Great Science Activities for the Beginning of the Year | Middle and High School Science 2025
Reading Time: 5 minutes
The first few weeks of school set the tone for the entire year. How do you build classroom community, establish safety protocols, and ignite curiosity—all while assessing what students know and can do? Here are proven beginning-of-year activities that accomplish multiple goals while getting students excited about science.
Why the First Two Weeks Matter
Research shows that students form lasting impressions about a class within the first few days. For science teachers, this window is critical for:
- Establishing safety culture before any labs begin
- Building collaborative relationships essential for group work
- Assessing prior knowledge to guide instruction
- Creating excitement about upcoming investigations
- Setting expectations for scientific thinking and communication
The activities that follow accomplish these goals while being manageable for teachers navigating new schedules, rosters, and classroom dynamics.
Week 1: Safety, Community, and Curiosity
Day 1-2: Science Safety Stations
Objective: Transform boring safety lectures into engaging, interactive learning
Instead of reading safety rules from a PowerPoint, create stations where students actively engage with safety concepts through real scenarios.
Station Setup (Sciesmic's Lab Safety Stations):
- Reading Station: Students analyze real lab incident case studies
- Writing Station: Students evaluate lab photos for safety violations
- Analysis Station: Students identify safety equipment and proper procedures
- Practice Station: Students demonstrate proper safety protocols
- Research Station: Students investigate specific safety topics in depth
Why this works: Students learn safety through application rather than memorization. They understand the why behind rules, making them more likely to follow protocols throughout the year.
Implementation tip: Use these stations on Day 2-3 after initial introductions. Students get to move around, work collaboratively, and immediately see that your class will be hands-on and interactive.
Day 3-4: Scientific Autobiography + Current Events
Objective: Learn about student backgrounds while introducing scientific literacy
Activity Structure:
- Students write "Science and Me" autobiographies sharing their experiences, interests, and career thoughts
- Introduce current science news using age-appropriate articles from reliable sources
- Students respond to prompts connecting news to their interests and questions
Free Resource: Browse NASA's latest discoveries or NOAA's climate updates for engaging current events. SNExplores is a great resource too for science news that is already leveled for students to read!
Sciesmic Enhancement: Our current events reading articles come with built-in discussion questions and writing prompts, making implementation seamless while building science literacy from day one. [Explore them now]
Assessment Value: Learn about student reading levels, interests, and prior experiences while introducing the expectation that science connects to current events.
Day 4-5: "What Is Science?" Investigation
Objective: Establish scientific thinking practices through inquiry
Simple Investigation Options:
- Paper Airplane Challenge: Design, test, and modify for maximum distance
- Density Tower: Layer liquids to explore properties of matter
- Balloon-Powered Cars: Engineer vehicles using simple materials
Key Focus: Process over results. Emphasize questioning, predicting, testing, analyzing, and communicating—not getting the "right" answer.
PocketLab Integration: If you have access to PocketLab sensors, use them to collect actual data during these investigations. Students immediately see how technology enhances scientific investigation.
Reflection Component: Students write about what they learned about "doing science" vs. "learning about science."
Week 2: Building Scientific Practices
Scientific Observation and Inference Training
Activity: "Mystery Box" or "Black Box" Investigations
Setup: Place unknown objects in sealed containers. Students make observations, form hypotheses, and design tests to determine contents without opening boxes.
Skills Developed:
- Distinguishing observations from inferences
- Asking testable questions
- Designing fair tests
- Communicating findings with evidence
Materials Needed: Cardboard boxes, various safe objects (marbles, rice, coins, etc.)
Extension: Students create their own mystery boxes for classmates to investigate.
Data Analysis and Graphing Practice
Activity: "Getting to Know Our Class" Data Collection
Process:
- Students collect class data (height, shoe size, pets, favorite subjects, etc.)
- Create various graph types to display different data sets
- Analyze patterns and trends in the data
- Draw evidence-based conclusions about their class
Sciesmic Resource: Our graphical analysis activities provide real-world data sets and scaffold students through proper graph construction and interpretation—skills they'll use all year. [Get it here]
Technology Integration: Use Google Sheets or similar tools to create digital graphs. Students can easily manipulate data and see how different graph types reveal different patterns.
PocketLab Sensors: Leverage sensor technology to collect data with your class. Work together to determine independent and dependent variables. Then, create a graph and have students analyze it in pairs or groups!
Building Classroom Community Through Science
Scientific Collaboration Training
Activity: "Marshmallow Tower Challenge"
Materials: Marshmallows, spaghetti noodles, tape, string Goal: Build the tallest free-standing tower that can support a marshmallow on top Time Limit: 18 minutes
Learning Objectives:
- Practice collaborative problem-solving
- Experience iterative design process
- Develop communication skills
- Learn from failure and redesign
Debrief Focus: How does collaboration enhance scientific problem-solving? What communication strategies worked best?
