Science Journal App
Science Buddies and Google's Science Journal App
Skip collecting a box full of meters, sensors, and measurement tools and, instead, try Google's Science Journal. The free app, available for Android and iOS, transforms smartphones and other mobile devices into a suite of tools for hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Using sensors already on smartphones and mobile devices, the app allows students to collect, visualize, and analyze data in real-time. Ready to give it a try? Our collection of tutorials, classroom-ready lesson plans, and student project ideas will help you get started.
Note: The Google Science Journal app is no longer available. Projects and Lesson Plans at Science Buddies that used the app have been revised to use other sensor apps for mobile devices that have similar functionality. The information below may still be valuable as a starting point for working with sensor-based apps, but please refer to your app for specific information about accessing and using sensor tools.
Get Inspired to Try the Science Journal App
The following videos give you a quick look at some of the science explorations you can do with the app in areas of physics and chemistry.
For even more inspiration and ideas about how you can use Google's Science Journal app with your students, see the following "Try It" posts:
- Try Google's Science Journal App with Five STEM Activities for the Classroom
- Try Google's Science Journal App with Five Activities for Physics Exploration
- Try Google's Science Journal App with Six Activities for Chemistry Exploration
Classroom Lesson Plans
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Use the light sensor to explore how materials transmit, absorb, and reflect light. |
Design sound-insulating containers and use the sound sensor to measure how well they work. |
Build model houses and use the accelerometer to measure movement during an earthquake. |
Use the light sensor with a simple colorimetric test to measure exhaled carbon dioxide. |
|
Model ocean currents and use the light sensor to explore oceanic circulation. |
Build simple cars and use the accelerometer to explore the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. |
Use the light sensor and a color test to explore how temperature affects chemical reaction rates. |
View all Lesson Plans that use the Science Journal app. New ones added frequently. |
Tutorials
Student Project Ideas
The Science Journal app enables students to take real-time measurements using the sound sensor (
), light sensor (
), accelerometer (
), and more! The following project ideas work with the Science Journal app using one or more sensors.
