Interactive Online Tools for Teaching Science to Students
Posted on: September 23, 2011. Comments ( 1 )

For Children of age 1 to 7:
For Children of age 7 to 11:
For Children of age 11 to 16:

Science Concepts are best explained when the students are asked to practically perform the experiments. Yet, not all concepts can be taught with access to real experiments in the lab due to lack of resources.

So the best answer to that is to provide the same experience using online digital interactive tools. For example, to teach how a plant grows, we can help the child use this animated interactive tool to see how the growth of plant is affected by limited water.

For Children of age 1 to 7:

Basic Science Concepts such as Human Body Parts and Farm Animals are usually introduced to children of young age. It would be a great fun if the same can be taught with interactive and entertaining tools. For example, in this Human Body Part interactive tool you can ask your child to identify body parts and move them to make the full body on the screen.

Want to explain the concept of Force and the difference between a Push and a Pull? Then try this simple exercise where the child can push a horse and how far it goes. You can also try this to show them how a PUSH works and how the same can be done by using the gradient level and gravity.

You can also try this simple online exercise to find out their understanding of how forces act; for example you can ask them what it means to squashing a can or stretching a spring. Try this to show how force changes the shape of an object too. Finally ask them to find out how force acts on objects with different qualities.

Try this to show them the different qualities of objects; you can pour water on an object and show them if it is water proof or not. You can also explain the difference between hard and soft objects by applying force on them and showing them the sturdiness of it.

You can also teach them the different states of an object: Solid and Liquid. You can demonstrate how you can change a solid object to a liquid state by the process of heating. For example, put the ice cubes in an oven.

Want to take them on a tour to your local park? Try this interactive exercise and ask them to identify Plants and Animals in the park. You can also check out their ability to think fast and co-ordination between visual and thinking abilities by asking them to group animals and plants in this Variation exercise.

Try this simple exercise of lighting a bulb to explain the concept of electricity. Children always like to play with magnets. They enjoy watching how objects are drawn towards a magnet automatically. Try this exercise to show them how different objects react to magnetic forces. For example they can drag a key and see how it gets drawn to a magnet whereas a pencil does not get affected by it.

You can also expose them to the basics of electricity, what electrical circuit means? switches, insulators and conductors are in this simple interactive video. You can also ask them to identify some everyday objects at home that need electricity from different sources.

We all know that healthy eating habits have to be inculcated from early childhood itself. And here is a simple and interesting tool for the child to learn the basic food elements that we need to live and here is another one that will help them discover different food groups and why we need them. Now ask them if they can fill their plate or lunch box with balanced food.

You should also teach them on the need for hygiene and cleanliness. Show them this video on how germs spread and why they should wash their hands before a meal.

Want to introduce them to different Sounds and how they are created? Try this exercise where you can demonstrate to the child how different ways to make sounds produce different sounds and their intensity. For example, the child will learn to blow a flute and see how sound is made when the air exits through the holes or how sound is produced when the child beats a drum.

Children enjoy watching nature and how it evolves. So it is time now to introduce them to the life cycle of different living beings. You can now take them through the Life Cycle of a Frog with this narration and also ask them to try this drag and drop activity to find out if they have understood it. Try this Life Cycle of a Butterfly too.

Teach them Seasons with these Picture Cards with the clue on how the surroundings look in different seasons and also teach them how different things are affected by the seasons.

For Children of age 7 to 11

Having introduced children to different Seasons, it is time to make them learn more about the important season, Spring, and why we need Spring and What happens in Spring.

Often we buy packed food from stores and children probably are not aware of where these foods come from and before it reaches the door of our house what are the different stages it goes through. For example, we all get the milk sachet at our door daily but how many children know how it gets there. Try this Farm to Fork interactive tool and help your child learn about the steps need to get this food.

Human Body & Its functions

In the previous section, the younger children were exposed to different body parts. You can now expose them to the different functions of the different parts of the body and also how they do their function. For example, you can ask your child to look at the eyes and seeing interactive to find out how the eye functions.

Smelling and Tasting are other two important functions of human body and you can explain the body parts that enable those functions and how they function to your children with this Your Senses – Smell and Taste interactive help.

Teeth and Eating is another important function that you can demonstrate to your children through this interactive tutorial.

What is the part of the body that is water proof? – The Skin. Explain the structure and function of skin with this Skin interactive tutorial. You can also explain the structure and function of Skeleton here.

Materials and their properties

Want to know different materials and their properties? Then try this Types of Materials tutorial to know about the three main groups of materials: metals, ceramics and polymers.

Try this interactive Magnets tutorial and find out their interactions with different materials. Children will enjoy doing this as it involves interaction and response.

You can also teach them the different states of materials and their properties: Gases, Liquids and Solids. This tutorial will help them sort materials into the different categories and will also help them see evaporation and condensation at work. Help them check out the melting and freezing point of materials also here.

You can also understand the different properties of different materials in different states with this Floating and sinking tutorials by checking the time it takes a ball to sink in cylinders of different liquid. You can also check out the density of Rocks and other materials and how it affects their floating property.

Water: Ever wondered as to where from the water comes? And where it goes? Check out this Water Cycle tutorial where children can learn how water is recycled by nature every day.

Plant and Animals

When would you say something is alive? Find out in this tutorial as to what constitutes a living and non-living matter in this world.

Plants are alive. How do we know this? They are alive because they grow, produce young ones, and are made up of cells. Check out this tutorial to learn the complete biology of plants. Here is an interactive tutorial to teach Photosynthesis, the process of making food in plants.

Earth & Space

Help your child watch the Earth orbit around the Sun and Moon around the Earth and help them learn the distance Earth travels in space. They can also learn the phases of moon, the order of the planets and length of the day in this Earth and Beyond tutorial. For testing your child if he or she has understood the concepts, check out these: Order the Planets, and Name the Planets and their properties.

Energy Sources: Energy comes from different sources but using different sources also causes different impact on our planet. With the Climate Change being a major issue for the future of our Planet, it is a good idea to introduce our children to what is the difference between Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Sources: Where they come from And How they are used?

For Children of age 11 to 16:

For grown up children you can explain some deeper concepts of Life. For example, you can teach them the different parts of an Animal Cell. Try this drag and drop interactive tool named Label the Cell to check if you child understands the different parts. You can also show them the 3D structure of a Plant Cell and examine the main components.

Human Body Parts:

Show your child how heart functions in a visual way so that he or she understands it clearly. For example, in this visual show, a red blood cell character tells its journey through the heart and round the circulatory system. The child will also learn how oxygen is transported through the body.

Try this activity based learning tool where your child will be asked to describe the breathing process by completing a diagram.

Human digestive system is a complex system and here is an interactive tool that will help your child understand it with drag and drop activity.

You can also show the structure of the human eye and its function in this tutorial where you can move the mouse over different parts of the eye and learn its function.

Comments (1)


    Antony Samy says:

    An much needed alternate to teachers and parents who think only traditional classroom teaching is the remedy.

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