by Lynne Kepler

NEW YORK • TORONTO • LONDON • AUCKLAND • SYDNEY

MEXICO CITY • NEW DELHI • HONG KONG • BUENOS AIRES

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to all those individuals who, in sharing their
expertise, talents, and time, helped to make this book. I would
like to especially acknowledge the following individuals:
✲ Joan Novelli, editor, who collaborated with me on this
book from the very beginning. I truly appreciate her
guidance, her thoughtfulness, and her creativity. She
made this book fun and untiring. I hope we can do it
again!
✲ Terry Cooper, editor-in-chief, and Deborah Schecter,
senior editor, Scholastic Professional Books, who
supported this project from the start and are committed
to helping primary teachers teach science.
✲ Jackie Swensen, designer, for helping to turn a massive
manuscript into the friendly, elegant pages of this book.
✲ Lauren Leon, copy editor, for her creative abilities. She
always seems to be able to “see” what I am writing about.
✲ Mary Faulk, elementary librarian, who took time to help
find some great, science-related children’s books.
✲ My family, Doug, Jake, Ty, and Muir. They encouraged
me throughout this project by always wondering, asking
questions, and reminding me to look at the world
around us.

Scholastic grants teachers permission to photocopy the reproducible pages from this book for classroom use. No other part
of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission of the publisher. For information
regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999.
Edited by Joan Novelli
Cover design by Vincent Ceci and Jaime Lucero
Cover illustration by Jane Conteh-Morgan
Back cover photo by John C. Evans
Interior design by Solutions by Design, Inc.
Interior illustrations by James Graham Hale
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-07475-9
ISBN-10: 0-545-07475-4
Copyright © 1996 by Lynne Kepler
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 40 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources

CONTENTS

FROM THE AUTHOR 5

CHAPTER 1
S C I E N C E L E A D S T H E WAY 6

CHAPTER 2
USING THIS BOOK 17

CHAPTER 3
SEPTEMBER 25

Discover Butterflies 28

Moon Watch 39

CHAPTER 4
OCTOBER 52

Falling Leaves 55

Degrees of Weather 67

CHAPTER 5
NOVEMBER 77

Harvest Time 80

Bears in Winter 97

CHAPTER 6
DECEMBER 107

Ice and Snow 110

For the Birds 123

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources

 CHAPTER 7
JANUARY 136

The Night Sky 139

Push and Pull 151

CHAPTER 8
FEBRUARY 167

In the Shadows 170

Healthy Hearts 184

CHAPTER 9
MARCH 196

Windy Weather 199

Flying Things 214

CHAPTER 10
APRIL 224

Rain Comes and Goes 227

Seeds and Soil 242

CHAPTER 11
M AY 257

Animals at Home 260

Sun Power 271

G LO S S A R Y 284

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources

From the Author

I remember doing very little science in school—from the

time I was an elementary student right through high school.
Even as I entered college as an elementary education major I
was unaware of the role science played in my life or that of my
future students. But a couple of college courses in reading and
language arts (yes, that’s right) let me experience for myself
the important role hands-on experiences play in a child’s con-
ceptual development. Children’s enthusiasm for activities like
comparing pets, collecting and sorting leaves in the schoolyard,
and observing guppies in the classroom aquarium poured over
into the rest of their school day. They graphed their pets’
weights, wrote about the leaves, and read about fish. The sci-
ence of the world around them linked language, math, even
social skills in meaningful ways.
Young children have an innate sense of wonder; they are
born to explore, ask questions, and find out—just what science
is all about. Providing a classroom that is rich with hands-on sci-
ence is only natural. Science experiences are exciting and
meaningful, and give children a reason to learn in every subject
area. Most importantly, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that
children gain while doing science will help them in using sci-
ence to understand the world around them—a lifelong benefit
that will help them make personal choices that will affect their
everyday lives and their world.

—L.K.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 5

CHAPTER 1

Science Leads
The Way
Knowledge without love will not stick.
But if love comes first, knowledge is sure to follow.
—John Burroughs, naturalist

T hink about what your students love—and it’s easy to see

how powerful hands-on science can be in the classroom. Chil-
dren come to school with a love for doing science: playing in
puddles, watching bugs, blowing bubbles, bouncing balls, dig-
ging in dirt—all connections to key science concepts and
bridges to learning across the curriculum. When we see the
world through children’s eyes and develop classroom experi-
ences around their interests and curiosities, knowledge is sure
to follow—knowledge that will help to form a foundation for
understanding and an appreciation for their world.
What about the equipment? What happens if the experi-
ments don’t go as planned? Won’t it make a mess? As you
browse through the activities in this book, you’ll see that sci-
ence at the primary level doesn’t mean expensive tools and
setups. What sparks meaningful science experiences for young
children is right there in the world around them—weather,
plants, animals, water, and soil, each a source of fascinating
explorations and an inspiration to learn. Even unexpected
results invite discovery. Kids learn how to refine investigations.
They may even find themselves going in some new directions.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 6

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Messy? Maybe (though nothing a little newspaper can’t con-

tain). But when you hear the hum of students’ excitement as
they explore, discover, and want to learn more, you’ll be con-
vinced that this is the way students learn best.
The National Science Education Standards support this
hands-on, inquiry-based approach to science education. The
standards, developed by the National Research Council, part of
the National Academy of Sciences, are a set of criteria intended
to guide the quality of science teaching and learning. According
to the standards, “Americans are increasingly confronted with
questions in their public and personal lives for which scientific
information and ways of thinking are necessary for informed
decision making. A common question at the supermarket sym-
bolizes this aspect of science literacy: ‘Paper or plastic?’ Perhaps
most important, the personal fulfillment and excitement
Scientific offered by science are benefits to be shared by everyone.” It is
Literacy crucial that we set the goal of providing science experiences for
all of our children so that they all may grow up knowing how to
Scientific literacy
make sense of, appreciate, and enjoy their world.
means that a person
Though the standards do not mandate a curriculum, they are
can ask and find or
compatible with most states’ objectives for science education and
determine answers to
reflect an approach that a growing number of educators
questions derived
embrace. What this means is that, in many cases, the standards
from curiosity about
will support the active learning already happening in classrooms.
everyday experiences.
To guide educators in helping students achieve scientific literacy,
—from The National
Science Education
the standards offer recommendations for content, teaching,
Standards assessment, and professional development. A look at each area,
plus ways this book supports the standards’ goals, follows.

Content
The standards outline eight essential science content areas that
all students should understand. For grades K–4 these areas are:

1 science as inquiry: abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry;

understanding about scientific inquiry

2 physical science: properties of objects and materials; position

or motion of objects; light, heat, electricity, and magnetism

3 life science: characteristics of organisms; life cycles of

organisms; organisms and environment

4 earth and space science: properties of Earth materials;

objects in the sky

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 7

CHAPTER 1

5 science and technology: abilities to distinguish between

natural objects and objects made by humans; abilities of
technological design; understanding about science and
technology

6 science in personal and social perspectives: health;

characteristics and changes in populations; types of resources;
changes in environments; science and technology in local
challenges

7 history and nature of science: science as a human endeavor

8 unifying concepts and processes: order and organization;

evidence, models, and explanation; change, constancy, and
measurement; evolution and equilibrium; form and function

As you use this book, you’ll recognize components of the

content standards woven into activities, though you may not
necessarily see the same language. For example, an activity may
not ask you to introduce “characteristics of organisms.” But in
Chapter 3 students do discover characteristics of organisms as
they explore patterns on butterflies’ wings and compare but-
terflies to themselves. Other chapters revisit this content stan-
dard as children look at bears, birds, and the human heart—
even decomposers like worms and fungi. The content standard
“properties of objects and materials” is supported throughout
as children make observations (the soil has rocks in it) and use
tools such as rulers, metersticks, and thermometers to measure
size, weight, shape, color, temperature, and so on.
Other content standards are introduced and revisited
throughout the book to reinforce and enrich students’ under-
standings. The matrix on page 19 summarizes key concepts intro-
duced in each chapter for four of the eight science content areas
(life, earth, physical, and technology), with the remaining four
integrated throughout. As an additional planning and organizing
tool, the “Science Concepts and Skills” sections in each chapter
list primary content standards covered in each theme.

Science and Teaching Methods

How you teach science in your classroom will have a major
impact on the content, processes, and attitudes students
acquire. “Effective teachers of science create an environment
where they and their students work together as active learners.”

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 8

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

(From The National Science Education Standards.) Guidelines

for developing an effective science program follow.

Learning science is an active process. Students should have

many hands-on learning experiences. These kinds of concrete
experiences with manipulatives need to come before more
abstract lessons. This idea is familiar to many teachers as a nat-
ural extension of Piaget’s developmental stages.

A major portion of science instruction is inquiry-based. Inquiry

involves “making observations, posing questions, examining
books and other sources of information, planning investiga-
tions, reviewing what is already known in light of experimental
evidence, proposing answers and explanations, and communi-
cating the results.” (From The National Science Education
Standards.) For example, activities in Chapter 10 will have chil-
dren exploring puddles, wondering why the puddles shrink,
reading related children’s literature, measuring puddles to val-
idate what they see happening—This puddle was 18 inches across
this morning. Now it is 15 inches. It is shrinking.—and recording
results in a science journal. Teachers are encouraged to teach
basic concepts within the context of inquiry and investigation.

Students have opportunities to apply science knowledge and to

make connections between their everyday lives and what they
learned. By integrating themes that children are interested in,
you can develop an environment that encourages questions and
promotes understanding. (By the way, if you ask children to list
the topics they are interested in learning about, you’ll discover
that many of these topics are science-oriented!)

Teachers build on students’ prior understandings, revisiting

concepts and giving them opportunities to rethink misconcep-
tions. The seasons, the water cycle, the changing appearance of
the moon: These topics, as well as others, are not easily under-
stood by children. In fact, many adults continue to hold miscon-
ceptions about why we have phases of the moon or what causes
the changing seasons. In “Revisiting Science Concepts” (Science
and Children, November/December 1994), G. Robert Moore
writes, “By revisiting science topics, we are recognizing that stu-
dents grow physically and mentally both within the year and
from one year to the next…one activity or unit is not enough
to ensure full conceptual understanding; students need a
chance to modify and clarify their understandings over time.”

Integrate science with other subjects. When you coordinate sci-

ence with other subjects in the elementary grades, such as lan-

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 9

CHAPTER 1

guage arts and math, students see connections between the

subjects—more closely representing the world they encounter
daily. The result? Enhanced student achievement.

