Fall SAVY 2017, Day 2- Environmental Explorations: Dig It! (Kindergarten)
Dear Parents:
We began our day with a deeper look at what a scientist is and does. We read a book called, What is a Scientist? And, of course, we read another farcical adventure from the book, 11 Experiments That Failed. Students gleaned further insights regarding the Scientific Method and how scientists do their work. We added to our anchor chart about scientists. Then, we reviewed what we learned about change. We added new thoughts about change to our anchor chart.
Next, students did an investigation on how scientists use their 5 senses to learn. Our investigation included smell, sight, hearing, and touch. From this investigation, we were able to realize the importance of evaluating details as scientists.
After this, our young scientists received their lab coats, and individualized them to represent themselves as a scientist. They look fabulous! The next thing we did was to learn about natural resources. This is a complicated subject of study so we donned our lab coats, and went outside to identify natural resources and products of natural resources. Students were constantly evaluating how to name objects they found as natural resources or products that use natural resources.
Upon returning to the classroom, we made sense of learning up to this point in the morning. As we did this thinking and applying, we divided into 2 separate groups and we practiced the Wheel of Scientific Reasoning and Investigation with a question: How would you study the question: Are plants attracted to the sun? Each group developed a scientific pathway for learning the answer to this question. We shared our ideas. This activity is preparing our young scientists for the steps for learning how to ask and answer questions.
Our final activity was an experiment about the power of solar energy. Students wrote their hypotheses about whether they thought a white painted bottle or a black painted bottle would absorb more sun energy. We used uninflated balloons opened over the tops of the bottles, to see which color would absorb more of the sun’s energy. We will discuss our results at the next Saturday SAVY. We reviewed our learning. It was a great day!
If you get some time this this week to discuss things at the dinner table or at bedtime, here is an idea to support what we investigated this Saturday. Ask your young scientist to identify items in your home that are derived from natural resources (you will need to guide them). Ask them which natural resources they use the most and how they are useful to them. They can share their answers with their fellow scientists when we meet again next week.
I am looking forward to more learning.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Tyson
Leave a Response