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THE SCIENTIST OF THE WEEK
One of my favorite ideas for science is to have THE SCIENTIST OF THE WEEK. This will involve parents and children and make your job a little easier. Write a letter similar to the one below and send it home with a different child each Monday. You could create a backpack for the “Scientist of the Week” with a magnifying glass, magnet, field guide book, spiral notebook, pencil, safety goggles, lab coat, and a copy of the science experiments listed this month.
Dear Parents,
Your child has been selected as “Scientist of the Week.” Please help your child choose an experiment to present to the class on Thursday. You will find some science experiments in this bag, but it might be fun for you and your child to go to the library or search on the internet. Help your child practice the experiment several times so she’ll feel confident when she does it in front of her classmates. We will have “The Scientist of the Week” at 2:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon and we’d love for you to join us.
Thanks for being your child’s FIRST and most important teacher!
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LAB COATS
Skills: interest in science; scientific process
Materials: old white dress shirts (Ask children to bring these in or purchase
them at a thrift store.)
Directions: Cut the sleeves off the shirts and let the children write their names on
the pocket. (You could let them write “Dr. Child’s name.”) Whenever
you do science, let the children put on their lab coats like real
scientists. Relate how you can observe, make hypotheses, predict, experiment, do research, and record data just like real scientists.
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Adaptations: When studying insects refer to the children as “etymologists” or call
them “geologists” when you study rocks.
Invite scientists (parents, community) to be guest speakers and discuss
their careers with the children.
Teach children this song to the tune of “I Had a Little Turtle.”
I Know a Scientist
I know a scientist, (Hold up index finger.)
And you can be one, too! (Point with index finger.)
Here’s the scientific method
So you’ll know what to do.
First you find a question. (Hold up one finger.)
Just take a look around. (Pretend to look around.)
What is it that you want to know?
Now you write it down.
Next you make a guess— (Hold up two fingers.)
It’s called a hypothesis—
About what will happen
When you do your tests.
Now experiment, (Hold up three fingers)
Observe it, write it, too. (Hold up four fingers.)
You’ll need lots of data
To show your guess is true.
Draw your conclusions. (Hold up five fingers.)
Look into any doubts.
Then tell everybody
What you’ve found out
DISCOVERY JOURNAL
Skills: recording data; reading and writing
Materials: white paper,
hole punch,
rubber band,
8” stick
Directions: Integrate reading and writing by asking the children to keep a science
journal. Fold 5 sheets of paper in half. Hole punch about 2” from each end as shown. (An adult may need to do this.) Insert the rubber band through one whole and slide one end of the stick through the loop. Insert the other end of the rubber band through the other hole
and slide the other end of the stick through that hole. Children can use their discovery journals to write up experiments, record observations, do research recall nature walks, science field trips, etc.
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MAGIC PENNIES
Skills: experimenting; observing
Materials: old pennies,
vinegar,
salt,
cup and spoon
Directions: Put ½ cup of vinegar in the cup. Add 1 TB salt and mix to dissolve. Drop the pennies in the cup and stir them around while you count to 25. Take the pennies out of the cup and rinse them off in water. Taaa Daaa! What happened to the pennies? What made them shiny?
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Adaptations: Put this experiment in a learning center so children can repeat it.
Experiment shining pennies with ketchup or lemon juice.
DANCING RAISINS
Skills: observing; predicting
Materials: small box of raisins,
clear carbonated soda (ginger ale, 7-Up, etc.),
clear class
Directions: Fill the glass halfway with the soda. Drop five or six raisins in
the glass. Watch carefully to see what the raisins do. What makes the raisins go up and down?
PEPPER SCATTER
Skills: observing; experimenting
Materials: clear bowl,
pepper,
liquid detergent
Directions: Fill the bowl with water. Sprinkle the pepper on top. Squirt a drop of detergent in the middle of the bowl. Observe what the pepper does. What makes the pepper scatter?
MILK MAGIC
Skills: experimenting; observing
Materials: pie pan,
whole milk,
food coloring,
liquid detergent (Dawn works best.)
Directions: Place a cup of milk in the pie pan. Let it sit for an hour so it will be at room temperature. Put several drops from each bottle of
food coloring down the sides of the pie pan at different intervals.
Now, squirt a few drops of the detergent in the middle of the pan.
Patiently observe and the colors will explode in the pan. (You might have to jiggle the pan a little to get the action started.)
VOLCANIC ACTION
Skills: experimenting; observing
Materials: baking soda,
vinegar,
red food coloring,
empty water bottle, spoon, and shallow pan
Directions: Set the bottle inside the pan. Pour ½ cup of vinegar in the bottle. Add a few drops of red food coloring. Add two tablespoons of baking soda to the bottle. (An adult will need to do this part.) Watch out for your volcano! What caused the chemical reaction?
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