Assessment
One of the most exciting parts of teaching is observing how
children think and learn. As a teacher you are well aware of the
need for assessment. The National Science Education Stan-
dards stress that teachers who teach science need to “provide
students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understand-
ing and skill in doing science.” The standards then state that
“teachers use many strategies to gather and interpret the large
amount of information about student understanding of science
that is present in thoughtful instructional activities.”
Traditionally, the emphasis has been placed on the memo-
rization of facts and terminology rather than on the under-
standing of broad concepts and processes. But hands-on sci-
ence experiences invite a more varied approach to assessment.
Just as we provide a variety of learning experiences, it is essen-
tial that we include various forms of assessment, giving all stu-
dents an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
As they participate in and observe activities, teachers can assess
students’ learning as it is happening.
In their book Active Assessment for Active Science (Heinemann,
1994), George E. Hein and Sabral Price state, “It’s time for new
assessment in science education. To do science, children must
interact with the physical world—drop objects, observe butter-
fly larvae, measure length and speed, plant seeds and watch the
seedlings sprout, build electric circuits and test them—and
they must participate in the world of ideas—design experi-
ments, test theories, hypothesize, predict, discuss, and argue.
The only way to assess the rich and varied experiences that con-
stitute doing science is to devise ways for the actions and their
products to become part of assessment. If the assessment of sci-
ence is limited to passive responses, we will never fully under-
stand what our students know. Assessing science through paper-
and-pencil tests is akin to assessing a basketball player’s skills by
giving a written test. We may find out what someone knows
about basketball, but we won’t know how well that person plays
the game.” (Page 12.)
Hein and Price’s book describes a variety of ideas for collect-
ing information regarding students’ understanding of concepts
and their ability to use science. Following is a sampling of assess-
ment strategies you’ll want to consider and plan for when teach-

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 10

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ing science. As you use A Year of Hands-on Science, you’ll find many
of these suggestions woven into the activities. Keep a list of these
and other strategies handy to remind you of all the ways students
share assessment information with you every day, and for times
you want to incorporate additional assessment tools.
✲ brainstorming
✲ concept maps
✲ demonstrations
✲ diagrams and drawings
✲ discussions with individuals or groups of students
✲ journal entries
✲ photographs of students doing activities
Note: This book includes
✲ prediction activities
22 reproducible science
journal pages, at least ✲ products created by students
one for each theme. They
As you prepare your curriculum, plan on when and how you
will provide you with
will be assessing your students. Make sure assessments match
important assessment
the goals you have set. For example, in Discover Butterflies,
information, and serve
Activity 1 (see Chapter 3, page 31), students build homes for
as records for tracking
their caterpillars and then watch as the butterflies emerge.
progress throughout the
Assessment for this activity might look at several areas: how
year.
individual students contribute to the group, how well each
group follows the directions, and how much detail students use
in recording observations in their journals. Following are some
questions to guide your journal assessment.
✲ Can students explain their predictions?
✲ Do estimates improve in accuracy?
✲ Do students show increased use of detail in recording
observations? Does their language become richer and
more detailed?
✲ As children’s process skills develop, do they add to their
descriptions by using both nontraditional and traditional
measuring devices? (For example, early observations of
temperature might be general: hot, cold, whereas later
observations might include degrees, wind direction, etc.)
✲ Do students reflect an understanding of the way key
concepts connect their world? For example, does a child
recognize that, like butterflies, people experience
changes in life, too?
Try to use a variety of assessment techniques for each theme

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 11

CHAPTER 1

you teach. This will allow students several opportunities to

demonstrate what they have learned and will accentuate their
strengths rather than their weaknesses.
Finally, while you give students opportunities to reflect on
what they have learned, consider giving yourself the same
opportunity. Keep your own science journal. Make notes about
each activity. Were students able to follow directions? What are
they most excited about? If an experiment didn’t go as
planned, what unexpected discoveries did you and your stu-
dents make? What changes do you want to make next time? You
can refer back to these notes to apply what you have learned,
improve instruction, and plan future lessons and themes.

Professional Development
The National Science Education Standards for professional
development include learning science, learning to teach sci-
ence, and learning to learn. “The overarching concept of
learning to teach science as with the student learning is that of
articulating questions, pursuing answers to those questions,
interpreting information gathered, proposing applications,
and fitting the new learning into the larger picture of science
teaching.” (From the National Science Education Standards.)
So in order to be an effective teacher of science, you, just like
your students, need to be an active learner. Let your questions
and those of your students guide the science you teach. Then
learn together by doing!

Science Connects the Curriculum

As you prepare to teach great science in your primary classroom,
you might be thinking about its impact on the other subjects in
your curriculum. Now more than ever before, the strategy of
theme teaching and integrating subjects is receiving attention as
a way to accomplish the goals already discussed in this chapter.
The National Standards encourage teachers to coordinate the
subjects they teach in order to enhance student achievement and
to maximize use of time for student learning. When children are
involved in hands-on science activities, they are developing many
skills shared by all areas of the elementary curriculum. (The
chart on page 19 lists and describes these skills.)
Here’s how science connects with the other curriculum
areas you are teaching.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 12

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

SCIENCE AND LANGUAGE ARTS

Following directions, recording data, organizing facts, recog-
nizing cause and effect relationships, summarizing new infor-
mation, sequencing ideas, and recognizing main ideas…. You’ll
recognize these as reading skills, but they are also important
science skills. Giving children opportunities to apply these skills
in reading and hands-on science activities enhances achieve-
ment in both subjects as a result.
Science also provides the concrete (and high-interest) expe-
riences that invite children to read and write with purpose and
meaning. Journal entries, illustrations, story problems, dia-
grams, lists, poems, songs, and maps are just some of the kinds
of writing that science activities can inspire. Writing can be an
individual or a collaborative effort. Writing allows students to
communicate their observations and thoughts, enhancing lan-
guage development and strengthening understanding of key
concepts in the process. And as an added bonus, their writing
provides you with assessment material:
✲ Do students use detail in their writing?
✲ Does their writing reflect understanding of key concepts?
✲ Do students explain their reasoning?
Students’ reading abilities are further enhanced by wonder-
ful children’s books with science connections. These books
help students to further explore science concepts, both on
their own and in a group, and to build on their reading and sci-
ence strengths in the process. In “Science Trade Books and the
Educational Market,” Alfred A. Bortz writes, “Trade books
speak the language of science in individual ways. They are writ-
ten for finders and are thus invaluable resources for teachers
who want to involve their students in finding out” (Appraisal,
Spring 1988). Whether a book is fictional, like Jim Arnosky’s
Every Autumn Comes the Bear, or nonfictional, like Franklyn Bran-
ley’s The Moon Seems to Change, using literature in conjunction
with hands-on science activities promotes a love of science and
books that can last a lifetime.

SCIENCE AND MATH

Science and math are a natural fit in the elementary classroom.
The standards recommend that “the science program should be
coordinated with the mathematics programs to enhance student
use and understanding of mathematics in the study of science
and to improve student understanding of mathematics overall.”
When your students are involved in doing science, they will also

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 13

CHAPTER 1

be using math skills in a meaningful way. In their book Math and

Science for Young Children, Rosalind Charlesworth and Karen Lind
state, “Math and science are interrelated in that the basic math
concepts of comparing, classifying, and measuring are basic
process skills of science. That is, basic math concepts are needed
in order to solve problems in science. The other science process
skills (observing, communicating, inferring, hypothesizing, and
defining and controlling variables) are equally important for solv-
ing problems in both science and mathematics.”
For example, let’s say your students are learning about
pumpkins. Children might begin by observing pumpkins close-
ly and describing shape, color, and texture and then holding
the pumpkins to compare how heavy each feels, ranking them
by weight. They can then use scales to find the actual weights of
the pumpkins, comparing the information they collect to their
original ordering. Students can compare pumpkin size and
weight, and determine if there is any relationship between size
and weight. All this without even going inside the pumpkin—
where just as many math and science connections await.

As you prepare to use the ideas presented in this book,

always remember and be guided by the fact that young children
have a natural love of science, and get ready for the desire for
knowledge that will follow!

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 14

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Process Skills
SKILL DESCRIPTION

observing using the senses to notice details and enhance

understanding

comparing identifying similarities and differences helps

children construct meaning

classifying sorting and grouping objects according to some

specified characteristic or system; encourages
attention to detail and creative problem solving

communicating exchanging information in some form, such as

speaking, drawing, writing, and making graphs

measuring finding out the size or the extent of something

inferring making an assumption based on reasoning

predicting telling what may happen in the future, based on

prior experiences or observations

collecting data gathering information from observing, questioning,

and reading

recording data organizing collected information in some format

like a graph, table, chart, or paragraph

interpreting using the information collected to draw a

conclusion

making models making representations of objects with different

materials

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 15

CHAPTER 1

PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES

Active Assessment for Active Science: A Guide for TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

Elementary School Teachers by George E. Hein Learningscience.org
and Sabral Price (Heinemann, 1994). (www.learningscience.org/index.htm)
An excellent and practical source for teachers Want to find the best online resources out
who want to implement authentic assessment there? Utilize this site, a collaborative project
in their science curriculum. of the Central Bucks School District of
A Head Start on Science: Encouraging a Sense of Pennsylvania, the teachers of the Central
Wonder edited by William C. Ritz (NSTA Press, Bucks School District, The College of
2007). A resource replete with engaging Education at Temple University, and George
lessons that support developmentally Mehler Ed.D. Don’t miss the site’s Science
appropriate practice in the early childhood Education Hall of Fame with hotlinks to some
classroom. of the best science sites on the Web.
Appraisal This periodical features reviews by Mid-Continent Research for Education
scientists and children’s librarians of fiction and Learning (McREL)
and nonfiction for grades K–12 in every (www.mcrel.org/)
issue. For information, contact Appraisal, McREL is a nationally recognized nonprofit
Longfellow Hall, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, organization that has compiled and evaluated
MA 02138. national and state standards—and proposed
Math and Science for Young Children by Rosalind what teachers should provide for their
Charlesworth and Karen Lind (Cengage students to become proficient in science,
Delmar, 2006 [5th edition]). Weaves in child- among other curriculum areas. To learn more
development theory and classroom examples about the science topics and benchmarks
with the knowledge and skills needed to teach within each standard, visit the Web site. Or,
these subjects. A handy resource for primary read Content Knowledge: A Compendium of
teachers interested in knowing how their Standards and Benchmarks for K–12 Education
students learn. (4th edition), Mid-Continent Research for
Education and Learning, 2006.
National Science Education Standards by the
National Committee on Science Education National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
Standards and Assessment National Research (www.nap.edu)
Council (National Academies Press, 1996). Through the auspices of the National
Veteran educators and new teachers alike will Academies Press, the National Academy of
consider this book to be a helpful guide. Use Science publishes hundreds of science-related
it to inform and enhance curriculum reports, books, and teaching resources per
development. year. (Many of which are available for free
download in Adobe PDF format.)
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
(www.nsta.org/pd/)
This site provides teachers with quick links to
a myriad of NSTA professional development
opportunities and classroom resources. In the
publications section of the site, you can peruse
the archives of NSTA’s professional journals.
(More than a dozen articles in Science &
Children address assessment.) And, don’t miss
the site’s Learning Center and the Web
Seminars—offering online learning tools to
help you teach key content more effectively.
You’ll want to bookmark this site.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 16

CHAPTER 2

Using
This Book
T his book contains 18 themed teaching units, two themes
per chapter, organized seasonally around the traditional school
year. September starts off the year with the themes Discover
Butterflies and Moon Watch. Why? September is the time for
caterpillars, making this a natural time for students to learn
about the changes in butterflies, and in themselves, as they
grow. The September full moon is spectacular. Introduce a
moon unit now, and students will enjoy looking for patterns in
the moon’s appearance throughout the year.
You’ll find natural connections like these in each month’s
themes, with plenty of hands-on science activities that correspond
to what children are already observing in their world. Although
they are presented seasonally, you can use the material in any
order—whatever best meets your needs.
Here’s an overview of what you’ll find in each chapter, plus
tips on using journals, a science concept chart to copy and post,
a supplies checklist, and ideas for webbing with students.

Chapter Openers
Each chapter opens with a mini table of contents, listing the
themes and the pages on which you’ll find them. On the next
page you’ll find Highlights of the Month, including dates,
reminders, and seasonal suggestions to note on your class cal-

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 17

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

endar, plus suggestions for planning ahead.

Next, the reproducible Science at Home newsletter is de-
signed to:
✲ introduce the themes and activities for the month;
✲ enhance communication between school and home;
✲ promote parents’ involvement in what their children are
learning in school; and
✲ serve as a planning tool for the teacher.

As you prepare to start a new chapter, review the newsletter and

adapt it to meet your needs. Jot down requests for theme-relat-
ed materials and note special events or reminders in the space
provided before copying. You could even invite a couple of chil-
dren each time to add theme-related illustrations.
You might want to attach a note to the first newsletter,
explaining the theme approach, what parents will find in the
newsletter each month, and how they can use the information
to support their child’s learning. Both children and their fam-
ilies will look forward to each month’s newsletter to discover
what’s in store!

