Energizing Fun!!! (Potential and Kinetic Energy)

Get in the action potential and kinetic energy!

JUMP OFF A ROCK!

Potential Energy—Ready to jump off the rocks.

Kinetic Energy—Jumping off the rocks.

THROW A BALL!

Potential Energy—The ball in position to be thrown.

Kinetic Energy—The ball in motion.

SHOOT A RUBBER BAND!

Potential Energy—Stretching the rubber band.

Kinetic Energy—Releasing the rubber band.

How far can you shoot your rubber band?

Additional Resources

Kinetic and Potential energy song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl4g7T5gw1M

Animated explanation of Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K4V0NvUxRg

Bill Nye the Science Guy – Energy (Kinetic and Potential)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ASLLiuejAo

Hoodwinked Movie clip showing gravitational potential, elastic potential, and kinetic energy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ4FFWvZtyo

Catapult History Fun

This is a fun activity to do when learning about a time period in history when they used catapults when fighting. We did this when learning about Alexander the Great. Our resource book was the Usborne Encyclopedia of World History. 
Here is what we did.
On regular paper, I typed up questions that I wanted my girls to find the answers to as they read in the book. Then I cut the questions apart and crumpled them up to be little wads of paper and put those in a cup.  Those would represent the rocks that Alexander the Great used in his catapults. Then I made a simple target for the wall. The plastic spoon became the catapult, although it would be fun to also make a real catapult with craft sticks.

 The girls took turns picking a paper wad an catapulting it toward the target. After a few tries they opened the paper wad and read the question. Then they had to read the information in the book to find the answer.

After they answered all the questions they played a fun online game about Alexander the Great. The link for the game is below:

http://www.kongregate.com/games/FreeWorldGroup/alexander-the-great-game

Archery History Fun

 

This is a fun activity that can be done with any history lesson that relates to archery. Tape questions onto your arrows, shoot them off with your bow, and then retrieve them and find the answers to the questions. We used archery when learning about the Scythians in Ancient World History (700-100 BC) because they practiced archery. I chose six questions from pages 162-163 of the Usborne Encyclopedia of World History. I printed those questions and taped them onto "arrows" made of the cardboard hanger tubes (just cut the hanger wire and pull the tube off). Then the girls each took turns shooting one of the arrows with a PVC tube bow. Then they had to retrieve the arrow and read the question. Then they had to find the answer as they read through the pages of the book.

Hoop Multiplication Review

This is a fun way to review and brush up on the times tables. Here's what we did. First I gave each of the girls a stack of 12 cards and had them pick one of the multiplication families that they felt they could use some review on. Then they each wrote one of the multiples of that number on each card. Then we picked one of the sets of cards to use with our activity.
Set up and review
We used hoops but you could do it with just the cards if you don't have hoops. Start by scattering the hoops around the room and randomly placing the cards inside the hoops. First we sang the multiplication song for the number chosen, and the girls had to step in the correct hoop as we did the skip counting in the song. After that, I drilled them on 4 of the factors at a time -- selecting the ones they needed most help on, until they showed they had mastered those facts. Then we did four more and so on until we got all twelve facts. After that we were ready to add the action with the hoop review game.
Hoop Review Game
Shake a 12-sided dice and call out that number times the number you chose for that multiplication family. Then the students race to the hoop with the correct product. Continue shaking the dice to get new products until you feel the students have mastered that number. Rules: No grabbing, pushing, tripping, or holding the other person.Once they have mastered that number family trade the cards for another number family and do the same activities. 

Fun and Action in a Jar!

Here is a fun way to add a little action and diversion into your school day.

Just print off and color a label and tape it onto a can or jar.

Write a quick fun and active thing to do on slips of paper and fold them up and place them in the jar. Then as a child completes a problem or task, he or she picks a card and does what it says.

Fun With the Circulatory System

Here is a fun activity and song you can use in learning about the circulatory system. This is an activity where you create a circulatory system in a room and the child travels along its path delivering oxygen and nutrients before it goes back to the heart. The song is sung to the familiar melody of "The Wheels on the Bus." The detailed description of the activity is below.

The Heart Pumps the Blood
Sung to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus"
The heart pumps the blood around and round, (alternate words: The heart circulates the blood around)
round and round, round and round
The heart pumps the blood around and round,
All through the body.

The blood takes the oxygen round and round
round and round, round and round
The blood takes the oxygen round and round
To the brain (touch head)
To the fingers (wiggle or open and close fingers)
And toes (touch toes)

The blood takes the nutrients round and round
round and round, round and round,
The blood takes the nutrients round and round
So the body is healthy and strong (show muscles in arms)

The blood in the body goes back to the heart,
back to the heart, back to the heart,
The blood in the body goes back to the heart,
Then starts all over again.

Circulatory System  Activity

Choose an area with space for this activity -- like a family room.

The first thing to do is to create the circulatory system as described below.

 1. First, create a "heart" tent or tunnel by draping a sheet between two chairs or over a card table. Red sheets or fabric would make it even more fun. Then label it with a big cut out heart (red paper) with the word "heart" on it.

