How to Teach Science Facts Using Flash Cards

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.Science can be a hard subject for some students because there are so many science concepts and information that you need to learn and memorize. It can get overwhelming, so this is why science flash cards can be powerful learning tools. Discover the many uses for science flash cards and how they can help your student memorize important facts. How to Teach Science Facts Using Flash Cards with mom and daughter using flashcards and a teacher doing science with kids Flash cards are classic study tools that you may have used for a high school science class. Science flash cards help students remember vocabulary words, definitions and any important concepts that may show up on a science exam. Using flash cards is a great way to cram a lot of information into your brain in a short amount of time for a study session. Flash cards can seem boring, but they are scientifically proven to work. 

Why do flash cards work so well?

  • Flashcards give your brain a quick way to check if you got the answer correct. When you look at the front of the card you have to think about what is on the back without searching for the answer. This mental task is called active recall. 
  • Active recall creates stronger neuron connections in your brain that makes you pull the answers from your memory which will help you do better on tests.
  • They improve memory performance with retrieval practice.
  • Retrieval practice is a simple practice of repetition by reading and answering the questions or definitions over and over. It is scientifically proven to increase your memory.

What type of information do you need to learn for science?

There are so many scientific topics. Over the years your children will need to learn and memorize hundreds and hundreds of names and definitions. The natural sciences are the main sciences your kids will learn.

Natural Science Topics

These cover the topics of our physical world such as Biology, Geology, Physics, Astronomy and Chemistry. 
  • Biology is the study of everything that is living, and there are lots of big words and definitions to keep track of. Your students will learn about classification and taxonomy, the water cycle, food webs, anatomy through dissection, cells and microscopes. Using science flashcards for vocabulary terms can help students remember definitions. 
  • Geology is included in Earth Science. It studies the earth’s landforms and the chemical and physical properties of the materials of the earth like minerals, water and natural gases. Your kids may need to memorize the different rocks, minerals and gemstones and what they are used for and made up of. 
  • Physics is the study of matter and its motion through space and time and how the earth works. Some examples of topics that are covered in physics are energy, force, scientific laws and theories.
  • Astronomy studies the universe, the stars, galaxies, planets, black holes and everything in outer space. Students will learn about the solar system and planets and need to memorize lots of different definitions. Using planet flashcards can be helpful to remember facts about the solar system.
  • Chemistry is a big one that has so much information. You will need to learn the periodic table of elements, the different chemical reactions, the element name and the chemical symbols. Chemistry flash cards are very helpful with an upper level science class like this.
You can take it a step further and break those main topics into smaller ones. As you can see, there is just so much to learn and keep track of. Flashcards will be a great help to your children to teach science facts, especially if they have their heart set on a career in a STEM field.

How do you study with science flashcards?

There are lots of different ways to use flashcards in your homeschool. They are an effective way to learn and store information, facts and knowledge. Science is one of those school subjects that is full of information. Using science flashcards are an ideal way to study and review. Use science flash cards when a new topic comes up in your curriculum or to help your kids study for a test. Some of these activities are so much fun that your kids won’t even realize that they are doing school and learning while doing them. 

Read and Say Answers Aloud

This is a normal way to use flashcards and one of the simplest ways to retain information. Pick up the card and look at the image or word on the front of it, and say it out loud. If you know the answer you can say it immediately, if you don’t know the answer flip the card over and read the answer out loud. Do this over and over and you will start to memorize the answer. If your child can not read yet you can do this with them. Show them the card, say it, flip it over and say the definition, science fact or answer. Even if they are unable to read they will start figuring it out pretty quickly. Older students that enjoy studying alone find this method very effective to study with.

Make Your Own Flashcards

Making your own flashcards is a wonderful way to retain information. It challenges students to think through what they are doing. This is an effective tool for teenagers as they are preparing to study for a text. They can use brightly colored cards for different topics or subject, or highlighter colors.  All students need to do is go through their science textbook in the chapter they are studying and look for the bold words. These key terms are almost always on the test. They can then look for the definition and write the answer down. Once the cards are made they can sit and drill them by themselves without any help. When they think they have mastered the terms, test them on it!

Play an Ordering Game

For younger students you can have them order the cards with whatever they are learning. If you are studying animal science you may be teaching about animal behaviors or food webs, and animal flashcards are a fun way to reinforce lessons learned. You can also have your children sort the smallest to largest animals by lining them up. Take turns sorting predator from prey and create a food chain game of what animals eat the other animals. They can even group the animals into categories such as: herbivore, carnivores and omnivores.