Theme Organization
Each theme follows a similar format to make it easy to find what
you’re looking for as you teach. First you’ll find an introduction
that connects each theme to children’s everyday lives, followed
by: Science Concepts and Skills; Science Dictionary; Science on
Display; several complete science activities; Book Breaks; Cur-
riculum Connections; a reproducible Science Journal page; at
least one other reproducible; and resources for children and
teachers, including book and technology recommendations.
More detail on each section follows.

Science Concepts and Skills

Typically, each theme explores one or two concepts through
the suggested activities. This chart lets you see at a glance how
the concepts developed in each chapter connect with the
National Science Standards. Note that there are four broad
areas under which the concepts are grouped: physical science,
life science, earth/space science, and science/technology.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 18

 Science Concepts and Skills
CHAPTER PHYSICAL LIFE EARTH/SPACE TECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER 2

SEPTEMBER characteristics of moon as an object in

Discover Butterflies organisms; life cycles the night sky; patterns
Moon Watch of moon’s appearance
OCTOBER recognizing observable life cycles patterns in weather over using tools to enhance
Falling Leaves properties; grouping time; describing weath- observation
Degrees of Weather by properties er in measurable terms
NOVEMBER recognizing observable plants as food; basic recognizing
Harvest Time properties needs of animals characteristics of the
Bears in Winter seasons
DECEMBER changes in the state of basic needs of animals using tools to enhance
Ice and Snow matter observation
For the Birds
JANUARY position and motion stars as objects in the inventing tools to solve
The Night Sky can be changed by night sky problems
Push and Pull push and pull
FEBRUARY light travels in straight basic needs of humans using tools to measure
In the Shadows lines
Healthy Hearts
MARCH motion changes in weather inventions; using tools

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources

Windy Weather to measure
Flying Things
APRIL recognizing observable basic needs of plants changes in weather; using tools to measure
Rain Comes and Goes properties recognizing components
Seeds and Soil of the Earth’s surface
MAY basic needs of animals; the sun as an object in using tools to measure
Animals at Home characteristics of the sky appears to move
Sun Power organisms in same pattern

19
 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Each theme’s activities also engage students in using a range

of process skills, including observing, comparing, classifying,
communicating, inferring, predicting, making models, mea-
suring, collecting and recording data, and interpreting. For
easy reference in lesson planning, you might want to reproduce
and post the annotated list of process skills that appears on
page 15. You may also want to add this list to your personal
teaching journal.

Science Dictionary
Words that are significant to the concepts in each theme are
defined in easy-to-understand language. You may want to let stu-
dents do the activities, explore the concepts, and describe their
experiences before you define the words for them. This will great-
ly enhance their understanding of the words and the concepts.
You might want to do more with science vocabulary by hav-
ing students create a chart-size dictionary. First, create a blank
book with pages labeled A through Z. As new words are intro-
duced, add them to the dictionary, letting students write in
A large clip (like the and illustrate the definitions. Also include words that aren’t list-
kind used to close snack ed in this book but that your students discover themselves! See
bags) and a piece of the science dictionary on pages 284–289, for a complete list of
cardboard make a handy science words from each chapter in alphabetical order for easy
portable clipboard for reference.
the class science
dictionary.

Science on Display
Each theme includes how-tos for a theme-related, interactive
science display that you and your students can create together.
This center doesn’t have to be a large area, just someplace
where students can explore the special display and other mate-
rials, read and write about science, and share their discoveries
with classmates. Let students be in charge of finding books that
are related to each topic and can become a part of the center.

Activities
Following an introduction to each activity, you’ll find a list of
materials. In most cases, the materials are inexpensive—often
free—and easy to find. You’ll probably have quite a few of them

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 20

CHAPTER 2

available already. (See Stock

Up for Science, page 22.) In
some cases they’re used for
more than one activity, saving
you setup time (and the cost
of additional materials). As
you prepare to send out the
reproducible parent newslet-
ter each month, check to see
if there are materials you’ll
need that month that parents
might be willing to donate,
like newspapers, boxes, bird-
seed. In some cases you may
also want to request parent
participation in the activities.
You might want to use Note these things in the Wish List section of the newsletter
webs as a strategy for before copying.
introducing activities, Most of the activities begin by asking students to make pre-
writing the theme in dictions and share what they know about the topic. This gives
the center and what students a chance to activate their prior knowledge about a
children know in the topic and gives you a chance to find out what they already
space outside. After the know.
activities, web what Many activities are designed for small groups of two to three
students have learned students. Often these groups come together at the end of the
and what they still activity to share and reflect on their discoveries. Feel free to
want to know. Use change the grouping to best suit your situation. What is most
three different colors to important is that students have time, space, and materials to do
distinguish one step the activities.
from the next.

Book Break
Take time out to read the great children’s literature recommended
in the Book Breaks sprinkled throughout each chapter. Suggest-
ed titles often connect with specific activities and include a brief
description of the book and discussion or follow-up activities.

Curriculum Connections
Because science has natural links to other subject areas, you’ll
probably find yourself making connections as you teach each
theme. To facilitate this interdisciplinary approach, each theme
offers a variety of cross-curricular activities. From reproducible

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 21

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

poems and folktales to math, art, movement, and dramatic arts

activities, these pages give children opportunities to build on
skills in other subject areas, as well as to continue to develop
understanding of key concepts introduced in the theme.

Stock Up for Science

W hile each activity comes with its own list of materials, you might want to
stock your classroom with some general supplies. Here’s a list of these
general supplies, most of them free or low-cost. Consider sending the list home
with a note, requesting that parents donate what they can.
✲ newspapers (for keeping work areas clean) ✲ markers
✲ reclosable plastic bags in assorted sizes ✲ construction
✲ jars paper
✲ plastic one-liter bottles ✲ tape
✲ used manila file folders (for making patterns) ✲ chart paper
✲ plastic cups ✲ butcher paper
✲ paper towels ✲ craft sticks
✲ paper plates ✲ thermometers
✲ glue sticks ✲ hand lenses

Reproducibles
Each theme includes a set of reproducibles designed to help
students record and reflect on observations and discoveries
made as a result of the activities. The Science Journal page, fea-
tured in each theme, helps students form a cumulative record
of experiences throughout the school year that invites them to
look back and reflect on observations and make connections
from month to month. (See Setting Up Science Journals,
right.) A three-ring binder makes a handy journal. Students
can create dividers for each theme and easily add paper for
additional entries, supplementing the reproducible journal
pages with their own notes about various topics, questions they
may still have, pictures they make or find in magazines, poems,
and other items that apply.
Other reproducibles are for use with specific activities and
in some cases are designed for families, offering suggestions for
reinforcing the concepts at home.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 22

CHAPTER 2

Setting Up Science Journals

E ach theme includes a reproducible Science
Journal page. Have students set aside a pocket
notebook or section in a three-ring binder for these
pages. Or they can create their own journals by
folding a 12-by-18-inch sheet of construction paper
in half, storing the pages inside, and then binding
them together at the end of each theme or each
month. Encourage students to revisit key concepts
by taking time to look back through their journal
pages. This is a good opportunity for evaluation,
too. Does the amount of detail in observations grow as the year progresses? Do
students’ remarks reflect understanding of concepts? Do they explain their
reasoning? Do they explain their predictions? (For more information on
journals and assessment, see page 32.)

Resources
At the end of each theme you’ll find an annotated listing of
theme-related resources for children and teachers, including
details and descriptions for using children’s literature, profes-
sional books, and technology in the classroom.
Within the technology resources presented, there are rec-
ommended Web site addresses (Uniform Resource Locators
[URLs]) that you can use to build children’s background
knowledge, support and extend lessons and instruction, and
supplement your own professional development. The URLs in
this book represent an assemblage of Web sites with stamina—
first-rate organizations that will likely maintain their site for
many years to come. You may find though that a few of the
URLs you visit will have moved. Others will have shut down. So,
before inviting students to visit a site, take a few minutes to visit
a Web site. Make sure the site is up and running, content-
appropriate, and a valuable addition to classroom instruction.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 23

 Note: Evaluate what your computer can handle before you begin a com-
puter-supported endeavor. If you’re not sure how to proceed, ask a tech-
savvy teacher or librarian to help you determine whether the computer
you’re using has what it takes to handle large volumes of data and
multiple forms of media (graphics, sound, video). If the computer isn’t
up to tackling those state-of-the-art tasks, you may need to upgrade its
memory or lobby for its replacement . . . and reschedule that virtual
field trip.
A final note before you turn to Chapter 3 and the first two
themes, Discover Butterflies and Moon Watch: Remember, this
book is for you and your students. Make it your own by adding
your own observations, reflections, and notes about the experi-
ences and discoveries in your classroom. And if your students
are really into a theme, by all means, let this be your cue to
extend the unit.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 24

CHAPTER 3

September
Discover Butterflies
page 28

Moon Watch
page 39

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 25

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar to help plan and
supplement this month’s themes.
✲ Early September is a good time to look for monarch butterflies.

✲ This month’s full moon is the Harvest Moon, long ago named for
the extra amount of light the moon provided farmers to harvest
their crops.
✲ The autumnal equinox usually falls around September 23. (Check
your calendar for the exact date and write it in.) On this day there
are equal amounts of light and dark due to the angle of the
Earth’s axis and the alignment of the sun.
✲ If your students get school pictures taken this month, ask for
copies of each child for use with activities in later months.
✲ Gather seeds for planting butterfly gardens in
the spring. Milkweed, asters, and cosmos
all attract butterflies.
✲ Look for signs of fall.

✲ September 26 is Johnny Appleseed’s

birthday. Have an apple-tasting party with
green, yellow, and red apples. Take a survey.
Which is students’ favorite?

Planning Ahead
You may want to order butterfly larva ahead of time to ensure that
you have butterflies for the activities here. (Let the company know
when you need them and they’ll be shipped accordingly.) When
ordering, be sure to ask if the caterpillars will be shipped with the
food they need. Expect caterpillars to be 1/4 inch or less in length
when they arrive.

Ordering Information
Insect Lore
insectlore.com; Painted Lady caterpillars.
The Butterfly Place
butterflyplace-ma.com
Painted Lady caterpillars, also chrysalids of different butterfly
species, including monarchs, during certain months.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 26

CHAPTER 3

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new science themes.

1. Discover Butterflies
Your child will watch a caterpillar turn into a butterfly and
will participate in activities to better understand life cycles.
Learning about metamorphosis gives children a chance to
make connections to ways they grow and change, too! You
can help your child learn more about the concept of life cycles by keeping
a journal together. Record changes in your child, such as growth. From
time to time, look back on the journal to reinforce the idea of change.

2. Moon Watch
Like many children, your child may wonder why the
moon seems to change shape. As we investigate the moon
this month, we will be keeping a Moon Watch calendar in
class. Each night, one child will bring home a Moon
Ticket to fill in with a picture of the moon for that night. (You will receive
more information about this.) To strengthen your child’s understandings,
take time to notice the moon together. How does it seem to change?

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 27

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Discover
Butterflies
T he monarch butterfly is a sign that summer is coming to a
close and another school year is here. Children often build bug
boxes on their own for monarch caterpillars and chrysalids, and
share them at school during the first couple of weeks of Sep-
tember. While studying monarchs or other butterflies, students
can also learn more about themselves and their classmates.