2. Next, use yarn to create a long path that the blood will take from the heart tent or tunnel, around the body (or room), and back to the heart tent or tunnel. Try to use lots of space in the room. The path can go behind a couch or recliner or however you want it to go. If possible, use yarn to create the two sides of the path so it looks like a path rather than just a line of yarn.

3. Create Oxygen Circles. Cut out some circles and write the letter "O" on them. They will represent the Oxygen. Next, choose something to represent the lungs. This could be a picture of the lungs or a couple of pillows or cushions, or even a balloon or beach ball (since they have to be filled with air). Place the "lungs" close to the path a little way from the heart tent. Place the oxygen circles on or close to the lungs.

4. Create Happy nutrients. Cut out colored circles and draw smiley faces on them. These will be the happy nutrients. Next, put some real or play foods in a basket or bowl and place it a few steps beyond the lungs but close to the path. Put the smiley faces (happy nutrients) with the food . You can have a picture of the stomach by the food if you want.

Now for the Fun!

Once the circulatory system is made, then the fun can begin. The child gets to take a journey through the heart and along the path through the circulatory system. Have them start at the heart. They can go into the tunnel or tent. Then sing the first verse of the song. As you sing it, they child travels along the path and comes back to the heart.

Then have them do it again, but sing the second verse and have them stop at the lungs and pick up oxygen circles. Then as you sing and they travel on the path, they toss their oxygen circles away like they are giving oxygen to a part of the body. If all of their oxygen circles are gone by the last phrase of the song, then they can touch their head, wiggle their fingers and touch their toes as they sing that part of the song. Then they go back to the heart.

For the third verse, do it similarly to the 2nd verse, but this time they pick up the happy nutrient smiley cards and toss those around as they travel on the path.

For the last verse, you could have them start at the heart, then race to follow the path and get back to the heart before the verse ends. If you sing it faster and faster, they might enjoy the challenge of trying to beat the song.

Variety of actions

You could have them try different ways of traveling along the path like hopping, crawling, dancing, tip-toeing, etc. Have fun.

Multiplication Dice Race

This is a fun way to review basic multiplication facts. We used a 12-sided number dice (1-12) as one factor and two regular dice added together as another factor. We could have used two 12-sided dice. Then we shook the three dice and multiplied the factors together. Here's what we did to make it fun. We set a timer for one minute, and each girl took a turn shaking the dice, multiplying the factors, and calling out the product. The object was to see how many they could get in one minute. 
Variation
Shake the dice, and everyone multiplies the products at the same time. The first one to call out the correct product wins.

Grab The Product!

This is a fun way to review multiplication facts. We wrote a variety of multiplication products on small dessert paper plates. The two factors for each product were written on a separate sheet of paper. You could also write them on slips of paper. Then we placed them face up in the middle of the floor, and the girls sat on each side. Then I called out two factors and they had to race to be the first one to grab the plate with the correct product. Each time they were the first one to grab the product they got a point.

Variation
A more active variation would be to scatter the plates face-up around the floor, and then have them race to the plate and grab it before the other one does. This version is lots of fun, but can get a little wild if they try to tackle each other in the process. Setting guidelines ahead of time for no pushing, tackling, grabbing each other, etc. is a good idea.

Fun Way To Memorize The Counties of Utah

We had fun memorizing the 29 Counties of Utah by learning this song with actions. It was fun to see how fast we could do it. You may use this song for your own personal use, but the song is copyrighted so please do not make copies.

Repeated actions through song:
(start actions on "Elder" --one action per beat)
Both hands slap knees (Elder)
Cross  hands and slap knees again (Beaver)
Both hands slap knees (Cache)
Thumb point over shoulder (Carbon)
Right hand touches left shoulder and stays there (Dagget)
Left hand touches right shoulder so both arms are crossed (Davis)
Make fists and bring both elbows downward in front of body with fists upward (and)
Both fisted arms reach straight up (Duschene)
Continue repeating actions

Seven Continents Toss and Floor Map

We had so much fun learning about the continents and oceans with two activities. The first was a large vinyl world map that the girls could stand on. The second was tossing an inflatable globe around.

Seven Continents Toss

We tossed the inflatable globe ball back and forth as we sang the "Seven Continents Song." We took turns singing the names of the continents as we passed the ball along. Click on the link to listen to the song.

Seven Continents (The first part is to the tune of Father Abraham)

by Sherri Boekweg

Seven Continents upon the earth.

On the earth are seven continents.

They have lots of land and I know I can

Name the seven continents. They are:

Europe, Asia,

Africa, Australia,

North America

South America

And don't forget Antarctica.

Seven Continents Song

Another fun way to learn the continents was with a big vinyl floor world map. You could possibly make your own, or purchase one that is already available. The one in this picture was the Map Tangle game. Played a little like Twister, you pick two location cards, and then place a foot on each one. It is lots of fun when each place is on opposite ends of the map. Unfortunately, it has been recalled, so it is no longer available.

However, there is another similar product that is available. It is called the World Treasure Hunt Map, and it is a large vinyl map available from the Learning Resources company. http://www.learningresources.com/

Here is the picture from their website.