Hands-On Activity Materials
One of the core commitments of this curriculum is that hands-on learning should not require a trip to a specialty store. Every activity in Stardust to Storytellers was designed with real family life in mind: low prep, low cost, and high impact. Most of what you need is already in your kitchen, craft drawer, or recycling bin.
That said, a little planning goes a long way. This section gives you a complete materials list organized by lesson so you can scan ahead, spot what you need, and gather supplies before the week begins. You do not need to buy everything at once. Most families find it helpful to look two or three lessons ahead and pick things up as they go.
General Supplies
In addition to the specific materials listed below, most weeks will use basic supplies like paper, pencils, and coloring tools (colored pencils, crayons, or markers) for notebooking pages, timeline drawings, and vocabulary work. These are not listed in the table below but should always be on hand.
Stock Your Shelf
A handful of materials appear across multiple lessons throughout the year. If you want to do one simple prep at the start of the year, gather these items and keep them on hand:
- Play dough (multiple colors) — used in Lessons 2, 5, 12, and 18
- Active dry yeast — used in Lessons 9 and 10
- Balloons — used in Lessons 1 and 19
- Modeling clay or air-dry clay — used in Lessons 12 and 14
- A measuring tape — used in Lessons 21 and 29
- A shallow tray or pan — used in Lessons 7, 15, 23, and 27
- Small rocks, pebbles, or marbles — used in Lessons 4, 14, 15, 23, and 27
A few activities require advance prep or a longer lead time:
- Lesson 10 (Plating Bacteria) uses agar petri dishes for the bacterial growth component. These are not typically available at grocery stores and may need to be ordered online ahead of time. Basic petri dishes with prepoured agar are relatively inexpensive and widely available through Amazon or Home Science Tools. To make it more cost efficient, you could prepare and pour your own agar into plates.
- Lesson 14 (Fossil Making, Option B) requires plaster of Paris, which needs about an hour to set. Read ahead by at least a day.
- Lesson 27 (Glacier Movement Demo) requires a large block of ice. Plan to freeze water the night before.
- Lesson 6 (Edible Rock Cycle) uses a microwave. Adult supervision is needed for that step.
- Lesson 22 (Fruit Dissection) requires fresh fruit. Pick it up the week of.
| Week | Lesson | Activity | Materials Needed |
| 1 | The Big Bang | Universe Expansion with a Balloon | Large round balloon, permanent marker or Sharpie, ruler or measuring tape, lab sheet |
| 2 | Formation of Stars | How Stars Make Elements | Play dough in several colors, small marble, bead or crumpled foil ball, optional: glitter or star confetti |
| 3 | Galaxies & the Solar System | My Cosmic Address | 5 sheets of paper or cardstock (different colors help) OR printable template, scissors, markers, glue stick or brass brad, optional: photo of the learner |
| 4 | Gravity | Gravity Demonstrations | Two identical sheets of paper, two identical plastic bottles (one full of water, one half-full or empty), optional: chair or step stool for higher drop |
| 5 | Formation of Earth | Playdough Earth Layers | Play dough in 3-4 colors (red/orange for inner core, yellow-orange for outer core, brown/orange for mantle, blue-green for crust), plastic knife for cutting |
| 6 | The Story of Rocks | The Edible Rock Cycle | 3-4 colors of Starburst (or similar) candies, safety scissors or butter knife, wax paper or plastic sandwich bag, microwave-safe plate, microwave, heavy books |
| 7 | Plates & Pangea | Graham Cracker Tectonics | Graham crackers, whipped cream or frosting, tray or paper plate, optional: gloves & red or orange food dye mixed into whipped cream |
| 8 | Liquid Water & Atmosphere | Water Cycle in a Bag | Ziplock bag (quart or gallon size), water, permanent marker, tape to attach to a sunny window, optional: blue food coloring |
| 9 | Definition of Life | Is It Alive? The Station Challenge | Candle and matches, living houseplant or fresh leaf, piece of bread, river rock, battery-operated toy or small fan, small cup of warm water with dry yeast and sugar stirred in (prepare 10 minutes before), lab sheet |
| 10 | The First Life (Bacteria & Archaea) | Plating Bacteria | Pre-poured nutrient agar petri dishes (available online; one per surface tested) Cotton swabs (one per surface tested, often included in kits) Permanent marker or masking tape for labeling Plastic zip-lock bag for disposal, Gloves (recommended), Hand soap and access to a sink. Warm location for incubation (top of refrigerator, warm shelf, or a closed cabinet) |
| 11 | Oxygen Changes Everything | The Oxygen Experiment | One packet of active dry yeast, sugary cereal crushed into a powder (about 2 tablespoons), warm water (about half a cup). A large sealable plastic bag or a balloon. Optional: a ruler to measure bag inflation |
| 12 | Eukaryotes | Build a Eukaryotic Cell | 1 large Ziploc bag (cell membrane), clear hair gel (cytoplasm), grape or large bead (nucleus), raisins or small dried cranberries (mitochondria), green candy or paper cutouts (chloroplasts, plant cell option), dried pasta pieces (endoplasmic reticulum), small beads (ribosomes), permanent marker, optional: cell diagram printout |