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
butterfly the adult stage of this colorful, larva the second stage of metamorphosis,
winged insect when the insect is wormlike and wingless

caterpillar the larval or wormlike stage of metamorphosis the changes that

a butterfly or moth happen during a lifetime

chrysalis the hard shell covering the pupa

pupa the third stage of metamorphosis,
when the larva is changing into the adult
habitat the place where a plant or insect inside a hard shell or cocoon, also
animal lives called a chrysalis

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 28

CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will develop an understanding of the
characteristics and the life cycles of organisms.
Process Skills: observing, classifying, comparing,
communicating, measuring, predicting

Science on Display
Pull your butterfly activities together
with this interactive display. First,
attach a butterfly net to a bulletin
board (see illustration). Use the net to
“collect” butterflies that students make
in the following activity.

OUR BUTTERFLY QUESTIONS

1 Let students brainstorm what they already know about

butterflies. List their ideas on a piece of chart paper.

2 Have the group observe real butterflies or pictures of

butterflies. What do students notice about butterflies?
Encourage them to observe the patterns and designs found
on butterflies’ wings.

3 Invite each student to cut out and decorate a butterfly (see

butterfly pattern reproducible, page 37).

4 Have students write a question they have about butterflies on

the back of one of the butterfly’s wings.

5 Ask students to fold the butterflies in half and then place them
in the bulletin board butterfly net. Use students’ questions to
help guide your theme study. During the unit, give students
an opportunity to pursue answers to their questions through
activities and resources. By the end of the unit, make sure
students have had a chance to record responses to their
questions on the other wing of their butterflies.

6 Place a desk or two near the bulletin board for related

displays during this theme study.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 29

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 1

Caterpillars in the Classroom

In this activity, students work in groups to make a home away
from home for their classroom caterpillars, then observe as
their caterpillars metamorphose into butterflies. You’ll want to
have students keep their journals handy so that they can record
daily observations in pictures and words.

Materials (for each group of three or four students)

✲ caterpillar (ideally, one per group)
✲ two 1-liter plastic soda bottles (one must be clear)
✲ piece of cheesecloth (6 by 6 inches; a piece of old panty
hose works equally well)
Note: Before the ✲ tape
activity, cut off the ✲ chart paper
top of one of the bot-
tles and remove the
bottom of the other
bottle for each group
(see illustration).
To easily remove the
bottoms, soak bottles
in a sink filled with
warm water for five
to ten minutes. You
should then be able
to just pull off the
bottoms. Punch 10
to 12 holes in the
bottoms. These
become the lids for
students’ caterpillar
containers. Have
1 Explain that students will be using the liter bottles to make
butterfly habitats. Introduce the word habitat (see Science
Dictionary, page 28), then discuss what the caterpillars need
children add blank
to live. Mention that each kind of caterpillar has special food
pages to their sci-
needs. For example, monarch caterpillars feed only on plants
ence journals for
in the milkweed family. Therefore, if you are keeping
this activity.
monarch caterpillars, you will need to put fresh milkweed
leaves in the containers. (If you order caterpillars from a
science supply company, make sure they will be shipped with
the right food.)
List caterpillars’ needs on chart paper and post at your
science center or display area.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 30

CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

2 Have students gather their materials and then follow these

steps to prepare the lid, cutting a piece of cheesecloth to fit
inside the lid and taping it in place. (This will give the
caterpillars a place to attach themselves and will keep tiny
caterpillars from crawling through the holes in the lid—but
BOOK BREAK still let air in.)
As a springboard to
Activity 1, share
Monarch Butterflies
by Gail Gibbons
3 Have students prepare their caterpillar habitats, adding food
and a couple of twigs to the truncated liter bottle. Students
may also like to add flowers and leaves to their mini-
(see Resources,
page 38), or
environments. Once the caterpillars are safely inside, place
another nonfiction the lids on the bottles.
book about
butterflies to
provide students
with background
4 Let each group personalize its caterpillar home with stickers,
the caterpillar’s name, and so on.

information on the
changes from egg
to butterfly.
5 Have students observe their caterpillars daily, recording the
date, time, and what they see in their journals. (Students will
use this information to make books in Activity 3.) Take time
to introduce words from the Science Dictionary (see page 28)
as they correspond to new stages students observe.

6 After the caterpillars have formed chrysalids, have students

carefully remove the milkweed or other food source. (Leaving
it in may result in a lot of fuzzy mold!) Of course, if a chrysalis
is hanging from a stem or twig, leave that in the container.
Some of the chrysalids may be hanging from the cheesecloth.
In this case, have students remove the food source and
replace the lid carefully so as not to disturb them. Again, have
students note the day and time of their observations.

7 Once the butterflies have emerged, give them a few hours to

dry their wings and then set them free! (see Science
Celebration, below). Have students refer to their journals to
calculate the time it took for the caterpillars to become
butterflies.

Plan a simple celebration for setting butterflies free. Some suggestions follow.
✲ Invite parents or another class to witness the release.

✲ Take “family photos” of children with their butterflies. (A parent volunteer might be
willing to snap a photo of each student or of each group.)
✲ Invite students to read aloud poems or stories about butterflies, then release their
butterflies after the readings.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 31

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 2

Butterfly Buddies
Students compare themselves with their butterflies.

Materials
✲ Butterfly Buddies Science Journal page (see page 36)

1 Divide the class into pairs. Ask these butterfly buddies to think
of some ways that they are like butterflies. (For example, they
are both living things, they are both symmetrical in some
ways, they both get bigger as they grow.)

2 Now have butterfly buddies think of ways that they are

different from butterflies, such as: wings/no wings, six
legs/two legs, hatches from an egg/born alive.

3 Introduce the Butterfly Buddies Journal page. Have students

work with their buddies to complete this page.

4 Bring students together to share their ideas with the whole

group. List ideas on a chart showing the ways students are
alike and different from the butterflies.

Tips for Setting Up Science Journals

E ach theme in Chapters 3 through 12 includes a reproducible journal page
designed to help students reflect on what they are learning. You might have
students keep a separate three-ring notebook to hold these pages. Provide a
hole-punch at your science or writing center so that students can add each
journal page to their notebooks. Students can also add blank paper for
recording additional observations during a theme study. Or have students fold a
12-by-18-inch sheet of construction paper in half to create a folder for their
journal pages. At the conclusion of each theme or each month, have students
punch holes and bind these folders together with string or paper fasteners. (For
more ideas on how to use the Science Journal pages, see page 23.)

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 32

CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

ACTIVIT Y 3

Watch Us Grow
The changes from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly are
dramatic—as are the changes from child to adult.

1 Invite each student to bring in a picture of him- or herself as

an infant or toddler. Ask them to keep the photos hidden
from their classmates. Explain that the photographs will be
part of a guessing game.

2 On the day of the activity, hold up each student’s photograph,

one at a time, to see if classmates can identify the student.
Discuss how students have changed since they were babies. In
what ways have they stayed the same? What characteristics do
infants have in common? What are some differences?

3 Compare changes students have undergone with changes

they observed in their butterflies. Consider having students
make a picture time line of these changes, using their journal
notes as reference. Brainstorm ways to depict students’
changes over time, then have them work in groups to try out
some of the ideas.

C O M M U N I T Y H E L P E R S
Butterfly Garden

I nvite parents or
grandparents with an
interest in gardening to take
students on a walk around the
school grounds, looking for
plants that attract butterflies,
such as milkweed or cosmos.
Have students gather seeds if
they can for planting a spring butterfly garden (if not,
you can order some from a seed catalog). Save the
seeds and invite volunteers back in the spring for
planting. Have students plant seeds in containers they
can take home, too. Conclude by writing a class story
about the project. Make copies and send the story and
plants home together.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 33

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS 3. Have students glue manila folder
Two Books in One squares inside the two end sections
of their folder paper, making sure
Students make life-
to glue both sides of the end
cycle books to show
section to the heavy paper.
what they’ve learned
about their butterflies
and about themselves.
This is a good time to
review the Science
Dictionary words (see page 28). If
you’ve copied these words on a chart,
remind students to refer to it for help
with word choice and spelling.
Materials
✲ white butcher paper (one 8-by-16-
inch piece per child)
✲ old manila folders (or other heavy 4. On one side of their books, have
paper) precut into 3-by-3-inch squares students write about and/or
(two per child) illustrate the stages in their
butterflies’ lives (egg,
1. Have students fold the paper in caterpillar/larva, chrysalis/pupa,
half lengthwise. butterfly/adult), recording the
2. Demonstrate how to fold the dates that correspond to each
paper into four equal sections, as stage. Remind students to refer to
shown. Assist students in doing the their journals for this information.
same with their papers (or prefold 5. Next, have students flip the book
students’ papers). upside down, then over. On this
side, have students write about
stages in their own lives. They can
include the photos they brought in
for Activity 3—or copies of them.
(If you make copies, let students
color them in!) Each square should
show a picture from a stage in their
lives and the year of that stage.
6. Invite students to share their books
with classmates at the science or
reading area.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 34

CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

MATH SCIENCE
Symmetry Habitats
Take time to discuss Monarch butterflies
the concept of will only lay their
symmetry, then eggs on milkweed.
invite children to What happens when
look at their people mow down
butterflies and find milkweed? This is a
examples of good opportunity to
symmetry (in the wing and leg discuss the effect of loss of habitat on
structure, wing design, etc.). Have butterflies and other creatures. Pose a
students write about or draw what they problem for students to solve. Ask:
see in their journals. Then ask: Where What do you think a town should do if
else in nature can we find symmetry? an area marked for mowing is a place
Leaves, insects, winged maple tree where milkweed grows and butterflies
seeds (also called samara) are all breed? Discuss all suggestions. From
examples. Finally, ask students how here, students might like to investigate
their bodies are symmetrical. endangered butterflies and how people
Follow up by having students create are working to protect them.
their own symmetrical designs by
folding paper in half and cutting out
designs on the fold. Before they unfold
the papers, ask students to draw pictures
of how they think their unfolded designs
will look. Have students unfold their
cutouts and compare.
MOVEMENT
The Dance of the Butterflies
Have children recall
the different ways
their caterpillars and
butterflies moved
throughout the
different stages of
the life cycle. Play a
selection of classical music such as the
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from
the Nutcracker ballet. As you describe
the steps involved in the butterfly
metamorphosis, invite children to
move (first like caterpillars and then
like butterflies) in time to the music as
they act out the process.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 35

 C H A P T E R 3 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _____________________________________________________ Discover
Butterflies

Butterfly Buddies
My buddy’s name _______________________________________________________________

Our butterfly’s name (kind) __________________________________________________

Ways we are the same as our butterfly

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Ways we are different from our butterfly

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Ways my buddy and I are the same

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Ways my buddy and I are different

