PRE-K Standards Mobile Lab School Supplies Needed: Science Classroom Workshop The Dandelion Seed Group Time: Book-The Dandelion Seed, by Joseph Anthony, seed song, large notebook and markers Art: Pictures of dandelions, construction paper, cotton balls, clothespins, paint (yellow, green, brown, white), paper plates, plastic forks, sticks Ice and Water: Sensory bin, water, ice Blocks: Bowling for words- unit blocks with colored words, mat with colored spots for words, tennis ball, foam core back stop Science/Math: Collections of keys, rocks, sorting trays, magnifying glasses Writing/Projector Exploration: Projector and transparencies of words, animals and their offspring, plants, large paper for the wall, crayons, pencils
Areas of Interest Group Time: The Dandelion Seed Before reading the story, ask the children to observe and identify how the weather is, do the Rain Clap finger-play, and sing the Seed Song. At the end of the story, ask the children to share ideas about living things and non-living things on a page in the book. The teacher writes down what the children say in the big notebook. Rain Clap Hold right hand out, use one finger from left hand and tap onto right hand, continue adding a finger until using all 5 fingers, then reverse (5,4,3,2,1). Lyrics Seed Song (Sung and Written by Tom Hunter) A lot of trees start from a seeds so small You gotta look close or you can t see them at all It s hard to believe trees grow so tall From seeds that start so small Well, the sun comes up and the rain comes down And the seeds get planted in the fertile ground If you listen real close you can hear the sound of the tree starting to grow (hold hand like you are holding a small seed) (holds hands like holding binoculars) (use hands to show tall) (hold hand like you are holding a small seed) (Make a sun above your head with hands) (use fingers to show rain falling down) (Use hands to plant seeds in ground) (hold hand by ear) (More verses can be done with a carrot, grass or a flower).
Group Time: The Dandelion Seed While participating in the interview with the Teachers, the children will have the opportunity to observe and identify the weather, ask questions about their world, share their ideas, and observe living and non-living things on Earth. Content Standards: Nature of Science, Earth & Space Science, Life Science Nature of Science- Scientific Inquiry and Science, Technology, & Society. Earth & Space Science- Atmospheric Processes and the Water Cycle; Solar System & Universe; Earth s Composition & Structure. Life Science- Heredity; Structure of Life; Organisms and their Environment; Diversity of Life. N.PK.1.b Ask questions about their world. N.PK.2 Share ideas with others. E.PK.1 Observe and identify weather from day to day. L.PK.3 Identify humans, animals, and plants. L.PK.5 Identify the basic need for air, water and food. L.PK.8 Observe living and non-living things on Earth.
Writing/Projector Exploration Materials Needed: Projector and transparencies of words, plants, animals and their offspring, large paper for the wall, crayons, pencils The children will trace words on the wall while they investigate the animals and their offspring, humans, and plants by using the projector and transparencies. The teacher interacts with the children asking open-ended questions (e.g., what do [plants, human, and animals] need to survive? Where do they live?), and emphasize the need for air, water and food. Content Standards: Nature of Science, Life Science Nature of Science- Scientific Inquiry and Science, Technology, & Society. Life Science- Heredity; Structure of Life; Organisms and their Environment; Diversity of Life. N.PK.5 Students work in small groups and share ideas with others regarding to science related activities. L.PK.1 Investigate animals and their offspring. L.PK.2 Explore and identify a variety of animals and plants. L.PK.3 Identify humans, animals, and plants. L.PK.5 Identify the basic need for air, water and food. L.PK.6 Identify animals and their homes.
Art Experience Materials Needed: Pictures of dandelions, construction paper, cotton balls, clothespins, paint (yellow, green, brown, white), paper plates, plastic forks, sticks The teacher encourages the children to notice details in the pictures and create their own ideas about dandelions using tools safely to explore paint. At the same time, the children will observe and ask questions about dandelions and how they look. Content Standards: Nature of Science Nature of Science- Scientific Inquiry and Science, Technology, & Society. N.PK.1.a Observe their world. N.PK.1.b Ask questions about their world. N.PK.3 Use tools safely to observe and explore different objects/environments.
Ice and Water Supplies Needed: Sensory bin, water, ice While investigating ice placed in water (hot and cold), the children will share ideas and observe water in different states using their five senses. The teacher asks open ended questions to encourage theories. Content Standards: Nature of Science, Earth & Space Science, Life Science, Physical Science Nature of Science- Scientific Inquiry and Science, Technology, & Society. Earth & Space Science- Atmospheric Processes and the Water Cycle; Solar System & Universe; Earth s Composition & Structure. Life Science- Heredity; Structure of Life; Organisms and their Environment; Diversity of Life.Physical Science- Matter and Forces & Motion and Energy. N.PK.1.a Observe their world. N.PK.5 Students work in small groups and share ideas with others regarding to science related activities. E.PK.2 Observe and identify water in different states. L.PK.4 Use the five senses to explore and investigate the natural world. P.PK.4 Investigate how objects react when placed in water. P.PK.5 Identify hot and cold.
Blocks: Bowling for Words Materials Needed: Unit blocks with colored words, mat with colored spots for words, tennis ball, foam core back stop Small Group Instructions: Ahead of time, put word labels on blocks. Use a different color for each part of a sentence (ex. nouns are orange, verbs are yellow). These will correspond with the colored spaces for words on the mat. Place the foam core back stop behind the mat to contain the rolling tennis ball. Children can match the color word blocks to the color spaces to make a sentence. The teacher will read the sentence. The children will roll the tennis ball to knock over the words. The teacher will model language to describe how the ball and word blocks move and affect each other. Children can replace the words that were knocked down or set up a new sentence. The children will have the opportunity to sort and match the colored words (objects) to the colored spaces on the mat. They will copy the pattern to make a sentence. They will use the ball and backstop (tools) safely to observe what happens to the word blocks in relation to the ball (objects in relation to other forces) and demonstrate how objects move. Content Standards: Nature of Science, Physical Science Nature of Science- Scientific Inquiry and Science, Technology, & Society, Physical Science- Matter and Force & Motion and Energy N.PK.3 Use tools safely to observe and explore different objects/environments. N.PK.4 Use patterns to predict or sort items P.PK.1 Sort objects according to observable properties (e.g., by shape and color). P.PK.2 Explore and demonstrate how objects move P.PK.3 Explore what happens to objects in relation to other forces (e.g., magnets, gravity, and water).
Science/Math: Collections Materials Needed: Collections of keys, rocks, sorting trays, magnifying glasses Small Group Instructions: Children will choose one collection to work with individually or in pairs. They will observe the physical attributes of the objects, they may use the sorting trays to sort and classify the objects. The teacher will encourage them to verbalize their thinking about the physical characteristics of the objects. This activity provides the children to have the opportunity to observe and share ideas about a collection in small groups. They may use the magnifying glasses and sorting trays (tools) to explore the collection. They may sort the objects according to observable properties. Content Standards: Nature of Science, Earth, Physical Nature of Science- Scientific Inquiry and Science, Technology, & Society. Earth & Space Science- Atmospheric Processes and the Water Cycle; Solar System & Universe; Earth s Composition and Structure. Physical Science- Matter and Force & Motion and Energy N.PK.1a Observe their world. N.PK.1b Ask questions about their world. N.PK.2 Share ideas with others. N.PK.3 Use tools safely to observe and explore different objects/environments. N.PK.5 Students work in small groups and share ideas with others regarding to science related activities. E.PK.4 Identify and sort different natural objects (e.g., rocks, soils, etc.). P.PK.1 Sort objects according to observable properties (e.g., by shape and color).