SCIENCE

Understanding the World Around Us

Polar Bear, Polar Bear

Clap your hands and stomp your feet after each of the Polar Bear’s tricks.

Preparation: Bear shaped bottle; yellow, blue, red, food coloring; magic cleaner; water.

Children have a natural interest about Children have a natural interest about the world around them andthe world around them and

Children act as scientists as they Children act as scientists as they question their surroundings.question their surroundings.

Science is BEST LEARNED THROUGH:

Experiences of the senses: – eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and touch

First hand experiences Simple experiments Unplanned discoveries Observations Predictions Exciting discussions

– Effective questioning

transformation

Effective Questioning CLOSED-ENDED QUESTIONS:

– Single answer or Yes/No answers• What color is it?• What shape is it?• Do you like to look at the fish?

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS: – Promotes discussion - requires decision-making skills

• ** What are you observing?• How could you group these?• What happens when you ….?• ** What do you think will happen if….• What can you do to make that happen?• How does it look the same or different than it did yesterday?• ** How did you do that?• I wonder how _______ works?• What can you change to make ______ work/happen out?• When did this happen? What happened afterward?• ** I don’t know either. Let’s see if we can find out

THE SCIENTIFIC PROCESS? Observe: notice, wonder explore.

Ask questions Create a hypothesis

Predict outcome Perform experiment

Analyze results Evaluate hypothesis

The SCIENCE AREA Allow the child to explore the world around them

through hands on, activities, displays, and simple science experiments.

Place it near a window and away from active play

Have a table set up where a variety of materials are available for the child to examine with his/her senses.

real and plastic animals

magnifying glasses

Sorting containers

Balance scale

Building materials

Microscopes globe Pictures Plants Leaves

Seeds Rocks insects Seashells water

Sensory TableSensory Table-Provide children opportunities to explore using their senses.-Sensory tables should be located near a sink for quick clean up.-Contain water wheels, funnels, plastic beakers, cups etc.

GAK

1/8c (2Tbl) Glue 1/8 c (2Tbl) –Liquid Starch

– a little less than this amount so it is not gooey. 1 drop food coloring Combine in a bag and mix until all

absorbed.

CHEMISTRY Suspension:

Chemical reaction: Chemical change:

CHEMISTRY 1. Suspension

– **Fireworks in a Glass 2. Chemical reaction

– **Volcano 3. Chemical change

– Shiny Penny– Dinosaur Egg: – Ice cube and salt– Oobleck Video

FLUBBER / Real Silly PuttyIn a zip lock bag, place 1 tablespoon In a zip lock bag, place 1 tablespoon Elmer's glue, 1 tablespoon water and 2 Elmer's glue, 1 tablespoon water and 2 drops of food coloring Mix well. In a drops of food coloring Mix well. In a container mix 1/2 cup water and 1 container mix 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon Borax. After the glue, water tablespoon Borax. After the glue, water and food coloring have been mixed, add and food coloring have been mixed, add 1 tablespoon of the borax mixture. Close 1 tablespoon of the borax mixture. Close Ziploc and mix well. The result is a very, Ziploc and mix well. The result is a very, very close resemblance to the real silly very close resemblance to the real silly putty. putty.

PHYSICAL Balance Weight and Size Movements Gravity Water: Sink or Float Magnets Machines: wheels,

gears, lever, etc.

PHYSICAL Conductor/Insulator

– Ice cubes on a metal baking sheet vs. ice cubes on a piece of cardboard, which melts faster?

– **Electricity Static on hair with balloons.– Crayon Melt on a hot plate

Balance– **Does air have weight? 2 balloons and a ruler.– **Dominoes falling in a chain reaction

Weight and Size– **Lift a bottle with a stick

Gravity – Drop various objects to see how they fall

Water: – Test Sink or Float– **Scuba Diver or **Dancing raisins

Magnets– **Dancing Socks

Machines: – wheels, gears, lever (nutcracker)

BIOLOGY Living and non-living things Animals Habitats and Diets

BIOLOGYStudying Living and non-living things Animals

– Care of pets– Habitats and Diets– Seashells, pet fish, watch tad poles develop,

hatch chickens. Your Human Body

– Our 5 senses • **Smelling jars, tasting table, sound

cans, touch gel bags, hearing. Germs and Bacteria

– **Germy Hands (2 volunteers for this) Non-living things

– Does it breath? Does it move on its own?

BOTANY Plants Germination Photosynthesis Purpose of plants:

food, building, clothing, etc.

BOTANY Plants and trees

– **Do leaves breath? Place a leaf in a glass of water and watch as bubbles form on the leaf.

– Matching leaves with the tree. Germination

– Sprout seed in plastic bag– Grass Head Guys. Grow grass in a

stocking and potting soil. Photosynthesis

– **Carnation /Celery in colored water– Place one plant in sun, one plant in

dark.

ASTROLOGY-METEOROLOGY

Sun Light and Dark:

Shadows Stars Weather

ASTROLOGY-METEOROGY

Sun, Moon and Stars – Make a sundial, sun prints on paper.– Shapes, chart phases of the moon

Light and Dark – Shadow tracing – Outdoors with the sun, indoors with

the flashlight. The water cycle

– Make a cloud in a jar. Weather

– Tornado in a bottle.– **Thunder in a brown bag

Season changes

ECOLOGY Conservation Recycling Erosion Care of the

Environment– Worms in soil

Science Activities

List preschool DAP science activity for each type of science. Use resource books if needed.