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How to Use This Guide

Print one page per grade. Store in a “Sub Folder” at your desk. When you need to call in sick:

  1. The sub pulls the grade-level page.
  2. Conducts one activity per science block.
  3. Collects student notebook pages / drawings at end.

Every activity uses supplies that should be in a typical elementary classroom (paper, pencils, cups, water, balance scale, magnifying glass). No last-minute shopping.

Kindergarten Sub Plans

Activity K-1: Sink-or-Float Tournament

Time: 20 minutes Materials: Tub of water, 10 classroom objects (pencil, eraser, paperclip, wood block, foam piece, toy, crayon, small book, coin, plastic bottle cap) Steps:

  1. Gather students around tub. Hold up each object. Ask: “Will this sink or float?”
  2. Test. Have students sort predictions into correct/incorrect.
  3. Ask: “What do things that float have in common?”

Output: Each student draws one floating and one sinking object.

Activity K-2: Shadow Tracing

Time: 15 minutes Materials: Chalk (outside) or pencils + paper (inside with window light) Steps:

  1. Stand in sunlight. Trace shadow.
  2. Wait 15 minutes. Trace again.
  3. What changed?

Output: Kid draws their shadow with both positions.

Activity K-3: Sound Investigation

Time: 20 minutes Materials: Rubber band, classroom objects Steps:

  1. Stretch rubber band; pluck. What do you hear?
  2. Stretch tighter; pluck. Now what?
  3. Find 3 classroom objects that make sound when tapped.

Output: Kid draws 3 things that make sound and circles the one that’s loudest.

1st-2nd Grade Sub Plans

Activity 1-2-1: Magnet Sorting

Time: 30 minutes Materials: 1–2 magnets, pile of classroom objects, 2 trays Steps:

  1. Show class the magnet. What might stick to it?
  2. Have students work in pairs. Test each object. Sort into “sticks” / “doesn’t stick” trays.
  3. Look at “sticks” tray. What’s the same about these objects?

Output: Kids list 5 magnetic vs 5 non-magnetic objects in notebook.

Activity 1-2-2: Leaf Identification

Time: 30 minutes Materials: 5–8 different leaves (collected outdoors 5 min before), paper, pencils Steps:

  1. Each pair gets 3–4 leaves.
  2. Kids describe each leaf: shape, edge (smooth/jagged), size, color.
  3. Can they find 2 leaves that are from the same plant?

Output: Leaf rubbings (crayon on paper over leaf).

Activity 1-2-3: Balance Scale Estimation

Time: 20 minutes Materials: Balance scale (if available) or ruler + pencil as fulcrum, pile of small classroom objects Steps:

  1. Show students the scale.
  2. Pick 2 objects. Kids guess which is heavier. Test.
  3. Now order 5 objects from lightest to heaviest.

Output: Kids draw the 5 objects in order.

3rd-5th Grade Sub Plans

Activity 3-5-1: Paper Airplane Lab

Time: 45 minutes Materials: Paper, measuring tape Steps:

  1. Each student folds their best paper airplane.
  2. Take turns flying. Measure distance.
  3. Winners share their design. Class brainstorms what made it fly far.

Output: Each student writes 3 sentences: “My plane flew ___ feet. The key design feature was ___. To improve, I would ___.”

Activity 3-5-2: Bridge-Loading Engineering Challenge

Time: 45 minutes Materials: Paper, tape, pennies, 2 books or boxes as supports Steps:

  1. Explain: design a paper bridge that can hold weight.
  2. Each pair has 15 minutes to design and build.
  3. Test each bridge by adding pennies one at a time. Record pennies at collapse.

Output: Each pair writes: “Our bridge held ___ pennies. The design strategy was ___. Next time we would ___.”

Activity 3-5-3: Classroom Census (Data Collection)

Time: 45 minutes Materials: Paper, pencils Steps:

  1. Each student picks a question they can answer about the class (favorite color, number of siblings, etc.).
  2. Surveys the class.
  3. Graphs results (bar chart).

Output: Completed graph + 2-sentence analysis of what the data shows.

Activity 3-5-4: Dissolving Time Experiment

Time: 30 minutes Materials: Cups, sugar, hot + cold water, stopwatch Steps:

  1. 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 cup cold water. Time until dissolved with stirring.
  2. Same in 1 cup hot water (teacher handles hot water).
  3. Compare results. Why does hot water dissolve sugar faster?

Output: Kids record times. Write 2 sentences explaining why temperature matters.

Minimal-Prep Variants

If the sub has even less time than 15 minutes:

  • Silent reading hour: Any grade. Have a shelf of science books available (National Geographic Kids, Magic School Bus, Ada Twist). Kids pick one. 30 min read, 15 min reflect.
  • Write-about-science: Any grade. “Describe the most interesting science thing you ever learned.” 30 minutes. Collect for discussion when teacher returns.

Common Ground Rules for Sub Sessions

Include these at top of every sheet:

  • Safety: Adult (sub) must be present at all times during any experiment.
  • Cleanup: Students clean their stations before moving on.
  • If something goes wrong: Stop. Don’t try to fix. Document and move to next activity.
  • Teacher’s phone number: If it’s a real emergency, sub calls teacher. (Add yours.)

Printable Standing Folder

The one-pager structure is:

  1. Grade and activity number
  2. Materials (must be present in classroom)
  3. 3-step instructions
  4. Reflection prompt (collect for teacher)
  5. “In case of questions” — teacher’s line

Keep 3–4 activities per grade in the folder. Rotate as used so subs don’t repeat activities students have already done.

What Not to Put in Sub Plans

  1. Experiments requiring mixing reagents. Risk is too high for unsupervised use.
  2. Activities requiring specific supplies not normally in classroom. Fragility fails.
  3. Multi-day projects. Sub can’t continue a project you started.
  4. Grade-inappropriate content. Kindergarten sub plans must not require reading; 5th-grade plans should use real measurement tools.
  5. “Science talk” lectures. Subs rarely have the content knowledge; kids tune out.

For grade-level STEM activity maps, see:

The Bottom Line

Good science sub plans:

  • Zero prep: Supplies already in classroom
  • 15–45 min: Single-block length
  • No content-knowledge requirement: Sub can lead with just the written instructions
  • Hands-on: Real observations, not lectures
  • Produce output: Drawings or sentences teacher can review

Put one sheet per grade in a standing folder. Rotate activities. Never have to panic-write sub plans at 6am.

Activity list tested with substitute-teacher feedback across 10+ elementary schools.