzing garden soil
• conducting a garden habitat survey
• collecting data about garden water

The site also has several How-To Garden Videos.

Here are some free garden exploration units for grades 1 - 4. Each unit - Pondering Plants, Soil Stories, Garden Pollinators, and Garden Habitats - includes six lessons.

Additional free resources:

• demonstrate soil erosion and conservation techniques

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• learn about decomposition and nutrients cycling by studying a compost bin

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• ideas for garden scavenger hunts

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• a seed trail mix activity

Free resources to supplement your study of plants, flowers, and trees, including interactives, free readers, and virtual forests and trips. 

Start with Dig Deeper soil science site which offers free booklets, experiments and games. 

To study plant processes, check out this interactive doc on photosynthesis and cellular respiration: 

Kids Gardening: Free lesson plans and activities.

The Great Plant Escape - Presents information in six "case files" so that kids can solve the mysteries of plant life. Covers: parts of plants, life cycle of plants, soil, seeds, and plant reproduction. Each case file has several hands-on activities or experiments that can be done. 

Photonsynthesis Videos: From NeoK12; also has links to quiz games and puzzles   

Life of a Tree: Interactive 

Plant Reproduction: from Glencoe Life Science; 32 pages

Microorganisms: Text and interactives that teach about fungi and algae

Free BrainPop Movies - These cover: how flowering plants produce seeds; photosynthesis and respiration; gymnosperms and angiosperms

Dr. Arbor Talks Trees: Animated lessons about tree anatomy and identification. Includes teachers guide.

Take a walk in the forest and ID trees using this dichotomous key.

Virtual Labs:

Life Cycle of a Simple Plant

Light and Plant Growth

Parts of a Flower

Plant Transpiration

Free Readers: