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Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

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Begin your ocean unit study with this salt water density experiment for ocean science experiments for kindergarten. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

While there are many fascinating animals, plants, and shells in the ocean there is so much more to learn about.

As a matter of fact, only 5% of the ocean has even been explored.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

But beyond that for simple learning purposes there is much to cover beyond sharks, fish, and coral.

There are also the tides, ocean depth zones, and currents.

And today we are going to learn about salt water density and the effect it has on objects in it.

I have a fun but simple hands-on science experiment to learn about saltwater density.

Before we dive in, here are my suggestions for must haves for an ocean unit kindergarten to make it fun, immersive, and memorable.

Books for Kindergarten Ocean Unit Study

Kindergarten Ocean Unit Study Resources

Add a fun ocean unit study resource for kindergarten to your study for the day.

Also, add in some hands-on ocean activities while learning about ocean science experiments for kindergarten.

Ocean Unit Study Hands-on Ideas

Edible Geography Sea Levels
Edible Geography Sea Levels

Too, look at more kindergarten homeschool curriculum and craft ideas below.

Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum And Crafts

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Finally, let’s do a hands-on easy salt water density experiment.

Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten Salt Water Density

So no special supplies needed.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

You will need:

  • 3 clear cups
  • Salt
  • Warm tap water
  • 3 raw eggs
  • cardstock/pen
Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Place 3 clear cups out, you can use plastic or glass just make sure all 3 are the same.

Add equal amounts of warm tap water in each cup.

Measure 1 Tablespoon of salt into one cup, 2 teaspoons in another, and put nothing in the third.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Stir to combine the salt into the water completely.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Make a label for each of the cups to keep them straight and place it in front.

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Carefully drop an egg into each cup.

Why happens?

The egg in the cup with the most salt water floats near the top because the density of the water is greater than that of the egg.

The water with less salt water sits about halfway in the water because the density ratio of water vs. object is close.

The raw egg in plain water sinks quickly to the bottom, the reason this happens is because the egg has less density than the water.

Ask your child some questions to get them thinking – Which egg is floating?

What happened to the egg with no salt in the water? Why do you think that happened?

Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments For Kindergarten

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

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If you’re doing rock activities for kindergarten, you’ll love this easy edible rock cycle. Also, grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

Hands-on activities are one of the best ways to teach a new concept, especially if you can add in the delicious aspect of eating your project.

This edible rock cycle is a great addition to your list of rock activities for kindergarten to teach it in a simple and fun way.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Books, video, and hands-on experiences looking at rocks themselves will go a long way in teaching your child about geology, the rock cycle, rock types, and more.

Then add some fun rock vocabulary.

Rock Cycle Vocabulary

  • Geologist (Answer: Someone who studies what the Earth is made of and how it was formed)
  • Rock (Answer: A rock is a solid that is made up of a bunch of different minerals)
  • Rock Cycle (Answer: The processes in which the three main rock types: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary transform from one type into another)
  • Sedimentary Rocks (Answer: Rocks formed from years of sediment compacting together and becoming hard, this can be grains of sand, mud, pebbles, minerals, fossils or plants)
  • Metamorphic Rocks (Answer: A rock formed from great heat and pressure inside the earth’s crust
  • Igneous Rocks (Answer: A rock formed through the cooling of magma or lava)

Also, look at some of these fun books.

6 Rock Unit Study Books & Fun Resources

Whatever grade you're teaching, you'll love adding one of these books or resources to your day.

Geology Movies for Kindergarten

Next, you’ll love this roundup of fun geology movies.

10 Geology Videos for Young Kids

Fine one or two movies about geology to add to your day or unit study.

Also, look at these other tips and kindergarten homeschool curriculum below.

Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum And Crafts

In addition, I have some rock resources for your older kids.

Besides, you want to teach all of your kids when you’re learning a topic.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Rock Activities for Older Kids

First, look at my free Earth Science lapbook.

Furthermore, add these other resources:

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Finally, let’s make this edible rock cycle.

You will need:

  • Chocolate morsels
  • Butterscotch morsels
  • White chocolate
  • Cookies
  • Grater
  • 3 bowls
  • Microwave

Directions:

First, crumble cookies and grate white chocolate block.

