Describing Properties!

Hey Science Friends,

Lots of things are going on in Science! And I finally got a good picture of our Science Gnome so I had to share it with you. I bet you are wondering what in the world we are going to use it for. Our Science Gnome is used as one of our objects of comparison when determining the mass of an object. Is it heavier or lighter than the gnome? Your object could be just about anything and you could have more than one object. We started by passing him around and just getting a good feel for him in the beginning. But I bet you are wondering how we are going to use him.

Learning how to describe properties in Kindergarten Science can be challenging. And my experience has taught me that teaching children to describe properties can be challenging at times. Developing this skill in Kindergarten is a foundational Science skill and it deserves time to develop. This one isn't a three week focus and never discussed again. Developing this skill takes time and the children in my classroom over the last 14 years have taught me this.

Books are a great way to get the discussion going and it gives us an opportunity to introduce and use new vocabulary. Tana Hoban has wonderful books that can be used when learning how to describe the properties of objects.

What are the ways we describe objects?

Shape

Size

Mass

Texture

Color



So, what is our objective here?

The student is expected to observe and record properties of objects, including relative size and mass, such as bigger or smaller and heavier or lighter, shape, color, and texture.

 So, what does this look like in Kindergarten?

This can help while observing and describing an object by it's properties because it reminds us of the possibilities and this can be used when children write about their observations. This can also be used as a tool for a writing choice in Science.  

What does it look like in the classroom?

After reading books and discussing properties as a class we have to get to investigating! You know we all want to get our hands on it and really investigate and eventually we want to be independent in this task.

A simple investigation box is set up to allow for some independent investigation. Just a few simple materials to observe and describe that can be found around any classroom is all you will need. If you swap out the materials on a regular basis you will have an investigation box that will help you keep this investigation going all year long! Simple set up, simple upkeep and simple investigations that keep the objective alive all year long as we develop observation skills and develop communicating like a Scientist. What is not to love here? If you would like to investigate with us just click on the investigation card and grab your copy. Have fun investigating Science friends!

 



YoWindow App!



Hey Science Friends,

What is the weather like today? In my neighborhood we have had the most beautiful beginning of the fall season day. And because of this nice shift of weather it had me thinking about reporting the weather in Science class this week. But first I have to tell you about a nifty little science app called YoWindow! I was given this tip by a teacher friend who was searching on Apps Gone Free! It has been free for several days so you might have to act fast but if you miss it I swear this is a great app to use when reporting the weather and I would actually pay for it!

You get actual live weather for your area. This would be perfect for young scientists that are just starting out because you can focus on finding the icon and just reporting the weather in the beginning.

Later you can investigate weather at different locations.

And with just a click of a button you can preview the weather for the rest of the week and at different times of the day. With a little swipe of your finger you can see the sun set and objects in the night sky appear. It seems like a great app for your budding meteorologists. And a super easy way to squeeze a little technology into a daily weather watching routine.

Right now we are still learning our weather routine and learning how to record the information independently. As we learn and ease into this routine I model the recording of the weather and the children follow along and we focus on building a Science community and learning how to communicate like Scientists do. I am excited about taking this app into the classroom and using it with our weather reports!

 

 



The Apple Life Cycle!

Hey Science Friends,

It is almost that time of year again...apple picking time. I wait and wait and wait for apple picking time. Fall is the perfect time of year to begin taking a closer look at life cycles in Science. This has always been a favorite of Kinder kids because there is so much to learn and so much to discover. If you purchased this unit last year you need to be sure that you have the updated version. The file went from 160 pages to over 200. You don't want to miss a thing because this can be used throughout the year when learning about different life cycles. Starting with the life cycle of the apple tree and moving on to sunflowers, frogs, chickens and butterflies this one will take you all the way through spring. And keep another eye out on this one because this one will be updated again before long! This download includes:

Life Cycles Included
-Sunflower
-Apple Tree
-Frog
-Chicken
-Butterfly
4 Colored Printable Basic Needs Posters
4 Colored Printable Life Cycle Posters
4 Blackline Printable Life Cycle Pages
11 Blackline Printable Label It Life Cycle Pages
4 Blackline Printable Order The Life Cycle Pages
4 Colored Printable Teacher Big Books
12 Blackline Printable Student Readers
3 Alternate Versions For Each Life Cycle
3 Alternate Vocabulary Student Book Pages
8 Colored Printable Life Cycle Sequencing Cards
4 Colored Printable Life Cycle Model Making Mats
9 Blackline Printables For Notebook/Journal Making
Day By Day Lesson Plan Format Included!
Student Readers are perfect for non fiction independent reading!
Tons of Print and Go Science Fun!
Just added the Sunflower Science Craftivity

 

This video has a catchy tune while showing the parts of an apple tree and talking about the basic needs of a plant. A perfect video for apple picking time!

If you are reading about apples, in Science this is a good book to start with. The pictures are wonderful and the information is perfect for young budding Scientists. Get ready and get set, it's about to be apple picking time friends!



Scientists Use Tools!

Hey Science Friends,

Always in the hunt for new Science books. I think I have found one more to add to my collection. I Use Science Tools just might be a perfect fit as we begin to learn what a Scientist does. And you know we are talking tools because we are going to be Scientists that use tools this year. I am so excited. I really am over the moon excited to begin Science this year. We have been in school for two weeks and have barely gotten started in Science. As class sizes begin to settle and things start falling into place, I just can't wait to kick it off. I am even looking forward to Science Safety! In the first few days of school I was able to clearly see that I have a class full on hands-on busy learners. And oh how I love that. I spent my summer reading, thinking, rethinking and recreating Science with young children. I am ready to go.
 

 

 

 

And because I knew this time of year I would be busy and we would be learning about safety and Science tools, I made some good old Ready To Go Science Fun~On The Run! Because you know once school starts, we are on the run with little time to make, create or search for what we need. But the best part is that I was able to find some wonderful real-life pictures to use with this presentation. I love that this is ready to go but what I love even more is that it is zero prep! Yes, zero just open, click and go presentation with real-world pictures and a culminating activity. But the presentation does offer some customization and you can add your own guided questions if you like or use the prompts already there. You can even use the presentation to create more rounds.

 

 

Paired with two of my favorite Science books this looks like it will be a great week! These books are just perfect when talking about Science tools. And better yet they are under five dollars each. If you are adding to your Science book collection, check these out on Amazon because you won't be sorry! Have a great week investigating friends!

  

My Five Senses Reports!

Hey Science Friends,

WHEW! It's been a busy few weeks around here. I am sure you can relate. This is always such a fun time of the year in Science...the beginning. You have the chance to set the stage for those budding little Scientists. And throughout the year you have the chance to develop the investigative skills and sensory language of those little Scientists too! Many of us start the year off with safety and then move on to My Five Senses. For us, we teach My Five Senses as tools to learn how to describe the properties of objects just like a real Scientist!

We learn to describe objects by:

shape

size

mass

texture

color

And we have lots of fun doing it too! And once you learn how to do it, you can apply this to just about anything!

What about investigating the properties of:

popcorn

bubble gum

apples

pumpkins

Yep, you can use your senses as tools and learn how to describe the properties of objects and foster independent, hands-on investigating too! What in the world is not to love?

And after all of that observing and describing the properties of objects what about sharing that with others? Yep, just like real scientists! What a way to meet those Science Standards with some true observing, describing, recording and communicating...just like real Scientists! If you are a true Scientist at heart or you aspire to be that Science teacher that you always wanted to be, this might help get your feet wet and ease you into that new role. I think this IS the year. If you are like me, you probably have searched high and low to find Science resources for young children but have come up empty handed. I did too. So, I decided to create My Five Senses Reports.

 

 

With Print & Go Science Resources it doesn't even have to be hard! If you would like to join us in our investigating fun just click on the images above for more information!