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 36

C H A P T E R 3 : B U T T E R F LY P AT T E R N

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 37

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

learning—and connect with national

RESOURCES standards in science and mathematics.
Grow a Butterfly Garden by Wendy Potter-Springer
(Storey Publishing, Bulletin A-114). This handy
FOR CHILDREN reference lists plants and the butterflies they
DK Readers: Born to Be a Butterfly (Dorling attract. Take it along when you look for seeds
Kindersley, 2000). This easy-reader book with for your butterfly garden (see Community
engaging visuals shares information about a Helpers, page 33).
caterpillar’s transformation into a Red Mini-Book of the Week by Maria Fleming (Scholastic,
Admiral butterfly. Nonfiction. 2005). Promote literacy with easy-to-read
Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker and Joan Richards reproducible books on fiction and nonfiction
Wright (Greenwillow, 1987). topics, including the butterfly life cycle.
This book makes factual information about
insects fun. Includes illustrated descriptions of TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS
different kinds of metamorphosis. Nonfiction. The Butterfly King directed by Lee Larcheveque
“The First Butterflies” from Keepers of the Animals (Imago Productions, 2005). This DVD with a
by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac run time of just 23 minutes amply provides
(Fulcrum Publishing, 1991). This Native children with extraordinary close-up views of
American folktale explains how the Great Monarch butterflies. A winning way to kick
Spirit combined all things in nature to make off or conclude a unit on the life cycle of
the world’s first butterflies. Fiction. butterflies.
From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Let’s-Read-and-Find- The Butterfly Place and Insect Lore
Out Science, Stage 1) by Deborah Heiligman (www.butterflyplace-ma.com and
(HarperTrophy, 1996) Inviting text and www.insectlore.com)
watercolor illustration guides students through Two teacher-tested sources from which you
each remarkable stage of a Painted Lady can obtain raise-your-own-butterfly kits. The
butterfly’s life. Nonfiction. kits include everything you need to house,
Monarch Butterflies by Gail Gibbons (Holiday feed, and order live larva.
House, 1989). Here’s everything you need to
know about your monarchs, including how to
care for them. Nonfiction.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
(HarperCollins, 1969). The title character in
this brightly illustrated classic nibbles his way
through a medley of foods before
metamorphosing into a butterfly. Fiction.
Reading Rainbow: Bugs by Nancy Winslow Parker
FOR TEACHERS (Greenwillow, 1987). GPN Educational Media
(http://shopgpn.com/bugs.aspx)
Butterfly Activity Book by Patricia J. Wynne (Dover,
2007). Forty reproducible puzzles help
This episode of Reading Rainbow invites the
children build background knowledge and
whole class to enjoy a read-aloud of the text
increase their overall understanding of
and then join LeVar on a sightseeing tour of
butterfly anatomy and life cycles.
the insects at Cincinnati Zoo’s Insect World.
Butterflies and Moths: A Golden Guide by Robert T. This episode, with a run time of 30 minutes, is
Mitchell and Herbert S. Zim. (Golden Press, available as a DVD and as part of a CD-ROM.
1962). A field guide illustrating North For more information visit GPN Educational
American butterflies and moths. Includes Media’s Web site, where you can search for
information about caterpillar food sources. favorite books by title, author, and illustrator.
Exploring Science in Early Childhood Education by
Karen K. Lind (CENGAGE Delmar Learning;
4th edition, 2004). Offers strategies and
activities that support different types of

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CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

Moon
Watch
Y oung children are naturally drawn to the moon. From the
time they can talk, many will ask questions about this natural
night-light: Can I touch the moon? Why does it shine? How
does it change shape? Why can we sometimes see the moon
during the day? Though the moon is at its brightest when chil-
dren are not in school, there are still many activities you can do
during daylight hours to enhance your students’ understand-
ing of the moon.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will develop their understanding of
the moon as an object in the sky, and will
notice differences between how the moon
looks at night and how it appears when it can
be seen during the day. Students will also
recognize that the moon’s shape seems to
change in a pattern over a monthlong period.
Process Skills: observing, predicting, comparing,
communicating

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
crater a bowl-shaped dent or hole made when something like a meteoroid crashes into a
surface

moon huge ball of rock; the closest planetary body to our planet

moon phases new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning
gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent (about every 29 days the moon passes through all
its phases); the phase or appearance of the moon depends on how much of the sunlit half
of the moon we are able to see from Earth; if you look closely at the moon during the
various phases (excluding a full moon), you will probably see the part of the moon that is in
Earth’s shadow

New Crescent Quarter Gibbous Full Gibbous Quarter Crescent

relief the changes or ups and downs in a surface

Science on Display
Use dark blue or black butcher paper to create a background
border strip about four inches high that will wrap the walls of
your science area, at a level students can reach. (Students will
complete this border in Activity 3: How Does the Moon
Change?) Display a sign that says MOON WATCH. Have students
add some foil stars or glitter paint to the border to create a
sparkly night sky background for the moon border.

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CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

ACTIVIT Y 1

Make a Moon Diary

Start your study of the moon by having students create moon
diaries for recording questions and observations about the
moon. This is a good time to introduce words in the Science Dic-
tionary (see page 40), including the names of the moon’s phases.
Copy the names of the phases on a chart, along with simple illus-
trations of the moon’s phases, and display for easy reference.

Materials
✲ Moon Diary Science Journal page (see page 49)
✲ extra paper (optional)
✲ stapler (optional)
✲ paper fasteners (optional)

1 Make a class set of the reproducible Moon Diary. Invite

students to write questions they have about the moon in the
space provided at the bottom. If you want students to observe
the moon over more than one month, make extra copies of
BOOK BREAK the reproducible,
Share Moon Man punch holes, and
(Delacorte Press, staple or bind with
1991), Tomi paper fasteners.
Ungerer’s lively tale
Students can also
of what happened
when the moon
add plain paper to
caught a ride on a their diaries for
comet to pay a visit additional notes.
to Earth. This story
also follows the
moon through its
phases. Near the
2 Have students write
in the names of the
phases pictured on
end of the story, their diary pages.
ask students to
Remind them to
predict what phase
the moon will be in use the chart as a
when the scientist reference. Have
sends it back up to students save the
space in a capsule diaries for use in
(the third, or Activity 3.
crescent, when it
would be small
enough to fit).

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 2

Portrait of a Moon
Here’s a chance for students to creatively express what they
know about the moon and for you to gather valuable informa-
tion about your students’ level of knowledge.

Materials (for each student)

✲ white crayon
✲ sheet of white watercolor paper
✲ paintbrush
✲ black paint (watercolor or tempera will work)
✲ cups for water
✲ newspaper to protect work area

1 Invite students to use white crayon to draw pictures of the

moon. Explain that for this activity students need to fill in
their moon shapes completely with the crayon.

2 After students complete their drawings, ask them to paint over

the entire paper with black paint.

3 Allow paintings to dry, then let students sit in a “full moon”

circle and share their portraits. How do they compare? Does
the real moon look the same every night?

4 Display the moon portraits in the classroom. As students learn

more about the moon, encourage them to label the phase of
the moon they illustrated.

ACTIVIT Y 3

How Does the Moon Change?

This activity helps students discover the predictable pattern of
the moon’s phases. Lead into it by asking students why they
think the moon seems to change. Some may think that the
moon grows and shrinks, while others may wonder where the
old moon goes when the new moon comes. It is difficult for

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CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

Note: Try to start this children to understand why we see phases of the moon, so it’s
activity around the time important to introduce this concept early and to revisit it
of the new moon. Check throughout the school year.
a calendar or an
almanac for the date.
Materials
✲ Moon Diaries (see Activity 1)
✲ class set of Parent Page/Moon Ticket (see page 50)
✲ pencils or crayons

1 Have children take out the Moon Diaries they made in

Activity 1. Students will use this page to record their
observations of the moon.

2 Ask students to fill in the dates on their calendars, starting

with the day you hand out the calendars. (Students will not
necessarily begin with the first day of the month—the
calendar may include parts of two months.)

3 Assign each child a night to be in charge of recording what

the moon looks like. Have students circle their nights on their
calendars. (You might want to assign two students per night in
case of absences.) On their assigned nights, students will take
home a moon ticket and parent letter. Students will record
their observations on the calendars and on the moon ticket.
The next day, they’ll paste the completed moon ticket in
place on the Science on Display border (see page 40).
Classmates can then copy the moon phase drawing in the
appropriate space on their own calendars.

4 By the time students fill in the boxes for each night, they
should see the moon returning to where it started in the first
box. (This will also be apparent from the moon tickets
displayed on the border strip.) Counting these days will
reveal that it takes the moon about 29 days to complete the
cycle of phases.

5 At the end of the cycle, bring students together to look at the

moon phase border. Discuss how the moon changed. Can
students predict what the moon will look like tomorrow
night? Can they guess how many days will pass until the next
full moon?

6 Plan on making this activity a part of students’ science

experiences throughout the year. Over time, students will

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

begin to recognize the pattern of the moon phases. Add to

your moon border, too, wrapping it around the room as
students gather additional data.
Note: Explain that the new moon is invisible at night when it is
dark. However, they may be able to see the outline in the evening. You
might want to keep a calendar on hand to inform students of any spe-
cial circumstances like this and to let them know the times of the
moonrise on their assigned nights. Explain that other factors might
prevent them from seeing the moon on their assigned nights. The view
might be obscured by tall buildings where they live, it might be a
cloudy night, and so on. If this happens, just have students bring the
moon ticket back to class the next day and complete the information
based on the calendar or almanac.

ACTIVIT Y 4

Moon Face
As students observe the moon, they may naturally question the
dark spots they see. There is a misconception that shadows on
craters are what create the light and dark spots on the moon.
Help children understand what really causes the light and dark
spots by explaining that the moon, like the Earth, has relief.
There are highlands (like mountains) and basin areas (like val-
leys). If possible, have a relief map on hand to share. Explain
that the light and dark areas are a result of the different kinds
BOOK BREAK
of rock that make up the moon. The dark areas we see are
Read aloud Allan
Fowler’s So That’s smooth, dark lava rock. Areas untouched by lava (highlands)
How the Moon are the bright areas we see. Because the moon is so far away, try
Changes Shape the following activity to help students understand more about
(see Resources, the moon’s surface.
page 51). Follow up
by inviting students
to tell what they Materials
learned about the ✲ dough (see recipe, page 45)
phases of the
moon. Make a list ✲ marbles, pebbles, BB’s
and post it. You ✲ newspaper to protect work surfaces
might also refer
students to their
Moon Diaries. Do
they now know the
answers to any of
the questions they
1 Ask students to cover their work spaces with newspaper. Give
each child a ball of dough to form into a pancake about 1/4
inch thick.
wrote down?

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CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

DOUGH RECIPE
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 Have students drop marbles and BB’s from different heights
onto their dough pancakes and observe the different
impressions left by the objects.
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Directions:
Mix the flour and
3 When students are finished making the craters, ask them to
gently run their fingers over the surface of the clay. How does
it feel? Compare the surface of the dough with the surface of
salt together, then the moon. Explain that the moon’s surface is covered with
slowly add the craters like these, formed by meteoroids striking the surface
water. Knead the of the moon. From their own observations, can they draw any
dough until it is
conclusions about the relationship between the size of what
smooth and firm,
not sticky. they drop and the size of the craters?

Note: If you prefer, 4 Let the dough air-dry. Students may leave craters naturally
colored or paint them.
you can use dry
sand or flour in Tip
To give students a closer look at the impact of meteorites, try
place of the dough.
videotaping the drop. Use the slow-motion function on the video
This will result in recorder if it has one. Play back the tape so that students can see
larger craters when what happens when the meteorites hit. Ask them to predict what the
children drop the impact would be like if they dropped the objects from a greater
marbles, however, distance. Closer? What if they use bigger objects? Smaller? Lighter?
the dough will Heavier? Allow time for testing some of the predictions.
harden, allowing
children to save
their moon surfaces
and share them
with their families.

C S MUNCHIES
MOON n
Celebration
C n
Offer each child a large, round sugar cookie. Tell children that it takes 13 nights for a full
moon to recede (or grow smaller) until it reaches the point at which no moon is visible to
us. As you count from 1 to 13, have the children begin nibbling their cookies into smaller
and smaller crescent-shaped configurations representing the various phases of the moon,
until, by number 13, the moon cookies have disappeared. Ask children: How is the real
moon like your cookies? How is it different? (Unlike their cookie moons, the real moon
does not actually vanish.)

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS MATH
Moon Stories to Share Playing with Patterns
Instead of displaying As students become
students’ moon familiar with the
portraits around the phases of the moon,
room, compile them challenge them to
into a class book. find other examples
On the back or at of patterns in their
the bottom of each world. Clothing,
moon portrait, have students write floor tiles, and brickwork on buildings
or dictate a description of the moon. are just some of the places they might
Create a title page for the book, look. Follow up by inviting students to
calling it “Our Moon,” or let students create their own patterns using pictures
brainstorm a title for the book. On they cut out of magazines. Have
the inside of the cover, write a note to students cut out and paste one “cycle”
students’ families, encouraging them to in their patterns—for example: car, car,
read the book together. Laminate pages person—then trade papers to see if
for durability, hole-punch near the top others can continue the patterns.
and bottom of the left margin, then
clip together with two metal O-rings.
Schedule the book to go home with all
students so they can share their
work with their families.

