The Age 8-10 - Semester 2 - Science Kit provides specialized materials for hands-on investigations in units Rocks and Minerals, Animal Adaptations, and Work, Tools, and Simple Machines. These activities help children model the rock cycle with crayons, test how different “beaks” gather food, and measure how simple machines change the force needed to do work.

Engage Your Child with a Hands-on Science Curriculum

This kit includes over 60 materials used in experiments throughout the semester. Here are a few examples your child will complete.

• Explore How Rocks Change Through the Rock Cycle: Your child uses crayon shavings to model sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. By applying pressure, heat, and melting, your child observes how the model changes and connects each stage to processes in the rock cycle.
• Investigate the Properties of Rocks: Your child tests collected rocks for hardness, streak, magnetism, and acidity using tools such as a glass plate, magnet, and streak plate. Recording and comparing the results shows how scientists use physical and chemical properties to describe Earth materials.
• Discover How Beak Shape Affects What Birds Eat: Using tools such as tweezers, a straw, pliers, and a clothespin as different bird “beaks,” your child tests how well each gathers food. Comparing and graphing the results demonstrates how beak shape and size can affect an animal’s diet.
• Explore How an Inclined Plane Makes Work Easier: Your child uses an inclined plane, dynamometer, and ruler to measure the force and distance needed to move weights up a ramp. Comparing the measurements shows that an inclined plane reduces the force required while increasing the distance traveled.

A Complete Hands-On Science Experience

Hands-on science can require families to gather specialized supplies for different investigations. This kit provides materials used throughout the featured activities, reducing preparation and giving parents more time to guide testing, observation, measurement, and scientific discussion.

The following items are included in this kit. This list is subject to change.

• 2 Styrofoam balls
• 3 plastic bags
• birdseed
• butterfly pattern pages
• clay
• clothespin
• construction paper
• cotton
• felt
• googly eyes
• paper lunch sack
• straw
• tape
• yarn
• bar of soap
• clear tape
• door wedge
• dynamometer
• eye screw
• inclined plane
• nails
• pipe cleaner
• pipe cleaners
• plastic knife
• round labels
• ruler
• sharpened pencil
• spool
• string
• toy car
• washers
• wire
• wood block
• wood triangle
• #3 pencil
• borax
• clear plastic cups
• Epsom salts
• foil cup
• geode
• glass plate
• glue
• gravel
• index cards
• iron nail
• magnet
• magnifying glass
• mystery minerals
• paper bowl
• penny
• plaster of Paris
• plastic dinosaur skeleton
• plastic spoon
• playdough
• red food coloring
• sand
• sandpaper
• skewer
• small glass jar
• small plastic bottle
• streak plate
• wax crayons
• wax paper