I would like to give credit to the Head Start on Science: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder for these amazing lessons. During this semester I witnessed the hands on experience they offer children. In each description I have included questions and comments for each lesson. Now let me share with you my favorite lessons from the book.
1. Roller Coasters
This lesson is a great way to teach students about gravity. During this semester I taught this lesson to my peers and they loved it. You simply find pipe insulators, masking tape, and various size marbles. First explain to the students they will be creating roller coaster using these materials. Make sure to have a roller coaster made for the students to view. They can make loops, curves, and ramps. Divide the students into groups of 3 or 4. Allow a large amount of time for this lesson. As students are creating their roller coasters facilitate throughout the classroom stopping at each group to ask questions. A few questions you may ask, "What do you think will happen if we change this loop, curve, or ramp?" "Can you make the marble go faster or farther?" What will happen if we add another curve at the bottom or the top?" After the lesson is complete allow the roller coaster to sit around the room and allow the students to test each roller coaster.
2. Seed in Our Food
This lesson focuses on children exploring seeds in fruit by observing, comparing, classifying, and communicating. You will need avocados, melons, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, tomatoes, apples, and hand lenses. To begin the lesson you will have all the fruit on a table and pass the fruit around allowing students to touch and smell each one. Next, ask the children to name the fruits on the table then allow them to choose one fruit to work with. When the children get their fruit they will cut it open with a plastic knife and begin to observe the inside of the fruit with their hand lens. Questions and comments to ask include: "What does this look like on the inside?" "What are these things?" "All these fruits have seeds!" "How are they different?" To close the lesson you will have children talk about what they found out and what seeds do.
3. Marble Painting
Children observe and compare how marbles roll down incline planes through this lesson. They will absolutely love this activity. You have box lids lined with paper and bowls of paint. Drop a marble into a bowl of paint, then into the box lid. Ask children, "What do you think will happen if I move this box lid around." Wait for children to respond and then begin to move the box lid, while listening to the comments. When children complete his or her marble painting allow them to use more than one marble and paint with different colors. Questions and comments to ask include: "How can you make your marble move?" "How did you make that line?" To close the lesson allow the children to hang they marble paintings where they want.
4. Making Oobleck
Your students may find this awesome or disgusting. This lesson is a great way for children to get a "little messy", but have a hands on experience. Divide students into pairs giving each pair a bowl. Have children measure equal amounts of cornstarch and water into their bowls. Next, provide spoons for the children to stir the mixture. Give them time to explore the oobleck before asking questions. Questions and comments include: "How does it feel?" "How long can you hold some in your hand?" "What happens when you stir it?" After children have made oobleck keep one or two bowls to use during another time. Clean up is easy. When the mixture is dry it will come right up.
5. Looking Through Water
Students may find this interesting and funny. Students will look through empty clear cups and water-filled cups to see how things look. Give the each student one empty plastic cup and one water-filled cup. Ask children to look through their cups at each other and objects around the room. Encourage students to look at objects through both cups. Then give each students two straws, one for each cup. Ask the students to place their straws in each cup and compare the straws. Questions and comments may include: "What do you see when you look through the water?" "How does your friend look?" "Does she or he look the same as when you look through the empty cup?" To close the lesson have children draw and write about something "strange" they saw.
6. Making a Giant Spiderweb
Children will become engaged during this lesson. During this lesson students with make a giant spiderweb out of yarn. You and the children will work together to build a giant spiderweb that is attached to the corner of the room. As you and the students are building the web discuss what to do next. When finished with the web, attach a different color of yarn to the center of the web to represent the spider "alarm" line. Then pull the alarm line across the surface of the web to the outer edge of the web. You will have children hold the end of the yarn and close his or her eyes. Have another child throw a wad of sticky tape into the center of the web. As the tape hits the web, the child holding the alarm line with feel a slight tug. This is what a spider feels when something hits the web. Allow for each student to hold the alarm line and to take turns throwing the tape. Questions and comments include: "What do spiderwebs look like?" "What is holding up the web?" "How does the spider know it has caught something?"
7. What's Magnetic?
This is a great lesson for children to explore magnetic objects. Each child will receive one magnet. Allow time for the children to explore the magnets. Then ask, "What can you tell me about them?" Next Place the "Science Wonder Box" in the center of the table. The "Science Wonder Box" holds items being tested. Attach a magnet to a string and allow one students at a time to lower the magnet into the "Science Wonder Box". When the child pulls out a magnetic ask what happened. After all the children have lower the magnet into the box. Take all of the items out of the box and allow children to explore which items are magnetic. Questions and comments may include: "What do you know about magnets?" "Why doesn't it pick up leaves?" "What can magnets pick up?" When closing the lesson, have children share the object they found to be magnetic. Ask what the objects that attached to the magnet had in common. Then have children try to pick up an aluminum can with their magnets.
8. Parachutes
Children will love this outdoor physical activity. During this lesson children will play with a parachute to make discoveries about air. Before beginning the activity allow time for the children to just play with the parachute. When you are ready begin introducing different activities. Different activities include: letting go of the parachute to see what happens, capture the air in the middle, bouncing a ball on the parachute, and one child at a time running under the parachute from one side to the other. Questions and comments: "What happen when you let go?" and "I wonder what is holding the parachute up in the air?" To close the activity have children talk about their parachute experience and draw or write about it.
9. Noise Makers
Warning: You may experience a headache from this lesson. Although this lesson may be noisy it is a great way for children to use recycled materials to make sounds. You will need to save recycled cups, damp paper towels, and string. Children will each bring a used cup and damp paper towel to a table. You will need to fasten the paper clip to the bottom of the cup and tie a string about 2 feet long to the paper clip. Children will then take the damp paper towel and rub along the string. TA DA a realistic duck sound. Questions and comments you may want to include: "What do you think is making that sound?" "Can you make the sound last longer?" "Is there another way you can make the sound?" What does that noise sound like?" To close the activity, talk about how much we use and throw away each day. Ask the children what they were able to save today in order to use in another way.
10. Soaking Seeds
Children during this lesson will be observing seeds absorb water, change size, and become soft. Begin by giving each child a Lima bean and hand lens. Ask children to observe the seed and tell you what they see. Then ask children to try and open their seed. After a few minutes ask the children if there is anyway to soften the seed. Hopefully, children remember food becomes softer when soaked in water. Ask children what they think will happen if the seed is soaked in water overnight. Wait for the children to respond. Ask the children if the bean will change in some way. Questions included: "Will it become smaller, stay the same, or become bigger?" To close the activity, have children look at their seeds several times during the day to see what is happening.
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