To make a moon-
shaped book, cut
pages in the shape
of one of the phases,
have students paste
in their pictures
(trimming if
necessary), and
bind.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 46

CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

SOCIAL STUDIES May

Native American Moons Flower Moon (A continuation of
Hundreds of years April’s reference to flowers that
ago, Native are blossoming. Also a time for
Americans gave the planting seeds.)
moons of the year
names, each based June
on a season’s Hot Moon (The first heat of
weather or natural summer; also summer solstice
events. Share these moon names with occurs.)
students and talk about how they might
July
have gotten their names. Follow up by
Buck Moon (The reference to
inviting students to come up with their
this moon is unclear, but the dry
own names for the moons.
heat of summer may make this a
good time to dry meats.)
Note: The names given to moons
varied by region. For example, the August
Snow Moon in New England is Green Corn Moon (Sweet corn is
called Opening Buds Moon in the ripening.)
Gulf of Mexico. The information
provided here is from Twelve September
Moons of the Year by Hal Borland Harvest Moon (This name came
(G.K. Hall, 1985), a collection of from the full moon, which
nature essays. provides farmers with extra
daylight for harvesting crops;
January probably not a Native American
Wolf Moon (The month of term, but it stuck.)
January is a time when the
“fangs of winter” bite and the October
wind howls.) Hunter’s Moon (The moonlight
provides light for hunting.)
February
Snow Moon (Snowdrifts are at November
their deepest at this time of the Beaver Moon (A prime time for
year.) hunting beaver, the pelts of
which were a major source of
March trade. Also, like the wise beaver,
Worm Moon (As the ground this was a time for preparing for
thaws, worms make their way winter.)
back up to the surface.)
December
April Cold Moon (The longest nights
Pink Moon (This is in reference of the year occur now; time of
to the first flowers of spring.) winter solstice.)

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 CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

A S T O R Y T O S H A R E

Moon’s Little Sister

This is a retelling of a North American story about the moon. Read it
aloud to students, then invite them to share their own stories about why
the moon does not shine so brightly. You can also reproduce the story
for students to add to their moon journals and to share at home.

Did you know that once the moon shone

more brightly than the sun? What
happened? Well, being as friendly as
he was, the Moon decided to have
all of his friends over for a feast one
day. Stars came from all around and
soon Moon’s house was very
crowded.
As his guests settled in, Moon
asked his sister to help by going after
some water. The Moon’s sister
trudged off in the cold winter night,
the wind roaring around her. When
she arrived at the water, she found it
frozen and had to chip away to fill
her buckets.
Finally, Moon’s sister returned and
looked around the crowded room for a
place to sit and warm up but found none. “Where can I sit?” she
asked her brother. Moon replied, “Why, there isn’t room here for
even a mouse! You’ll just have to sit on my head!”
Cold and tired, Moon’s sister was in no mood for his joke. So she
jumped on Moon’s head and sits there still, her shadow dimming
his brightness. Moon’s friends are nearby, dancing across the sky as
they talk about what a grand time they had at the party.

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C H A P T E R 3 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Moon
Watch

Moon Diary

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 49

 C H A P T E R 3 : A C T I V I T Y 3 / PA R E N T PA G E

Dear ______________________________________,
As part of our class activities on the moon and its
phases, your child is keeping a Moon Diary. Here’s
how you can help reinforce your child’s
understanding. On _____________ (date) , try to
observe the moon with your child. Ask your child to
draw the way the moon looks in the appropriate
space on the diary page and on the moon ticket
below. Cut out this ticket and have your child bring it
to school the next day. Your child will be adding this picture of the moon to
the moon display in our science center.
Here are some helpful hints for moon viewing:

✲ At times, the moon will be visible in the morning or afternoon hours,

giving you more options for viewing.

✲ If it is cloudy or if you can’t see the moon for some other reason,
make a note of this on the moon ticket. We’ll fill in the information at
school.

Thanks so much for your help with this project, and happy moon watching!

* MOON TICKET *
Name________________________________________

Draw a picture of the moon

on (date)____________________________.
Cut out the ticket on the
dotted line and return it to
school on
(date)________________________________.

* Draw a picture of the

moon here. *
A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 50
CHAPTER 3: SEPTEMBER

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN
Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars by Douglas
Florian (Harcourt, 2007). The author’s playful Many Moons by James Thurber (Harcourt Brace
poems and illustrations invite young readers Jovanovich, 1943). A young princess asks her
to learn oodles about space. Fiction. father to get her the moon. This classic story
If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty is too difficult for primary students to read on
(Scholastic, 2005). Lyrical text and lavish their own, but it makes a nice read-aloud.
illustrations take readers on a wondrous Fiction.
excursion. Fiction. The Moon by Seymour Simon (Macmillan, 1984).
Moon Man by Tomi Ungerer (Delacorte Press, This book for intermediate readers includes
1991). The moon, who watches longingly as excellent photographs of the moon that will
people on Earth dance, decides to catch a ride appeal to young children.
on a passing comet to join the fun. Connects Team Moon by Catherine Thimmesh (Houghton
with craters (Activity 4) and phases of the Mifflin, 2006). Though the text is best suited
moon (Activity 3). Fiction. for grades 5 and up, the amazing photos
The Moon Was at a Fiesta by Matthew Gollub captivate readers of all ages. Nonfiction.
(Tambourine Books, 1994). The moon sees
how the sun spends the day, compared to its TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS
own quiet life. Big Space Shuttle directed by William VanDerKloot
Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin (Little Mammoth Media, 2003). Designed for
(HarperCollins, 2005) A real-life astronaut, ages 5 and up, this DVD documentary
the second man to walk on the moon, shares provides children with a close-up view of what
his adventures in this autobiography. goes into a single space launch. Run time is 50
Nonfiction. minutes.
So That’s How the Moon Changes Shape by Allan American Museum of Natural History:
Fowler (Children’s Press, 1991). Simple, OLogy Our Place in Space
effective photographs help children recognize (www.amnh.org/ology/astronomy/)
the patterns of the moon’s cycle.
The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey Packed with links to activities that help
(Houghton Mifflin, 1976) This approachable children explore space away from the
book is a delight for beginner stargazers. computer—baking, building models,
Nonfiction. stargazing, and more.

Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back by Joseph Bruchac NASA’s Educator Features and Articles
(Putnam, 1997). Memorable poetry, (www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html)
illustrations, and regard for Native American
cultures combine to make this book one you’ll NASA provides free teaching materials—from
pull down from the shelf again and again. educational guides to posters. Be sure to
Fiction. check out this site!
NASA Kids’ Club
What the Moon Is Like by Franklyn Branley
(www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/
(HarperCollins, 1986). A descriptive book
index.html)
about the surface of the moon. Nonfiction.
Children will enjoy playing the learning
games, seeing the photos of the space station
FOR TEACHERS crew, and navigating the picture dictionary.
ETA hand2mind You’ll enjoy seeing students captivated while
Renowned for its innovative manipulatives, learning.
ETA hand2mind offers teaching tools and
materials for science. www.hand2mind.com

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 51

CHAPTER 4

October
Falling Leaves
page 5 5

Degrees of Weather
page 67

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 52

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar to help plan and
supplement this month’s themes.

✲ Leaves on deciduous trees change color—earlier in more

northern areas, wetlands, and mountainous regions.

✲ Native Americans named the full moon Hunter’s Moon

because of the light provided for hunting.

✲ Try to visit a farmers’ market. How many kinds of pumpkins

and other squashes can children find?

✲ Identify the trees in your school yard that are changing

color. Revisit one tree often. Keep a journal of the changes
students see.

Plan Ahead
Prepare for activities
in this chapter by
gathering leaves and
pinecones from the
ground. Invite
students to bring in leaves they find, too (see Science on Display,
page 56). You can keep leaves from drying out by keeping them in a
bag with a dampened paper towel.

This is a good time to plant tree seedlings

in the classroom. You can buy seedlings
of many varieties in bulk from the
National Tree Trust,
treetrust.org.
Or, contact the Arbor Day Foundation,
www.arborday.org.

Theme 2 this month focuses on

temperature. Do you need
thermometers? Good sources for
inexpensive plastic thermometers
include Delta Education,
www.delta-education.com; and Edmund Scientific,
http://scientificsonline.com.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 53

CHAPTER 4

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new science themes.

F
1. alling Leaves
Children will be investigating the natural cycle of
seasons as they collect, observe, and experiment with
leaves. You can help your child by looking at falling
leaves around your home. (Even in warmer climates,
where fall does not bring such noticeable changes in
foliage, you can find falling leaves wherever there are deciduous trees.)
Ask your child to describe a leaf’s edges, colors, size, and shape. How do
two or more leaves compare?

2. Degrees of Weather
We will also be investigating the weather this month,
focusing on temperature. This is something your child
can connect with at home every day. Ask: What’s the
temperature today? (Hot, warm, cool, cold.) What
kinds of clothes will you wear for the weather today? (T-shirt and shorts;
pants, sweater, and jacket, etc.)

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 54

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Falling
Leaves
A s quickly as leaves fall in autumn, children love to
scoop them up and throw them into the air, crunch them
underfoot, pile them up and then run through them, even
shape them into “houses.” A close look at these leaves provides
children with opportunities to learn more about their charac-
teristics and the natural cycle of seasons. A look at a tree’s twigs
even gives kids a peek at next year’s leaves.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will look at the leaves (and trees)
around them and recognize that they have
observable properties (like size, shape, and
color) by which they can be grouped. In
addition, students will observe that trees losing
leaves is a part of the cycle of the seasons.
Process Skills: observing, classifying, comparing, collecting
and recording data, communicating,
interpreting

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CHAPTER 4: OCTOBER

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
conifer trees such as evergreens, that have needles and cones

deciduous trees that shed

all of their leaves during
autumn; the leaves are
usually broad, unlike the
needlelike leaves found on
conifers; oaks, maples, and
birches are examples of
deciduous trees smooth lobed toothed wavy

leaf the part of the plant where it makes its food

photosynthesis the way plants use light to make food

Science on Display
To create a seasonal feeling in your science center, gather
leaves in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Laminate the
leaves and have students help cut them out. Hang the leaves
from the ceiling, group them on a wall, or attach them to a
nearby window. Create a tree shape (without leaves) from craft
paper. Attach the tree to a wall, where you can leave it up for
the entire school year.
While working on this theme, have students write sentences
about their leaf discoveries on leaf shapes cut from construc-
tion paper and paste them to the tree. You can reuse the tree
for other themes, too. Recycle the leaves by having students
write on the opposite side.

ACTIVIT Y 1

Sorting Leaves
As leaves fall, invite students to gather them and take a closer
look. What colors and shapes do they see? What part of each
leaf was attached to a twig or a branch? Why do students think
the leaves fell off? This is a good time to introduce the words in
the Science Dictionary (above) and to display them on chart

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 56

 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

paper for easy reference. Again, as students work, encourage

them to write discoveries on paper leaves and paste them to the
display tree.

Materials (per group of two or three students)

✲ paper lunch bag
✲ magnifying lens (optional)

Note: Seasonal changes may be most dramatic in the northeastern

United States, but leaves fall off of deciduous trees everywhere.

1 Divide the class into groups of two or three for this activity.
Give each group a paper lunch bag and ask students to sign
their names on the bag. Students will use this bag to store
leaves they collect.