Create a Memory Game

Playing a game of memory with your toddlers or preschoolers actually helps to prepare them for flashcards. This works well with picture cards. Lay them down and flip them over to try to find the match. As you are looking call out the item you see like flower, lion, dog, etc… You can take it a step further and put the vocabulary word on the back and flip them to try to find the match with the answer. It is a fun and creative way to learn and train your child’s brain to use it’s memory bank.

Use Genius Fact Cards

Genius Fact Cards are a great way to use flash cards in a fun and unique way. Some kids aren’t a fan of flashcards, but may really love learning fun and interesting facts and soaking up as much information as they can. These fact cards are perfect for kids that love to absorb any and all types of information.

Science Facts on Flash Cards

The Genius Fact Cards set has over 1,000 printable fact cards. There is a total of 3,000 facts that are easy to memorize. These fact cards can be used to review or drill key facts in subjects such as: science, history, Bible, geography and more. There are 28 sets of flashcards in this mega set, with 5 of the sets covering specific science topics. You can integrate the use of these fact cards into many different science topics for review, memorization and even just for fun. All but two sets of the cards come with images on them which is a great help for visual learners.  The colored cards have the image and the fact written on them. The black and white cards have blank lines for your children to copy the fact answer on to them. This will really help them retain the information when they read it and write it down. You can even turn this into a game. Have your kids try to write down the answers without looking and see how many they can get correct. You can even do challenges with your family to see who can get the facts written down first!

Fact Cards Science Topics Included:

Parts of Cells Fact Cards 

The pictures on these cards are so helpful because your students will get a chance to see what the cell really looks like, almost as if you were looking through a microscope. Each card has the image of the cell organelle, its name and a description of the cell. There are 19 different cards in color and in black and white with blank lines. Parts of Cells Fact Cards with colored worksheets

Human Anatomy Fact Cards

The human body system is comprised of so many working parts together. This is one of those science topics that has a lot of information to remember. These cards will cover facts about the brain, the bladder, spinal cord, stomach, aorta, superior vena cava and more.  These fact cards include the picture of the organ or the body part. It also lists what human body system that it belongs to, and what the function of it is. This is a big set with 42 Human Anatomy Fact Cards in black and white to write your own answers down, and in color with the facts and information. Human anatomy fact cards with colored worksheets

Constellation Fact Cards

Are you learning about outer space, stars or the constellations in your homeschool studies? These constellation cards are a great visual of what the constellation looks like as you look up into the night sky. The dots on the constellations are to show the placement of the stars. These cards cover a total of 25 constellations, what they look like, where they are located and the brightest star in that constellation. The fact cards are in black and white, but one set has all of the facts, while the other set has the lines to fill in the facts about that constellation. Try taking the cards outside with you when you are viewing the stars. You can play a game with them and have your kids collect the cards for every constellation that they can identify first. The person who has the most cards wins!  

Planets Fact Cards

Do you have a kid that just loves anything related to outer space? They are really going to enjoy learning facts about the planets in our solar system with these fact cards. You will learn about each of the planets that are in the solar system. The facts include the average distance that the planet is away from the sun, the length of its year, its size and diameter and its rotational period. There are 18 cards in color and in black and white. The black and white are perfect for your children to copy the colors of the planet and color it in with markers or colored pencils. Then they can record the information about that planet on the blank lines provided. Play an ordering planet game with these fact cards. Take the flash cards and put the sun in the middle of a table. Have your children line the planet cards up around the sun in the order of which one is closest to the sun.

Geology Fact Cards

Gemstones and rocks are such a fun science topic to learn about and makes for a great unit study. These cards will teach your kids about 12 types of rocks and 8 gemstones and minerals. Learn about the type, colors and uses as well as where they can be found in the world.  The colored cards have the pictures and the facts. The black and white cards have lines to copy the factual information and color the gemstones and rocks to match the pictures. You can use these fact cards to match up gem stones and rocks that you may have in a rock and mineral science kit. Kids can lay the rocks and minerals out on top of each card to match them and say the name as they are doing it.

Free Science Fact Cards

These nature study fact cards are great if you are doing a unit study on insects. They have a beautiful, water color Charlotte Mason style to them and would look pretty hanging up in a school room as well.  Learn interesting facts about 35 different insects with these fun fact cards. They contain information such as the scientific name and classification, the average size, colors and some really fun facts about that insect. There are two sets included. One set has all the information while the other set has the blank lines to write down the information on. Insect Nature Study Fact Cards Instant Download

In Conclusion

Using flashcards for science is a fun way to study, review, and memorize facts that students need to know for school. Using the Genius Fact Cards is a great way to reinforce lessons and topics studied in 5 different subjects.