Hi,
I thought I'd ask on the community, long story short, I have a family member in another country who is a primary school teacher. Resources are tight, and she's looking for the best way to teach children science. She was thinking of Youtube videos, but I'm thinking practical experiments using easy-to-find objects like batteries, wires, thermometer, multi-meter, calculator, ruler, magnets, LEDs, bicycle pumps and coca-cola bottles, etc.
I noticed there are very few Kindle books on the topic, and the few seem just "average" from the previews. It actually seems a major shortcoming. There are plenty of schools in less fortunate parts of the world, and science experiments would really get kids excited I think.
If it doesn't already exist, I'm thinking of preparing a 'primary school lab' list of simple experiments and the items that could be useful, or a URL to more information. I can think of dozens of experiments (perhaps a hundred experiments) but surely there are good resources with this already. I'd rather just point her to a book or website if resources like this already exist.
Cost is an issue, so no experiments needing (say) large heavy microscopes, but a magnifier lens is ok. No bunsen burner connected to a supply, but a candle or ethanol burner is fine, and so on.
What are some good websites, or books, for such experiments? For sub-10-year-olds.
What resources do you use for teaching kids? If youtube videos, which ones?
Is it worthwhile maintaining such a list? If so, perhaps we can do so in the comments below, as an in-progress list.
Here are some examples for such a list:
electromagnet - wire, battery
radio transmitter - wire, battery, AM radio as receiver
flashing fire engine light - wire, battery, lamp, foil, toy fire engine
compass - pins, magnet
mini xmas tree lights - bag of LEDs, some resistors and a (say) 12V battery
intercom communication - two speakers and twin wire
electrostatics - balloons
generator - toy motor and lamp
Many thanks!