BOOK BREAK
2 Spend 10 or 15 minutes gathering fallen leaves from around
the school yard. (If your school yard doesn’t have any
deciduous trees, send home a note asking if children could
Follow up students’
leaf gathering with
gather a few leaves from around their houses and bring them
a book that tells to school.) Encourage children to look for leaves that have
about another different shapes, sizes, and colors. Aim to collect at least ten
reason for a tree leaves per group.
losing its leaves. In
Someday a Tree by
Eve Bunting, Alice’s
old oak tree is
3 Ask each group to sort its leaves into two piles (for example,
pointy/not pointy or big/small) and then invite you over to
see if you can determine the sorting rule.
losing its leaves.
Ask children what
is different about
this tree. (It’s losing
its leaves in the
4 Allow time for students to rotate through one another’s leaf
displays and try to guess the grouping methods.

spring.) Everyone
tries to save the
tree, but it is dying.
5 Visit each group again. This time regroup the leaves. Can
students determine your strategy?
Before you finish
reading, stop and
ask: What would
6 Have students return the leaves to the paper bags for the next
activity. (Keep leaves damp so they will not dry out and
become brittle. To do this, simply place a damp paper towel
you do to try to
save this tree? in the bag with the leaves and store overnight in a cool place.)
Then read on to
discover how Alice
keeps a part of her
tree. (She plants
acorns she has
gathered from the
tree.)

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 57

CHAPTER 4: OCTOBER

ACTIVIT Y 2

Leaf Match
Scientists often classify leaf edges as smooth, lobed, wavy, or
toothed. Students get a chance to do the same thing in this
activity as they categorize their leaves by edge type.

Materials
✲ Leaf Match reproducible (see page 64)
✲ Leaf Match Science Journal page (see page 65)
✲ leaves from Activity 1
✲ crayons
✲ chart paper

Note: Before the activity, make a copy of page 64 for each student,
plus one extra. Ask a few children to help you color in the leaves on
the extra. Laminate and cut out each leaf, then attach them across
the bottom of the chart paper. Create two columns for each leaf—
one where you will write in words that describe each type of edge
and one where students will paste their own leaf cutouts to create pic-
ture graphs.

1 Ask each student to select a leaf from

the bags of leaves collected for Activity 1.

2 Use the Science Dictionary (see page 56)

to introduce the words smooth, wavy,
lobed, and toothed, then display the leaf
graph. Ask students to describe the
edges of each of the leaves shown.
Record students’ words in the
appropriate columns for each leaf
cutout.

3 Have students cut out the four leaf

pictures on their reproducible pages and
find the edge that most closely matches
their own leaves.

4 Invite students to take turns pasting

their leaf cutouts in the appropriate bars
on the graph. As this is being

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

done, students can record the same information on their

Science Journal mini-graphs.

5 After all the leaves are graphed, ask students to make a true
statement based on the graph. (For example: There are more
toothed leaves on our graph than any other kind of leaf.)
Write these statements on precut speech balloons and attach
them to the graph.

ACTIVIT Y 3

Going on a Leaf Hunt

Go on a falling leaf safari to encourage students to apply what
they’ve learned about leaves.

Materials
✲ construction paper (fall colors) cut into 1-inch squares
(one per student)
✲ field guide to trees (see Resources, page 66)

1 Go for a leaf walk. Ask students to look for different leaf

edges on trees they see. Can they spot examples of all four
leaf edges? (You might want to bring a copy of page 64 for
reference.) Bring along a simple field guide to show students
how this kind of book can help them identify trees. Introduce
the names of some of the trees you see so that children begin
to associate different species with different shaped leaves.

2 Here are some other activities for your hunt.

✲ Find trees that are losing all of their leaves.

✲ Find trees that are not losing their leaves.
✲ Hold up a leaf and challenge children to find a tree that
has the same kind of leaf (then let them take turns
holding up leaves while the rest of you hunt).
✲ Cut small squares out of leaf-colored construction paper.
Give each child a square and challenge him or her to
find a leaf of the same color.

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CHAPTER 4: OCTOBER

3 Wrap up your hunt by having children look on the ground for

leaves they like. Take the leaves back to the classroom for the
next activity.

ACTIVIT Y 4

Leaf Collection Quilt

Students turn their leaf collections into a classroom quilt. Prior
to starting this activity, ask for a parent volunteer to help sew the
finished squares together to create the quilt, or use butcher-
paper squares and paste them to a big piece of paper to create
a quiltlike effect. (Students can even draw in the stitches.)

Materials (for each small group)

✲ newspaper
✲ leaves from Activity 3
✲ white cotton fabric cut into 10-inch squares (old sheets
work great) or substitute with paper squares
✲ 1 paint tray setup for each group, consisting of: a cup of
water, several different colors of fabric paint, and a brush
for each color. (Clear, 35mm film canisters with snap-on
lids make great paint containers.) Choose paints in
autumn leaf colors—orange, yellow, pink, red, purple,
bronze. It doesn’t take much fabric paint to cover the
leaves.
✲ smocks
✲ permanent markers (fine point)

1 Have each group cover a work surface with newspaper and

put on smocks. Give each group a paint tray.

2 Have students turn their leaves vein-side up, then paint this
side of the leaf, being careful to cover the entire surface.
Caution students not to put on the paint too heavy or thick.

3 As children finish painting their leaves, have them gently

place them paint-side down on the fabric (or paper) squares.
Guide students in this step, helping them place the leaves
away from the edges of the fabric, since this part will be sewn
under. Have students use their fingertips to press down, then

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

remove, the leaves. Being careful not to smudge the paint,

help students use permanent markers to sign their squares.
Set quilt squares aside to dry. (Check the paint directions for
drying times and any special requirements that may be
needed to set the paint.)

4 While waiting for the paint to dry, let students assist in the
layout of the quilt. How many squares will go across? How
many down? Should the squares be arranged in a pattern (by
color or leaf type) or randomly? What happens if there are
not enough squares to complete a square or rectangle? (You
could fill in the quilt with plain squares or squares that have
other leaves printed on them, or having a quilt that doesn’t
finish out in a rectangle, but instead has a stepped edge.)
Once students agree on a layout, use a large piece of paper to
sketch it out, writing in students’ names to show the positions
of the squares.

5 When the paint is dry, have students work with the parent
volunteer to stitch the squares together.

6 Look at the leaf quilt together. Invite children to identify

attributes of their leaves, such as leaf edges, color, size, and
so on.

7 Display the completed quilt on a classroom wall or in a

reading center, where students can relax with the quilt and
leaf through a good book!

After researching how leaves change color, provide children

with patterns representing a variety of leaf shapes and a supply
of refrigerator cookie dough. Have students roll out the dough
and use the patterns to cut out leaf-shape cookies. Transfer
them to cookie sheets. Meanwhile, make a set of leaf paints by
mixing 3 egg yolks with 3/4 teaspoon water. Divide the yolk
mixture among several different minimuffin tin cups and add a
few drops of food colorings in leafy hues ( green, yellow,
orange, red, and brown) to each. Children can then use new
paintbrushes to paint the leaves as desired. Bake leaf cookies
according to package directions, eat, and enjoy.

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Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS MOVEMENT
Why Do Leaves Change Color? Like a Leaf
To introduce For a change of
children to the pace, invite
reason autumn students to
leaves turn colors, dramatize falling
provide the class leaves in different
with copies of the kinds of weather.
poems “In Autumn ” Introduce the
and “Leaf Blankets” (see page 63). activity by looking at the weather
Discuss the meaning of new outside. Is it a calm day? Windy?
vocabulary words, such as Pouring? If you can, play appropriate
chlorophyll, hues, fades, flecks, etc. music. (Having your music together
in one place will make it easy to
jump from one musical selection to
another. To get started, create a
LANGUAGE ARTS personal jukebox with iTunes. The
Looks, Smells, Feels software is downloadable for free at
www.apple.com/itunes/itunes-radio/.)
Wrap up this lesson
by bringing students
together for a
sharing session.
MATH
Begin by asking Leaves Fall Off
students to suggest A maple trees loses
words that describe about 600,000
leaves. List these words on chart leaves in the fall!
paper. On a second piece of chart That number might
paper, write the words looks, smells, be tough for
and feels across the top. Display the students to work
word list and the chart, then invite with, so look at
students to take turns classifying the leaves on one branch of a deciduous
words, copying the words from the tree. How many leaves do students
list on leaf-shaped cards, then pasting think are on a branch? Count the
them under the correct heading. leaves on a low branch. Compare with
Challenge students to add new words the estimate. How can students use
to each column, too. this number to estimate the total
number of leaves on the tree? If
possible, revisit the tree throughout fall
to see how fast the leaves fall off.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

In Autumn
They’re coming down in showers,
The leaves all gold and red;
They’re covering the little flowers,
and tucking them in bed.
They’re spread a fairy carpet
All up and down the street;
And when we skip along to school,
They rustle ’neath our feet.
—Winifred C. Marshall

Leaf B Iank ets

Leaves are falling, soft as snowflakes,
Red and yellow, gold and brown;
The breez e laughs gaily in the treetops,
Shaking all the color down.

Leaves are covering the gardens

As my blanket covers me.
When cold winter comes, the flowers
Will be warm as warm can be.
—Irene B.Crofoot

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CHAPTER 4: ACTIVITY 2

Leaf Match

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 C H A P T E R 4 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Falling
Leaves

Leaf Match
Color in one block for each leaf that is graphed on the big
class graph.

What does your leaf graph tell you? _______________________

__________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 4: OCTOBER

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

A Child’s Calendar by John Updike (Holiday Kidsgardening.org
House, 1999). This collection of poems (www.kidsgardening.com/teachers.asp)
depicts a child’s seasonal activities in a rural Find out what is happening in other
setting. Each month is represented by a short classrooms around the country via this site’s
poem and two illustrations. Fiction. Fruitful Classroom Exchanges. Plus, gain
It Could Still Be a Tree by Allan Fowler (Children’s access to garden activities and lessons,
Press, 1990). Photographs describe the information about grants, and free teaching
relationship between the seasons and trees. materials.
Nonfiction. Smithsonian Kids
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert (Harcourt (www.smithsonianchannel.com)
Brace Jovanovich, 1991). A colorful book Smithsonian Kids offers young viewers high-
illustrating the growth of a sugar maple tree. interest programs on a variety of subjects,
Fiction. including natural and social sciences.
Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting (Clarion, 1993).
Alice’s big old oak tree is loosing its leaves—in
the spring. Everyone tries to save the tree, but
it is dying. Then Alice thinks of a way to keep
part of the tree alive—by planting the acorns
she has gathered.
Take a Tree Walk by Jane Kirkland (Stillwater,
2002). Jumpstart learning outside the
classroom . . . and take this book with you!
Nonfiction.
Why Do Leaves Change Color by Betsy Maestro
(HarperCollins, 1994). Readers learn about
the changes that take place in trees, causing
their leaves to change color and eventually
fall. Nonfiction

FOR TEACHERS
Fun With Stencils: Leaves by Paul E. Kennedy
(Dover Publications, 1991). A pocket-size
booklet containing stencils of six common
tree leaves. A fun book to keep in the Science
on Display area or in the art center.
Tree Finder by May T. Watts (Nature Study Guild,
1991). A pocket guide to learning about trees
and their leaves. Illustrations guide the reader
through the process of identification, step by
step. Nonfiction.
Trees: A Golden Guide by Herbert Zim (Golden
Press, 1952). An easy-to-use field guide to
common North American trees. This handy
reference was revised and updated in 2001.
Nonfiction.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Degrees of
Weather
D uring the course of the school year, your students will
experience different kinds of weather. What we see outside our
windows affects what we wear, what we do, and even how we
feel. By including weather study in your curriculum you will be
giving students a wonderful opportunity to use simple equip-
ment and understand how tools help us gather data and extend
our senses, allowing us to make better observations. During this
unit and throughout the year, your students will measure tem-
perature and precipitation. So, come rain or shine, help stu-
dents discover what weather is all about!