| 13 | Multicellular Life Begins | Symmetry Sorting | Printable available. Animal pictures and three category labels (Radial Symmetry, Bilateral Symmetry, Asymmetry), optional: mirror for testing bilateral symmetry |
| 14 | The Cambrian Explosion | Make a Fossil | Modeling clay or air-dry clay, natural object to press (shell, leaf, small bone, or textured rock), rolling pin or smooth cup. Option B adds: plaster of Paris, water, small disposable cup, cooking spray or petroleum jelly, stir stick or old spoon |
| 15 | Life in the Ordovician & Silurian Seas | The Reef City Experiment | Flat tray or baking sheet, 10-15 small objects (marbles, beads, small toys, or buttons), reef structure material (large kitchen sponge, cluster of Lego bricks, or crumpled aluminum foil), optional: second flat tray for comparison |
| 16 | The Devonian Period | Seeds vs. Spores | Two or three types of spore-producing plants if available (fern fronds with spore cases work well, or moss), a seed or two (bean, sunflower, or similar), two small dishes or plates, damp paper towel, dry paper towel, small zip-lock bag, optional: magnifying glass |
| 17 | Carboniferous Life on Land | The Oxygen Experiment | Two candles, one small jar, one large jar or bowl, stopwatch or timer, lab sheet |
| 18 | Permian Reptiles & Mammal-like Creatures | Playdough Vertebrates vs. Invertebrates | Play dough or modeling clay, pipe cleaners, small stackable items for weight (coins, blocks, washers, or small stones), flat surface |
| 19 | The Great Dying | Making Carbon Dioxide | Baking soda (2-3 tablespoons), vinegar (about half a cup), small empty plastic bottle, balloon, funnel or rolled paper, tray or towel for spills. |
| 20 | The Triassic Period | Moving Like Reptiles vs. Dinosaurs | Open floor space (hallway or living room), optional: stopwatch or timer, small objects to carry during upright walk |
| 21 | The Jurassic Giants | Measuring Jurassic Giants | Measuring tape or long piece of string, open space (hallway, yard, or parking lot), chalk or masking tape to mark lengths, optional: calculator, pictures of Jurassic dinosaurs for reference Optional: a reel measuring tape works well! |
| 22 | Cretaceous Life & Flowering Plants | Fruit Dissection | Variety of fruits with visible seeds (apple, orange, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, or strawberry), plastic knives or kid-safe cutting tools, paper plates or trays, paper and pencil for recording, optional: magnifying glass |
| 23 | The End of the Dinosaurs | Impact Crater Simulation | Large shallow tray or pan, flour, fine sand, or cocoa powder to fill the tray, small rocks or marbles of different sizes, ruler, optional: second material to sprinkle on top (cocoa powder over flour) to make ejecta visible |
| 24 | Mammals Take the Stage | Mammal Survival Simulation | Lab sheet, colored pencils or markers, access to books or internet for older learner research component |
| 25 | Crocodiles & Dinosaur Descendants | Bird Beak Adaptation Lab | Eyedropper (hummingbird), chopsticks (heron), nutcracker or blunt-nose pliers (finch), small strainer (flamingo), long tongs (ibis), tweezers or forceps (warbler). Variety of foods in bowls: water, marbles, dried beans or seeds, small beads, crumpled paper, or gummy worms |
| 26 | Mega Mammals & Ice Age Giants | Blubber Experiment | Disposable plastic gloves (2 pairs), Crisco or vegetable shortening (about 1 cup), large bowl or bin, ice and cold water, optional: thermometer |
| 27 | Ice Ages & the Power of Glaciers | Glacier Movement Demo | Large tray, baking dish, or shallow bin, damp sand, soil, or kinetic sand, small rocks, pebbles, or gravel, large block of ice (freeze water in bowl ahead of time), paper towels, optional: food coloring mixed into ice to visualize meltwater |
| 28 | Primate Development | Thumb Power Test | Collection of small objects to pick up (coins, buttons, small blocks, beads), stopwatch or timer, paper and pencil for recording, optional: small bowl or cup to collect objects into |
| 29 | What Makes a Human? | Dexterity and Bipedalism Challenge | Clear walking path of at least 10-15 feet (masking tape works well to mark start and finish), small objects to carry (blocks, pom-poms, buttons, or coins), two cups or bowls (one at each end of path), stopwatch or phone timer, paper and pencil for recording |
| 30 | Tools, Fire & Survival | Soap Stone Tool Knapping | Bars of soap (Ivory or similar), plastic knives, toothpicks or small wooden sticks for detail work, paper towels or tray for cleanup |
| 31 | Human Migration | Migration Mapping | Printed world map (blank or lightly labeled), colored pencils or markers (at least 3-4 colors), pencil for initial tracing, optional: sticky notes for dates and events |
| 32 | Before History | Cave Art | Brown paper, paper bags, butcher paper, or cardboard (to simulate cave walls), crayons, chalk, or washable paint, tape to attach paper to walls or under a table. Optional natural materials: charcoal, dirt or clay mixed with water, coffee grounds, sponges, cotton swabs, or sticks for applying paint |