This is a great opportunity to introduce erosion, weathering from wind and rain, and how it turns larger rocks into sediment or the small bits.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

In 3 bowls place a little of each type of morsel as well as crumbled cookies and grated chocolate.

For the first bowl have your child press down with their fingers to compact all the small bits together to create a larger piece. This is how sedimentary rocks are formed.

Place the next bowl into the microwave for 30 second increments just until it begins to melt.

Use the back of a spoon sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to press it all together. Allow to cool and harden.

This demonstrates how metamorphic rocks are formed through heat and pressure.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

To demonstrate how igneous rocks are formed, take the third bowl and melt until completely liquid in the microwave.

Then place in the refrigerator to harden completely.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Write the 3 rock types on a piece of paper and label each of your types in the rock cycle.

Now you can enjoy taste testing each of the different rock types in the rock cycle.

Science has never tasted so good.

Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

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This fun hands-on moon crater experiment is a great introduction to learn about Galileo Galilei and his discover of Jupiter’s moons. Add it to my Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for a fun study.

On January 7th, 1610, Jupiter’s first four moons were discovered by Galileo Galilei through a homemade telescope.

It is one of Galileo Galilei’s most important contributions to science.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

The 4 Galilean Moons are named lo or Jupiter 1, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. 

Earth has 1 moon, but did you know that there are over 200 moons in our solar system?

 Most of the major planets, except Mercury and Venus have moons. 

Even Pluto and some of the other dwarf planets have small moons. Some asteroids even have moons.

If you look up at our moon, even with the naked eye you can see craters.

These craters were formed when rocks or comets smashed through space to hit the surface of the Moon.

And we’re going to do a fun moon crater experiment, but first look at these fun facts about Galileo Galilei

Facts about Galileo Galilei and the Jupiter Moons

  • Galileo Galilei was born in the year 1564.and he was born in the town of Pisa, in what is now Italy.
  • His father was Vincenzio Galilei who was a cloth merchant and musician.
  • Although Galileo’s dad wanted him to be a doctor, Galileo was good in math and didn’t want to be a doctor.
  • He invented the telescope and realized his telescope could magnify things to be large.
  • One of his first observations was the moon. At that time people thought the moon was smooth. However, Galileo said the moon was full of bumps and craters.
  • In 1592, Galileo became a professor of mathematics at the University of Padua.
  • One of the many things that set Galileo apart was that he believed in the Copernican system. There were 3 things he believed was 1 ) rotation of the earth on its axis 2) that the planets revolve around the sun  and 3) conical axial motion of the earth to explain a fixed earth’s orientation in space.
  • Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, is larger than the planet Mercury.
  • Io or Jupiter 1 is covered in volcanoes and lava.
  • Europa is covered in ice and has a huge saltwater sea beneath the ice.
  • Callisto is thought to be a dead world with hardly any geologic activity on its surface.
  • 57 more of Jupiter’s moons have been given names and the rest are waiting.
Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Also, add some moon vocabulary words.

Moon Vocabulary Words

Additionally, learn moon vocabulary words which can be added to your lapbook.

For example, look at these moon vocabulary words below.

  • Moon (Answer: A celestial body that makes an orbit around a planet)
  • Celestial (Answer: A natural object that exists outside of the earth’s atmosphere)
  • Orbit (Answer: The path an object makes around a particular point in space, like around the earth)
  • Crater (Answer: Holes on the surface of moons caused by the impact of meteoroid)
  • Lunar (Answer: Something that is related to the moon)
  • Revolve (Answer: To move in a circle around a fixed point)

Too, here are some fun books and resources.

12 Resources and Books For Studying About the Moon and Galileo

If you want to focus on the moon in your astronomy and space unit study, add one of these fun resources to your day.

Additionally, look at these hands-on moon activities and space and astronomy activities.

Moon Activities and Space and Astronomy Ideas

Also, add this fun hands on Exploring Space and Astronomy Lapbook.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

And these minibooks can be used for notebooking pages or a lapbook.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Finally, do this fun moon crater experiment with your kids.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Moon Crater Experiment

You will need:

  • A round shallow dish
  • Baking flour
  • Different sizes of weighted objects- rocks, marbles, etc.

Directions:

First, place a round dish on the floor.

Too, take this outside so the mess is easier to contain as the flour will spread and settle out a bit.

Smooth the flour a bit by hand or with a paintbrush.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Have your child drop the objects from various heights to recreate the impact of comets and rocks hitting the moons surface.

You could also grab these meteorite specimens (artificial) to let your child use for impact craters.

Carefully remove the objects and point out to your child how the objects colliding into the surface left impressions in much the same way impacts in space leave craters.

Smooth your “moons” surface and repeat as many times as your child wants.

Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost)

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If you’re looking to do some beginner gardening projects for homeschool this easy composting idea will get you started. Too, learn about the amazing Dr. George Washington Carver will make it a fun day. Check out more ideas too at Easy Seed and Gardening Unit Study for Kids (Middle – Upper Elementary).

And because January 5th is George Washington Carver Day, it’s the perfect time to learn about him.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

Focus on his hardships and he overcame them, what he did to help people understand about crops and to help people in the south better understand soil.

George Washington Carver made many contributions to his time that are still very relevant and helpful today. 

While most of us know him for his work with peanuts and sweet potatoes there is so much more to it than that.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

About Dr. George Washington Carver

Dr. Carver was born into slavery and all the way through his graduate studies he struggled to find schools that would admit him because he was African American.

George Washington Carver was born sometime during the Civil War,

He was known as “Carver’s George,” and was enslaved to Susan and Moses Carver, successful Missouri farmers.

He taught and was the head of the Agriculture Department at Tuskegee Institute.

Dr. Carver was a botanist, agronomist, chemist, and inventor as well as a teacher.

Also, Dr. Carver worked with people in the south to help improve the soil and maximize crop yields.

Additionally, he encouraged farmers to improve their soil without commercial fertilizers either through planting legumes that improved the nitrogen of the soil and were great sources of protein for people but also by using compost.

If you are interested in gardening or homesteading on any level, composting is an easy thing to start with.

It is literally just gathering kitchen and yard waste and tossing it in a bin to decompose into free, nutrient rich soil that is perfect for improving small or large gardens.

Composting also helps cut down on the waste in your garbage and landfills by almost 30%.

Rather than filling your bins and landfills with this type of waste, you can turn it into soil for gardens or container plants.

First, add in some books about George Washington Carver for your gardening projects for homeschool.

11 Gardening and Composting with Dr. George Washington Carver Activities and Resources

Whether you're doing a gardening unit study or want to learn about the scientist Dr. George Washington Carver, you'll love a few of these resources.

Moreover, here are some fun gardening projects to add to your unit about George Washington Carver.

More Gardening Projects for Homeschool

Then add a simple compost lesson.

How to Teach Kids to Compost

To start composting all you need is an indoor compost container.

You can use something as simple as a designated bowl for it.

However, you will want to empty it into your outdoor compost bin at least once a day to avoid drawing bugs and having it emit an odor.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

 If you use a small countertop compost container like this one below they have a charcoal filter up top and seal nicely.

With this you can empty it outdoors every other day or so and still have no odor.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

As you have kitchen waste, just toss it in the compost container like eggs, coffee grounds, fresh fruit, and vegetable scraps, etc

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver

Next, you will need a compost bin for outdoors, this is where the real action will take place. The combination of waste will help everything break down into a healthy soil.

Create your own or buy a ready-made one.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost

“Stir” your compost pile with a rake or limb every 3 to 4 days to encourage decomposition.

Gardening Projects For Homeschool Easy Composting With the Amazing Dr. George Carver (Free Printable About Compost

A properly maintained compost bin will heat up and break down items faster than one that is not kept up. 

The proper percentage of compost waste is 50% green compost and 50% brown compost.

Green is fresh recently dead materials with life still evident-fresh grass, veggie and fruit scraps, manure, etc.

Brown is older dead materials like straw, twigs, dead leaves.

Finally, grab this free printable below. Laminate and put it on your refrigerator.

Too, you can add it your gardening notebook.

