Pre Science
Science Knowledge Benchmark 1.1: Demonstrating an understanding o the process of scientific inquiry and logical thinking
Benchmark 1.1: Demonstrates inquiry skills including problem-solving and decision making.
“Science is the study of the world and how it works. Children are natural scientists and their curiosity leads them to seek answers to questions and make connections. By experimenting, making predictions, exploring, testing observations, and investigating, children learn about the world they live in.”
Some of the Math and Science standards overlap when learning new concepts. Patterning is one of those skills that are beneficial in both the Math and Science areas. So we will continue with the “cracker illustrations” from the Math section and take it to the next level (Science) using the same materials.
Activities to create higher level thinking skills in Pre-Science:
Age 1 Provide those toys that are red and they can reach in and pull out. For example some cut out red hearts that can be placed into a see-through purse with a clasp. They will open and close the purse and take the red hearts in and out. Could you possibly cut out a large red heart and hang from the kitchen light. If it hangs at your head level, you could hold your child up to it and they could bat at it.
Age 2 With some of your cut out hearts, you could play hide and seek in the living room. Place some of them around the room and see if your child can find them. You may start with 3 – 5 hearts in obvious places to start with, then gradually place them in a little more difficult place like partially behind the pillow on the couch.
Age 3 Out of construction paper cut our various colors of hearts. At least two of each color. Perhaps you have different kinds of scissors to cut the ruffly edges on. When you have 10-20 assorted colors, show your child how to match the hearts. Perhaps play a game like “old maids” where you take turns picking out a heart from a pile. Then seeing how many matches you can put together.
Age 4 You could take the construction paper hearts one step further by adding a paper clip to each heart. Create a fishing pole with a larger magnet (from your refrigerator) onto the end of the string of the pole. Take turns playing fish and putting the hearts in pairs.
Age 5 The same construction paper hearts can be place into patterns like blue heart, blue heart, red heart, blue heart, blue heart, _________ what comes next. Help them to see that the red heart would answer the question. The patterning concept can also be done with the valentine candy you get in individual bags as well. You can line up all the similar colored pieces of candy and compare which color has the most, and least.
Graduates Share
19 months, Matching Household items By Heather, Topeka
So I collected 5 pairs of items in a baggie. I then called her into the living room and we dumped the bag on the floor. I held up one item and she picked the matching item. Iwas surprised how well she did though she got distracted with some of the new items. It was a fun game for her. I did have 2 scarecrow figurines and an earring and she got distracted trying to put the earrings on the scarecrows. : )
Recommendation: Yes, we had great fun!
2 1/2 years old Tree painting activity By Shannon, Topeka
As the leaves began to change during the Fall season I began to point this out to Seth. I asked him if he knew what color the leaves were before they fell and was able to remember that they were green. So he painted what I called the "summer time" tree. I found a template of a tree trunk on line and printed it out. Seth colored it brown and then with green finger paint he took his thumb and made "green leaves" he put on the tree. Next we talked about what color the leaves were outside right now (Fall). He was able to point out that some were yellow and orange. So we did the same thing only this time Seth made yellow and orange leaves on his tree and we called it the "Fall" tree.
Recommendations: Yes, this is a great way to get your kiddo to start noticing things around them and how they are changing. With winter time, I could have him also create a tree with no leaves. Perhaps we could make a book of trees and have each of the 4 seasons represented in the book by showing how the tree would look. When each season changes, we can get out the book he made and point out what will happen to the tree and what will happen next. Then we can watch for it to unfold...
2 1/2 Years Old I simply took Seth outside and walked down our street and we filled a paper sack full of what he thought looked interesting. I asked him to look for different colored leaves on the ground and other items. I also pointed out different shaped leaves and how some were big and some were little. We talked about the wind and how it helps the leaves fall of the tree. We also talked about the season of Fall and how the leaves change colors in the Fall. Seth picked up all different colored leaves and even found some tree bark and acorns to add to his collection. Whe we got back to our house we pulled the stuff out of his bag and put into piles ranging from size, shape and color. I then laid out a big piece of paper for Seth and let him have a glue bottle and glue as much of his collection to his paper he wanted to make on his collage. Any changes might be that next time, I might change it for the seasons. There will be different treasures to be looking for depending on the time of the year. This is a great activity because it gets the child's curiosity going. It was so fun to see what we could find in the grass! -- Shannon
3 Years Old We have been talking about pumpkins alot lately. We visited a couple pumpkin patches and brought one of our favorites home. After talking about the shape of a pumpkin, we made sugar cookies cut into the shape of pumpkins. On the lid of a cottage cheese container, I traced the pumpkin shape from the cookie cutter and cut it out. Kaihtlyn then used paint to paint in the pumpkin shape onto paper. I would hold it down in place while she painted. She was so proud of her painting. Looking back, I think I might try to tape the lid down next time for her. --Kahle
4 Years Old So during Lexi's nap, Zoe and I went for a short walk around the block. Well she's been learning to ride her big bike so we took it and got to practice breaking on her bike everytime she saw something to add to her goody bag--which was very often. So as we walked/rode we saw things to collect such as leaves, acorns, walnuts, feathers, pine cones etc... Then we got home and dumped them on the porch to sort. So leaves with leaves, acorns with acorns... then we corted by size the leaves and then by colors. The problem now is where to put this great collection. I loved getting that chance to spend time with Zoe and talk about God's creation. --Suggestions... Bring a smaller bag to fill. This was a great activity to just walk and tak about nature and how God made it all.--Heather.
