It’s that time of year again when you’re asked to provide lesson plans for a substitute who may or may not have a science background. Keep your students engaged in science with activities that are safe and easy for a substitute to manage.
Make it Phenomenal!
Use our Phenomena Video Gallery to get students questioning and thinking about familiar occurrences using scientific and engineering practices.
- Select a phenomenon video.
- Download the lesson activity sheet and print it or upload it to your website or learning management system (LMS). The lesson activity is linked on the video and found in a list below the video play list.
- Play the video several times, allowing students to generate questions and ideas. This should take no more than 10 minutes.
- To extend the lesson, allow students to work individually or in pairs to select one of the questions they wrote to investigate further. Students should produce a list of facts, accepted explanations, hypotheses, and a list of resources used. The extension employs the scientific and engineering practices of asking questions, constructing explanations, engaging in argument from evidence, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. This may take 30 minutes or more and may extend to a homework assignment or be continued the next school day.
- Students can also write a formal explanation for the question they asked about the phenomenon. Presenting multiple explanations to the class will spur interesting discussion and model the type of discussions scientists have. Use this as a literacy extension or an extra credit assignment.
Gamify Learning
There is always time for a science game! Students review previously learned content and may even be introduced to some new content. Whether a board game or video game, these games can be played as a class or in small groups. Let your sub have some fun too!
Board Games
Video Games
Carolina Essentials
Get to the essentials of learning with Carolina Essentials, free activities that can be downloaded and printed, saved to your class site, or distributed electronically to students. Every activity includes a Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS) table with applicable Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts; an online and PDF version of a teacher’s guide; an online and fillable PDF student’s activity guide; materials list; and applicable safety guidelines. These activities require minimal classroom materials:
EMR and Matter Interactions
Origin and Properties of Synthetic and Natural Fibers
Thermal Convection Currents
Designing and Testing a Device to Thaw a Watering Station
The Relationship Between Geoscience Processes and Mineral Distribution
Constructing a Cladogram with Hydra, Planaria, and Daphnia
Classroom Infographics
Even when you aren’t in the classroom, you can facilitate student learning with our free infographics. Choose from a variety of topics in anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, environmental science, forensics, and physics. You can also have students design their own infographics as a review exercise using one of the infographics as a model. To find them, go to Carolina.com and type “infographic” in the search bar. Here are examples:
- What’s Your Blood Type?
- Human Body: Cardiovascular System
- Exploring Monocots and Dicots
- Get to Know Your Microscope
- Graduated Cylinder Practice
- Chocolate: From the Tree to Your Tongue
- Ecology: The Study of the Place We Live
- Ecosystem Services
- Chain of Custody: From the Field to the Lab
- Lab Safety Rules
- Simple Machines
- Types of Gears
Hands-On Activities
If your substitute has a science background and is comfortable guiding students through hands-on activities, you can opt for online activities that require minimal materials and set-up time and are designed to introduce science concepts to students.
Significant Figures
Urban Stream Syndrome
Chemistry Solutions Practice Problems
Ballistics Investigation Activity
Kool-Aid® Chromatography
How to Use a Graduated Cylinder
Molarity, Molality, or Normality? (A Quick Review)
We hope these resources help you plan for those last-minute situations when you need a substitute, so that your students can continue their learning in a safe and productive environment.
*Next Generation Science Standards® is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
Digital Resources
Don’t forget your Carolina Science On-Line activities. They are planned, prepped, and ready to assign to students. If you’ve purchased any of the Carolina Kits 3-D, you have access to student background reading, prelab and post lab activities, review activities, lab videos, among others. Assignments can be uploaded to student devices or your school’s learning management system for easy student access and simplified sub plans.
Carolina Video Center
We’ve got a video for that! Explore our Carolina video library for tips, activities, digital resources and more!
We hope these resources help you plan for those last-minute situations when you need a substitute, so that your students can continue their learning in a safe and productive environment.
*Next Generation Science Standards® is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
