Teacher Resources
MMA Discovery Boxes for Teachers
Created by the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Education Department with a generous grant from the Nantucket Golf Club.
Discovery Boxes are a wonderful tool for teachers to assist them in teaching their students about a myriad of science-related topics in fun and engaging ways. Included in the Discovery Boxes are background information and lesson plans for teachers, worksheets and activities for students, books, videos, and models all of which bring a hands-on learning approach to the sciences into the classroom. Science Standards listed with each of the available Discovery Boxes. Please call the MMA Administrative Offices at 508.228.9198 to find out more information and to reserve a Discovery Box for use in your classroom.
For Kindergarten through First Grades
Five Senses (K), Part 1 and Part 2 Science Standards – Physical Science #1 Observable Properties of Objects, Life Sciences #6 Living Things and Their Environments, Technology and Engineering #1 Materials and Tools I Spy with my Little Eye . . . This Discovery Box helps teachers to teach their students about the five senses. Included in the box are a “touch” bag, worksheets and activity suggestions, several books for read aloud, and foam models of the body parts associated with the five senses.
Weather (K-1) Science Standards – Earth and Space: #3 Weather, #4 Sun as a Source of Light and Heat, 3% Periodic Phenomena, #6 & 7 Living Things and Their Environment Weather You Know It or Not... Students will learn about the weather by using rain gauges, thermometers, “Willy” the changing seasons doll, reading stories and weather – related books, and participating in hands-on activities with the Velcro weather cycle chart.
For Grades Two through Four
Life Cycles and Adaptations (2-4) Science Standards – Life Sciences #2, 3, 4 Plant Structures and Functions, Life Sciences #6 Adaptations of Living Things Frogs 'n' Logs This Discovery Box assists the instructor in teaching about adaptations using foam models of seed growth, cross sections of small trees, and frog metamorphosis figurines. Each model comes with adaptation activities and ideas for more activities, books for reading aloud and for use by students, worksheets and posters.
For Grades Three through Five
Rocks and Minerals (3-5) Science Standards – Earth and Science 1, 2, 3 Geology Rocks! This Discovery Box includes a creative writing activity idea, worksheets, a video, rock and mineral samples, and a “Properties of Minerals Kit” that includes a hand lens, streak plate and samples for students to use. All the tools needed for teaching about and investigating the properties of rocks and minerals are included.
Earth Cycles (3-5) Science Standards – Earth and Space Science - #13, 14, 15 The Earth in the Solar System Our Cosmic Neighborhood An orbiter, lessons, and activities are included in this Discovery Box for children to investigate the planets and the Earth’s place within the solar system.
Earth History (3-5) Science Standards – Earth and Space Science - #12 Earth’s History No Bones About It! Help children learn about the history of the Earth by investigating the creation of fossils and what these fossils reveal. Included in the box are fossils, research sheets, worksheets, activities, and books for read aloud and student use.
Weather and Climate (3-5) Science Standards – Earth and Space Science Weather #6-9, Water Cycle #10, The Earth in the Solar System #14 Baby, It's Cold Outside! Older students have a chance to investigate the how’s and why’s of climate and weather by actively engaging in experiments and weather data sampling. Included in this Discovery Box is a weather tracker, books for the teacher and students, barometer, thermometer, rain gauge, compasses, hygrometer, an experiment “box” with more hands-on activities, worksheets, activities, and projects.
Soil Formation (4-5) Science Standards – Earth and Space Science - #4.5 Get the Dirt on Soil Students learn all about the formation of soil with this Discovery box. A wonderful sedimentator tube filled with water and various gradients of sediment is included in the box, along with visuals, books, reference sheets, and activity sheets.
Potential vs. Kinetic Energy (4-5) Science Standards – Physical Science #4 Forms of Energy, Technical/Engineering #2.3 Engineering a Design Zoom! Children learn about potential and kinetic energy by building a roller coaster. Detailed information for teachers on the creation of the roller coaster, roller coaster activity, worksheets for the experiment, and books for teacher and students are included in the Discovery Box.