Amy, one of our TFM Moms who has 3 boys, has a couple of web sites she would like to share with the group. The first one is about tree/leaf website: http://www.watersheds.org/nature/treeguide.htm
19 months, Matching Household items By Heather, Topeka
So I collected 5 pairs of items in a baggie. I then called her into the living room and we dumped the bag on the floor. I held up one item and she picked the matching item. Iwas surprised how well she did though she got distracted with some of the new items. It was a fun game for her. I did have 2 scarecrow figurines and an earring and she got distracted trying to put the earrings on the scarecrows. : )
Recommendation: Yes, we had great fun!
2 1/2 years old Tree painting activity By Shannon, Topeka
As the leaves began to change during the Fall season I began to point this out to Seth. I asked him if he knew what color the leaves were before they fell and was able to remember that they were green. So he painted what I called the "summer time" tree. I found a template of a tree trunk on line and printed it out. Seth colored it brown and then with green finger paint he took his thumb and made "green leaves" he put on the tree. Next we talked about what color the leaves were outside right now (Fall). He was able to point out that some were yellow and orange. So we did the same thing only this time Seth made yellow and orange leaves on his tree and we called it the "Fall" tree.
Recommendations: Yes, this is a great way to get your kiddo to start noticing things around them and how they are changing. With winter time, I could have him also create a tree with no leaves. Perhaps we could make a book of trees and have each of the 4 seasons represented in the book by showing how the tree would look. When each season changes, we can get out the book he made and point out what will happen to the tree and what will happen next. Then we can watch for it to unfold...
2 1/2 Years Old I simply took Seth outside and walked down our street and we filled a paper sack full of what he thought looked interesting. I asked him to look for different colored leaves on the ground and other items. I also pointed out different shaped leaves and how some were big and some were little. We talked about the wind and how it helps the leaves fall of the tree. We also talked about the season of Fall and how the leaves change colors in the Fall. Seth picked up all different colored leaves and even found some tree bark and acorns to add to his collection. Whe we got back to our house we pulled the stuff out of his bag and put into piles ranging from size, shape and color. I then laid out a big piece of paper for Seth and let him have a glue bottle and glue as much of his collection to his paper he wanted to make on his collage. Any changes might be that next time, I might change it for the seasons. There will be different treasures to be looking for depending on the time of the year. This is a great activity because it gets the child's curiosity going. It was so fun to see what we could find in the grass! -- Shannon
3 Years Old We have been talking about pumpkins alot lately. We visited a couple pumpkin patches and brought one of our favorites home. After talking about the shape of a pumpkin, we made sugar cookies cut into the shape of pumpkins. On the lid of a cottage cheese container, I traced the pumpkin shape from the cookie cutter and cut it out. Kaihtlyn then used paint to paint in the pumpkin shape onto paper. I would hold it down in place while she painted. She was so proud of her painting. Looking back, I think I might try to tape the lid down next time for her. --Kahle
4 Years Old So during Lexi's nap, Zoe and I went for a short walk around the block. Well she's been learning to ride her big bike so we took it and got to practice breaking on her bike everytime she saw something to add to her goody bag--which was very often. So as we walked/rode we saw things to collect such as leaves, acorns, walnuts, feathers, pine cones etc... Then we got home and dumped them on the porch to sort. So leaves with leaves, acorns with acorns... then we corted by size the leaves and then by colors. The problem now is where to put this great collection. I loved getting that chance to spend time with Zoe and talk about God's creation. --Suggestions... Bring a smaller bag to fill. This was a great activity to just walk and tak about nature and how God made it all.--Heather.
Amy, one of our TFM Moms who has 3 boys, has a couple of web sites she would like to share with the group. The first one is about tree/leaf website: http://www.watersheds.org/nature/treeguide.htm