Describing Properties Freebie!

Hey Science Friends,

As part of our Science standards we describe properties of objects. Setting up this investigation can really be pretty simple. You do not need any expensive materials and you can keep this investigation going all year long. After some guided practice and a little gradual release, you will find that this can be one of the best independent investigations to have around. What I love is that a simple nature walk can provide enough materials for several investigations. Add in a hand lens and your kids will begin to discover their inner scientist.

After the investigation and inventory, your scientists will be ready to report their findings to the class. You can even have fun with this for Science Show and Tell! A perfect way for them to have some fun at home finding the perfect object to bring in and investigate. To set this up for independent investigations all you need is a box, hand lens, clipboard, copies of the inventory and objects. It just can't get easier than that!

Grab Your Copy Here!

What's Been Going On?

We have been learning about Living and Non Living Things in the classroom. Since we have reorganized and set up our Science Center, we have had lots of opportunities to observe living and non living things.

In our tiny Science Center we have:

2 Aqua Frogs

3 Hermit Crabs

1 Beta Fish

1 Ghost Fish

I Sucker Fish

1 Mystery Snail 

1 Growing Aquarium Plant

6 Mini Greenhouses

AND... 20 Budding Scientists! 

Every morning we check on our classroom pets and see what they are up to. 

We have used tools to help us observe our crabs and crab habitat. 

We have learned that animals need:

Food

Water 

Shelter

We have noticed lots of crabby play goes on in that crab shack! 

We have seen the changing of shells. 

We witnessed our crab problem solving as he was trying to get in his coconut hut but his shell was stuck. He came out of his shell and pulled and pulled on it until he finally got it inside! 

We added a live plant to our aquarium and we are hoping it will take root and grow! 

We read The Tiny Seed and learned about seed dispersal and about the basic needs of plants. 

We learned plants need:

Water

Nutrients

Sunlight

Space

The Tiny Seed is a great book that actually addresses the importance of space. 

On a field investigation we found two objects that look like berries. We think they might be figs from a fig tree but we have to do a little more investigating. 

We have completed our first Science Team project by putting together Mini Greenhouses. Right now we are growing:

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Sweet Peppers

Zinnias

Sunflowers

We have learned the parts of a plant:

Petal

Seed

Stem

Leaf

Roots

We are recording our observations and new understandings in our Science Notebooks. 

We have had way more fun than we should...watching our Growing Brain actually change instead of grow. We have been able to observe these changes and record our observations in our Science Notebooks. And we have discovered that although things can appear to grow, if they do not have basic needs, then they are not living. 

We have had fun learning that Scientists share information with others and discuss their findings as we work through the Scientific Processes.