Wading In
Classroom Investigations
A sample of investigations
prior to our museum visit.
Real science begins
with childhood curiosity, which leads to discovery and exploration. Science in our early childhood classroom is
not a complicated process, nor is it an activity that occurs separately from
the normal classroom routine. This project engages
children in hands-on, minds-on inquiry science.
(Click on an
Activity below)
Activity 1 Fountains
Activity 2 Absorb and Repel
Activity 3 Water Mazes
Activity 1
Fountains
Ask
and Reflect
I wonder how water flows?
Plan
and Predict
Children made fountains using Styrofoam cups and
straws. They made predictions.
Act
and Observe
Children observed how water flowed from one
location to another.
Report
and Reflect
Children demonstrated the flow of water using
their fountains. They reported on the
process and made any modifications they needed on their fountains needed.
Activity 2
Absorb and
Repel
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Ask
and Reflect
I wonder what materials will absorb water and
what will repel water?
Plan
and Predict
The children theorized which solids would absorb
or repel water. They charted their predictions.
Act
and Observe
The
children explored using various objects that repelled or absorbed water.
Report
and Reflect
The children
classified items that absorbed in one pile and that repelled in another.
Activity 3
Water Mazes
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Ask and Reflect
I
wonder if we can control the path of water?
Plan and Predict
The
children designed mazes and predicted if water would follow the paths.
Act and Observe
The
children worked cooperatively in small groups. Mazes were built out of clay to
design a path for water to follow.
Report and Reflect
Sharing
observations with others is an important part of the scientific process.
Children worked cooperatively in small
groups and shared their findings.
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Harcourt
Homepage Link |
An Introduction |
WADING IN
Classroom Investigations |
The Museum Visit |
STAYING AFLOAT
Helpful Hints |
Reflections |