Science Connections
Science Connections is a multidisciplinary, hands-on science enrichment program for fifth graders. A Science Museum of Virginia educator comes to your school and leads a series of hour-long, hands-on fun workshops. Each weekly visit features one of 10 workshops. In an alternative option, when transportation is available, the workshops are conducted at the Science Museum of Virginia and include visits to relevant exhibits.
Science Connections aims to engage students in the learning process. Classes are small to allow student interaction. Activities in the 10 workshops incorporate art, literature and mathematics, as well as observation, modeling and experimentation. Students become scientists as they explore the world around them.
Science Connections is able to serve students within 35 miles of the Science Museum of Virginia.
For more information Call 804-864-1425 or email dsmith@smv.org.
Science Connections Goals
- Provide a hands-on, Virginia Standards of Learning-correlated approach to learning
- Promote a positive attitude toward school, learning and science
- Support cooperative learning and positive interaction among students
Science Connections Fifth-Grade Workshop Descriptions
and Virginia Standards of Learning Correlations
Workshop Description |
SOL Correlation |
|---|---|
I’m Feeling Light-headed! Learn about light. What is it? How does it travel? How does it behave when it hits a surface? Experiment and find out. We’ll study opaque, translucent and transparent objects in this first physical science session. |
5.3 |
The Rainbow Connection Continue to explore light in this session on refraction, reflection and the visible spectrum. We’ll make and use optical instruments, including periscopes and prisms. |
5.3 |
It’s Electric In this session we’ll conduct experiments on static and current electricity, build circuits and learn the difference between conductors and insulators. |
4.3 |
Rocky Road Become mineralogists and learn all about rocks. A fossil dig and pet SIM creatures help us explore the three types of rock in the rock cycle. |
5.7 |
The Whole World in Your Hands We’ll continue in Earth Science as we model the layers of the Earth, continental drift and Pangea, and even build and erupt our own volcanoes. Cells: Episode I 5.5 Study animal cells in this beginning life-science exploration. What are all those organelles for? We’ll observe slides, and make our own giant cells as we learn. |
5.7 |
Cells: Episode II Episode II presents plant cells. How are they like animal cells? How are they different? Compare and contrast as we explore the cellular structure of the producers. |
5.5 |
Happy Habitat We'll kick off our study of ecology by building our own ocean miniature communities. Learn about niches, food webs, communities and ecosystems in this lively session. |
4.5 |
Adaptation! How do organisms meet their life needs? With models, experiments and a favorite story, we’ll learn how structural and behavioral adaptations allow organisms to succeed. |
4.5 |
The Big Science Connection In our final session, we’ll connect it all together! We’ll review all we’ve learned and see how physical, earth and life sciences all help us explore and understand our world! |
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To find out more, call the Science Connections coordinator at 804-864-1425 or email dsmith@smv.org.