Science Interest Inventory
Activity: "Science Speed Dating"
Setup: Create stations representing different science fields (astronomy, marine biology, chemistry, environmental science, etc.)
Process:
- Students rotate through stations (2-3 minutes each)
- Each station has engaging visuals and a key question
- Students record interests and questions at each station
- Culminate with sharing and discussion of career connections
Teacher Benefit: Identify student interests to guide examples and connections throughout the year.
Assessment Without the Stress
Scientific Thinking Pre-Assessment
Activity: "Everyday Phenomena Explanations"
Present common phenomena (why ice floats, why leaves change color, how phones work) and ask students to explain what they think is happening.
Assessment Goals:
- Gauge prior knowledge without making students feel tested
- Identify misconceptions to address
- Understand student reasoning patterns
- Establish baseline for growth measurement
Important: Frame this as "helping you plan" rather than "testing what you know."
Lab Skills Diagnostic
Activity: "Simple Investigation Showcase"
Setup: Students choose from 3-4 simple investigations (growing crystals, testing pH, observing cells, measuring reaction rates)
Observation Focus:
- How do students approach unfamiliar procedures?
- What lab skills need development?
- How comfortable are students with equipment?
- What safety reminders are needed?
PocketLab Option: Use sensors during investigations to see how students interact with technology and data collection.
Grade-Level Specific Adaptations
Middle School (Grades 6-8) Focus
Emphasis: Wonder, exploration, and building confidence
Specific Activities:
- Science phenomena investigations that connect to student experiences
- STEM career exploration through current events and guest speakers
- Collaborative challenges that build both science skills and social connections
- Creative science communication through drawings, models, and storytelling
Sciesmic Resources: Our middle school reading articles feature age-appropriate current events that build wonder while developing vocabulary and comprehension skills. [Explore them now]
High School (Grades 9-12) Focus
Emphasis: Authentic scientific practices and real-world connections
Specific Activities:
- Data-driven investigations using real scientific data
- Scientific argumentation practice through current controversies
- Career-connected projects linking classroom learning to STEM pathways
- Community problem-solving addressing local environmental or health issues
Advanced Options: Students design their own investigations, analyze primary research articles, or connect with local scientists or university researchers.
Creating Inclusive Science Spaces
Addressing Different Learning Styles
Visual Learners: Provide diagrams, graphic organizers, and visual data representations Auditory Learners: Include discussions, verbal explanations, and collaborative talk protocols Kinesthetic Learners: Incorporate movement, hands-on manipulation, and physical models.
Supporting English Learners (ELL/EB)
Strategies:
- Pre-teach vocabulary with visual supports and cognate connections
- Provide sentence frames for scientific discussions and writing
- Encourage peer translation and collaborative learning
- Use multiple representations of the same concept
Sciesmic Support: Our materials include vocabulary supports and multiple entry points for different language proficiency levels.
Building Confidence for All Students
Key Approaches:
- Emphasize that mistakes are part of the scientific process
- Celebrate different types of contributions (questions, observations, creative thinking)
- Provide multiple ways to demonstrate understanding
- Connect science to students' cultural backgrounds and experiences
Planning for Success: Your Implementation Guide
Week-by-Week Planning
Week 1 Focus: Safety, community, excitement Week 2 Focus: Scientific practices, assessment, routine establishment Week 3 Focus: First content unit with strong relationship foundation
Material Preparation Tips
Start Simple: Choose 2-3 activities you feel confident implementing Prepare Backup Plans: Have non-lab alternatives ready for schedule changes Organize Supplies: Set up systems that will work all year, not just the first week
Building on Early Success
Document What Works: Take notes on student engagement and learning Gather Feedback: Ask students what activities helped their learning Adjust and Improve: Modify activities based on your specific student needs
Resources for Continued Success
Free Resources to Bookmark
- NASA Education: Current space science news and activities
- NOAA Education: Climate and weather investigations
- Smithsonian Learning: Virtual museum resources and activities
- TED-Ed Science: Short videos with discussion questions
Strategic Investments
High-Impact Purchases:
- Lab safety materials that engage rather than lecture
- Current events resources that connect science to student interests
- Flexible investigation materials that serve multiple purposes
- Assessment tools that provide meaningful feedback
Sciesmic's Beginning-of-Year Membership: Get access to everything you need for a successful school year including lab safety, reading articles, and much more!
Setting the Stage for Year-Long Success
The activities you choose for the beginning of the year aren't just about filling time—they're about establishing the culture, expectations, and excitement that will carry through your entire curriculum. When students see science as relevant, collaborative, and intellectually challenging from day one, they're more likely to engage deeply with content throughout the year.
Key Success Indicators:
- Students asking genuine questions about natural phenomena
- Collaborative groups that function effectively
- Safety procedures followed naturally, not grudgingly
- Excitement about upcoming investigations and projects
Ready to start your best science year yet?
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