How to Get the Free Compost Printable

Finally, how to grab the free compost printable. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get this freebie.

 1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!
 

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science – Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

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Homeschool kindergarten life science is one of the most fun sciences to teach. Grab my other kindergarten tips on my kindergarten homeschool curriculum page.

Too, with a fun nature tree study you don’t need expensive equipment or curriculum.

Add a few interesting books, a fun item or two. a backyard or a great tree filled park.

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

From books to videos, I’m sharing some of my favorite resources for introducing simple botany lessons to your preschooler or kindergarteners day.

Books are always the best place to start with any unit study whether you purchase them or grab a few from the local library.

Books about Trees

Look at these beautiful books for young learners.

9 Tree Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

You'll love using one of these books as a science reference or to use for art to inspire life science lessons.

However, the best part of any science for young children are the hands-on activities.

And children this age learn best through hands-on activities.

Hand-on Activities for a Tree Unit Study

Investigate, touch, experiment, draw, and play your way through learning.

First, study each of the trees parts. Study the leaves, their shape, color, and size, use an app or book to help you identify the tree.

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

Second, investigate the rings on a stump or cut of wood.

Then talk about how the rings indicate how old a tree is and every knot and scar in it tells a story of fires, storms, etc.

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

Look at what is growing on it.

Next, check out the different types of bark, peek in knot holes, and let them touch and investigate every part they can.

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

Third, create a science shelf in your home on a designated shelf, coffee table, or even a little wooden crate.

Make it a place your child can store his collections of leaves, pinecones, birds’ nests, and any other items of interest he finds on nature walks or in the yard.

More Homeschool Science K – 2 Ideas

Fifth, make this Hands on Literature Nature Study Simple Tree Craft

Sixth, create a leaf collection book to gather specimens.

Seventh, Safari Ltd. Toob Trees are the perfect size for little hands and have a variety of uses that make them worth the investment.

They can be used along with blocks and cars in small world play, to create a themed sensory bin, or in a little diorama to give it some dimension.

On a rainy day when you can’t make it outdoors, research the type of trees each one is and learn about it.

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

Eighth, work in some math by measuring the diameter of smaller trees with a flexible measuring tape.

Too, sort sticks and pinecones into sizes or measure them with a ruler.

Further, use acorns and leaves as counters and manipulatives for simple math problems.

Lastly, make a leaf rubbing by placing leaves under thin copy paper.

Rubbing the side of the crayon across it to bring out the detail for the drawing.

Also, this can be done also do this on the bark of the tree as well.

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

In addition to this, add videos to your learning day.

Historic Trees Nature Study

However, include your older kids too when you’re doing this kindergarten life science lesson.

Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study

I have this fun and free unit study Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study

Kindergarten Life Science Videos

Not only can videos help a child learn a topic you may be nervous about teaching, but it can give you 10 minutes to work on something else. Your child gains independence.

As well here are some questions to help you teach kindergarten life science.

Because kids are always full of questions, a good place to start with a unit study is ask them a lot of questions like

  • For example, what kind of tree is it. Use your books, apps, and google to help you figure it out.
  • What do the seeds look like? Are they acorns, pinecones, a pit, a pod, husk, wings, or seed inside a fruit?
Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

Then, what grows on it?

Moss, leaves, fungi, fruit and what kind of things are on the tree including its own parts as well as those that attach themselves to it, why do they do that?

Is it a good thing or bad? Find out together.

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

Another one is who lives in it.

A tree study can easily take a lot of rabbit holes learning about the birds, bugs, and other creatures that make trees their home.

Ask your child who lives in a tree and let them dictate a list to you, seeing their words written down is a powerful language learning tool.

Lastly, what do we get from trees.

This is another important question that you can ask your child and write down their answers.

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study

Paper, wood, apples, bananas, nuts, gum, wax, and dye just to name a few things. 

Draw a tree on a piece of paper or better yet let them draw it and write down your child’s answers all around it.

Moreover, look at some more tips for homeschooling kindergarten. What do you think? Ready to give this lesson a try.

Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum And Crafts

Homeschool Kindergarten Life Science - Hands-on Fun Nature Tree Study