Science ATL Passport - Science ATL

Science ATL Passport

The Science ATL Passport encourages children to follow their own curiosity to explore their world and then reflect on their investigations through words or images in the Passport! Each page offers ideas for experiments, activities, or exercises organized around each of the five senses. Of course, if children don’t want to use any of the prompts, they should feel free to ignore the suggestions and follow their instincts and curiosity wherever they may (safely) lead.

We created the Science ATL Passport in the hope that it provides just enough structure to make children of all ages feel encouraged and inspired to see themselves as scientists – questioning, investigating, reflecting and asking more questions! in this passport will reveal things they never knew or noticed about places and objects they interact with everyday.

The Science ATL Passport is made possible by

We’d love to get a glimpse into your scientific explorations! Snap a photo of your Passport-inspired STEM activities or pages documenting those experiences.

Share on social and tag @scienceatl #sciatlpassport or email them to info@scienceatl.org.

Partnerships

In partnership with Brown Toy Box and United Way of Greater Atlanta, we’ve shared Passports and STEAM kits with 200 low-income families in Clayton County. Caregivers can find resources below on more activities and the Passport Guide here (in Spanish here).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Science ATL Passport for?

The Science ATL Passport is aimed at children approximately 7-11 (Grades 3-5). However, the Passport is flexible. The activities and experiments listed are intended to get the thinking started. Scientists are encouraged to design their own scientific investigations and to use the Passport to record results and observations and to pose follow up questions that may lead to future exploration.

The Passport could be used with children younger than 7 with some adult assistance or children older than 11 who do not feel limited by the suggested activities that might feel too simple.

What do I do with it?

It offers ideas for experiments and activities using household items or outside in yards, parks or sidewalks. It also is a small lab notebook where at-home scientists can make hypotheses, plan, record and/or reflect on results.

Each section encourages scientists to explore a particular sense – sigh, touch, hearing, smell and taste. It offers a list of possible experiments or activities to do, as well as blank pages that can be used as a lab notebook for the two science activities.

I’ve never had a lab notebook, what do I do with it?

A lab notebook is a place where scientists take notes about their ideas, experiments, data, results, etc. In the Science ATL Passport, there is space designated for writing words or drawing pictures about the two experiments you design for each sense. It also offers one page to think about both activities and what was most interesting about your exploration of that sense.

You might do one or more of the following in that blank space:

List of Materials
Map the different steps of the experiment
Draw a picture(s) of some aspect of the experiment or activity
Make a hypothesis
Record answers or results as they happen
Revisit hypothesis – was your prediction correct? If not, can you explain why?

What if I don’t want to do any of the activities listed nor focus only the senses?

I’m not able to do any of the activities on the list, can I find other suggestions?

What if I don’t want to write or draw about my experiments?

STEM Resources

These websites include lots of ideas for STEM exploration that might inspire activities or experiences children can use with their Passport.

Science Buddies – The award-winning, non-profit Science Buddies empowers K-12 students, parents, and teachers to quickly and easily find free project ideas and help in all areas of science from physics to food science and music to microbiology.

Teach Engineering: STEM Curriculum for K-12 – University engineering faculty, graduate students and K-12 teachers across the nation developed and classroom tested the contents of the TeachEngineering collection, which showcases engineering in everyday life as the context for student learning.

Exploratorium’s Science Snacks – Science Snacks are hands-on, teacher-tested, and use cheap, available materials. Satisfy your curiosity without ever getting full.

Google’s Science Journal – Science Journal is the free digital science notebook brought to you by Google that includes the phone’s sensors to measure and graph phenomena such as light, sound and motion, or connect to external sensors via Bluetooth to conduct experiments on the world around you.

OK Go Sandbox – an online resource for educators that uses OK Go’s music videos as starting points for integrated guided inquiry challenges allowing students to explore various STEAM concepts.

Squishy Circuits Projects – Downloadable project ideas for using Squishy Circuits to develop fun and complex circuitry. Squishy Circuits also works well with any science or engineering lesson plans, STEM activities, or home-based learning environments.

PBS Design Squad Build – Hands-on Engineering activities and videos intended for use in classrooms, afterschool programs, libraries and museums.

Discover E Activities – DiscoverE works to ensure people everywhere understand how engineers, technicians, and technologists make the world a better place. Their activities are intended to help young students discover engineering.

STEM-Works Activities – The STEM-Works program supports volunteers that are working in their local communities to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in our nation. The site aims to create a virtual environment where volunteers will find the tools they need to inspire, teach and have fun with young people.

NASA For Informal Educators – The STEM Engagement section on NASA’s website with information, apps and activities intended to Inspire, Engage and Educate the next generation of explorers.

Technovation Families – Family Design Challenges intded to fuel curiosity, creativity, and perseverance while teaching about the science and technology that will drive the future.

Explore Science: Zoom into Nano is a series of five lessons designed to engage students with nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanoengineering. Zoom into Nano was developed to encourage afterschool partnerships with science centers and museums, so check with your local institution to see if they’re interested! From the NISE Network.

You for Youth‘s STEM-rich making activities were designed specifically for 21st Century Community Learning Center programs. Activities include science journals, circuit boards, scribbling machines, and nature bots. Instructor guides and videos are available free online. While created for upper-elementary school students, the activities can be adapted for students of all ages. From the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Exploratorium, and the U.S. Department of Education.

ZOOM is a series of easy-to-run activities that can be used and modified for all ages. Explore science with ZOOMsci, engineering with ZOOMbuild, and the environment with ZOOMgreen. From PBS Learning Media.