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will observe changes in weather and describe their observations
in a weather journal. They will begin to notice that, although the weather
changes from day to day, over time some things, such as temperature, tend
to be constant for the same months from year to year.
Process Skills: observing, predicting, communicating, collecting and recording data

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CHAPTER 4: OCTOBER

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
precipitation any form of water, like when the liquid inside a thermometer is
snow or rain, that falls to Earth heated, the liquid expands and moves
up the tube; when the liquid cools, it
temperature a measure of how hot or
contracts and moves down the tube
cold something is. We measure
temperature with a thermometer weather a description of the conditions
outside, including temperature,
thermometer an instrument for
precipitation, and wind
measuring how hot or cold something is;

Science on Display
Find a good spot to place an outdoor thermometer. Look for a
place where children can easily read the thermometer from the
window. Enlarge a copy of the temperature graph reproducible
(see page 75) and tape it near the window. Invite children to dec-
orate the graph by cutting out pictures from magazines that
reflect different temperatures and pasting them around the
border. (Activity 4, Daily Temperature Graphs, offers ideas for
using this graph.)

ACTIVIT Y 1

Weather Is…
This activity lets students share what they already know about
weather and offers a springboard for researching answers to
some of the questions they still have. Opportunities like this to
ask questions and find answers help children develop impor-
tant skills they’ll use throughout their lives.

Materials
✲ white drawing paper (one piece per student)
✲ crayons, colored pencils, markers
✲ O-rings, stapler, yarn, or other bookbinding materials

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Note: Mark off a

2-inch margin at
the top or bottom of
1 Ask students to draw a picture that shows weather. Leave your
request open-ended so that students’ drawings reveal their
ideas about weather.
the paper. As stu-
dents prepare to
draw their weather
pictures, ask them
2 As they finish their pictures, have students write “Weather
is…” on their pictures and complete the sentence.

to leave this section

blank, so that they
can add words later
3 After giving students time to share their ideas about weather,
compile pictures and sentences into a class weather book. Use
staples, O-rings, or yarn to bind. (You may want to laminate
to tell about their the pictures before putting them together so they are more
pictures. durable.) Let students take the weather book home to share
with their families. At the end of the school year, take apart
the book and put students’ pictures in their Science Journals.

4 Review all the things students know about weather, then move
on to some of their questions. Ask students what questions
they have about weather and compile these on a chart.
Discuss ways to find answers to these questions. One strategy
you can use to help students pursue areas of interest is to
group them by common questions. For example, students
who wondered about storms can work together to learn more.
This is a good opportunity to team up your students with
upper-grade buddies, who can strengthen their own research
skills as they help their young buddies find information.

ACTIVIT Y 2

Weather Reporters
You can help students build on observation, prediction, and
other skills by making weather a year-round focus. (You’ll find
weather-related activities throughout this book.) This activity
sets up a class weather-reporting calendar that you can use
again and again. Meanwhile, encourage children to keep indi-
vidual calendars in their science journals.

Materials
✲ butcher paper

1 Create and display a large, blank calendar.

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CHAPTER 4: OCTOBER

Note: As new
weather concepts are
introduced through-
2 Set up a schedule for weather observations so that for each
day of the school week, several students are making and
recording weather observations. For example, if you have 25
out the school year, students, five students will record observations every Monday,
encourage students five every Tuesday, and so on. This will give students many
to incorporate these opportunities to record and share weather observations
into their weather throughout the school year, and will provide the class with a
observations. Look fairly complete yearlong record of weather.
for evidence of
growth over time in
students’ dated
reports.
3 Explain that on their assigned weather days they will be
responsible for observing and recording the day’s weather.
Students can do this with pictures and/or words and should
be sure to date all entries.

4 If you do the daily weather as a part of your morning routine,

have the assigned observers give the weather report.
(Schedule about ten minutes a day for students to observe,
record, and report on the weather.)

ACTIVIT Y 3

Hot or Cold?
Students will discover whether things are heating up or cooling
down and, in the process, learn to use one of the most common
tools for weather reporting—the thermometer.

Materials
✲ outdoor thermometer (see Science on Display, page 68)
✲ plastic thermometers (one thermometer for each group
of two or three students)
✲ plastic drinking cups (two for each small group)
✲ ice
✲ warm water
✲ clock
✲ Hot or Cold? Science Journal page (see page 74)

1 Ask students if they know how we can tell how hot or cold
something is. Guide this discussion to introduce the word
thermometer. Ask students if they can guess how a thermometer

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

works. Share the definition in the Science Dictionary

(see page 68).

2 Explain that you have some thermometers, ice, warm water,

and cups. Ask: How do you think we can use these materials
to show how a thermometer works?

3 Work with students to design a simple experiment. Write

directions for conducting the experiment on a piece of chart
paper. Incorporate students’ ideas into the simple experiment
described here.
✲ Set the thermometer on the desk. Read the room
temperature. On your worksheet, fill in Test 1 to record
this temperature (see page 74).
✲ Next, set the thermometer in a cup of ice for two
minutes. Watch what happens to the thermometer. After
two minutes, read the temperature and record it on your
worksheet for Test 2.
✲ Now put the thermometer in a cup of warm water for
two minutes. Watch what happens to the thermometer.
After two minutes, read the temperature and record it
on the worksheet for Test 3.

4 Discuss the results of this experiment. Have students complete

their worksheets to apply what they’ve learned.

ACTIVIT Y 4

Daily Temperature Graphs

By recording temperature over time, students discover patterns
and strengthen their predicting abilities.

Materials
✲ reproducible (see page 75)
✲ red marker or colored pencil
✲ thermometer and chart-size thermometer graph (see
Science on Display, page 68)

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CHAPTER 4: OCTOBER

Note: You will be

using the Science
on Display setup for
1 Show students the daily temperature graph (see page 75).
Explain that everyone is welcome to check out the
thermometer and temperature graph each day, but that
this activity. Pro- students will take turns being in charge of recording the
vide each child with temperature on the graph. Together, create a schedule,
a set of four repro- assigning each child a day to check and record the
ducible graphs temperature. Keep the time of day constant. (When each
(copy front and child has had a chance, just start over.)
back, if possible),
stapled to keep
pages together. If
possible, introduce
2 Invite the first person on the schedule to come to the
thermometer and read the temperature. Help this child find
the correct place on the graph to record the temperature,
the activity at mid- using the red marker or pencil. Have children fill in the same
day, as this is prob- information on their graphs.
ably the time of day
that the temperature
peaks. Try to have
students record the
3 Explain that the class will keep a temperature graph for each
month of the school year. Ask students to predict how the
graphs may change over time. Encourage students to record
temperature at the their predictions in their weather journals and rethink them
same time each day as they gather additional information. You can also record
for the rest of the their predictions on chart paper and post next to the
year. This will thermometer graph.
allow them to make
more meaningful
comparisons. 4 To go further, you might like to pick a month to have students
check the temperature twice a day—once in the morning,
then again at the regular afternoon time. What do they notice
about the morning temperatures versus the afternoon
temperatures?

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS: Riddle Writing
What kind of weather
can make a person or a
puddle? (snow) Invite
students to create their
own weather riddles.
First, share Gail
Gibbons’s Weather
Words and What They Mean with students
(see Resources, page 76). Follow up by
listing weather words from the book on
chart paper. Students can add their own
words to this list, too, then use the chart as
a reference. Students can display riddles in
the science area or bind them into a book,
slipping answers into pockets they can
make on the pages. (Cut envelopes in half
and glue one half to each page. Slip
answers in the pockets.)

MATH: Graph Guide

At the end of each month, use the daily temperature graph
to reinforce a variety of math skills. Guide your lesson with
questions like the following:

1. On which day was the temperature the highest?

2. What was the highest temperature for the

month of __________________ ?

3. What was the lowest temperature for that month?

4. What can you say about the temperatures in ________________ compared

with the temperatures in December?

5. Which of these months: _____________, ____________, and ___________

had the warmest temperatures?

6. Which month had the most days below _______ degrees?

7. Which day in __________________ was closest to today’s temperature?

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C H A P T E R 4 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Degrees of
Weather

Hot or Cold?

TEST 1 TEST 2 TEST 3

Before the Experiment Ice Warm Water

Which thermometer shows the coldest temperature?_________

Which thermometer shows the warmest temperature? _______

Write the thermometers’ temperatures in order from coldest to

warmest. ___________________________________________________

On the back of this page, draw a picture of what you think a

thermometer would look like on a cold, snowy day or on a
hot, sunny day.

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 CHAPTER 4: ACTIVITY 4

Name __________________________________________________________________________________

Daily Temperature
Month______________________________________ Week of _______________________________________

100°
95°
90°
85°
80°
75°
70°
D E G R E E S FA H R E N H E I T

65°
60°
55°
50°
45°
40°
35°
30°
25°
20°
15°
10°
5°
0°
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
D AY S O F T H E W E E K
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CHAPTER 4: OCTOBER

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett NOAA Education:
(Atheneum, 1978). A delightful and Advancing Environmental Literacy
preposterous adventure in a town where it (www.education.noaa.gov/index.html)
rains soup and snows mashed potatoes. This Web link made available by the National
Fiction. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
How Do You Know It’s Fall? by Allan Fowler (NOAA) provides links to educational sites
(Children’s Press, 1992). Other books in this and organizations dedicated to science
series include How Do You Know It’s Spring? education—links designed for teachers,
How Do You Know It’s Winter? and How Do You students (K–5 and 6–12), and everyone else.
Know It’s Summer? Nonfiction. Be sure to look in on the NOAA photo library:
www.photolib.noaa.gov/
Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons (Harcourt,
1983). An imaginative look at the many ways NOVA Field Trips: Weather Gone Wild by NOVA
in which the cycles of the sun impact life on (WGBH Boston, 2004). The three virtual field
Earth. Nonfiction. trips in this DVD boxed set include:
Hurricane!, Hunt for the Supertwister, and
The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin
Lightning! Collection comes complete with
Provensen (Atheneum, 1978). Events on a
teaching suggestions and downloadable
farm during each month of the year are
educational materials. The set has a total run
colorfully illustrated in this book. Fiction.
time of 180 minutes.
Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons
(Holiday House, 1990). Interesting weather
facts add interest to this collection of weather
terms. Nonfiction.

FOR TEACHERS
Change It!: Solids, Liquids, Gases and You by
Adrienne Mason (Kids Can Press, 2006).
Engaging activities help children learn
challenging physical science concepts.
“School Weather Station” is a one-stop weather
center that invites students to record the daily
temperature, rainfall, wind direction—and
graph that data over time. Ideal for the
youngest meteorologists. For information
contact Lakeshore Learning, (800) 421-5354,
www.lakeshorelearning.com.
Standards-Based Science Learning Centers by Lynne
Kepler (Scholastic, 2006). Hands-on activities
with companion reproducible recording pages
make it easier to set up science centers,
including one on weather.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 76

CHAPTER 5

November
Harvest Time
page 80

Bears in Winter
page 9 7

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar to help plan and
supplement this month’s themes.
✲ Thanksgiving
✲ The full moon is the Beaver Moon. The wise beaver is
preparing for winter.
✲ What kinds of bears (or other animals) are preparing for a
long winter’s sleep in your state? Research with your
students.

✲ Keep an eye out for migrating geese.

✲ Flying squirrels store nuts in tree cavities during the fall. Do
they really fly?
✲ String cranberries and popcorn for birds.

Plan Ahead
Students will be making corn-husk wreaths (see page 92). Check
with a farm stand or produce department for a supply of corn husks.

Students will be making bird-feeding stations in December. This is a

good time to send notes home explaining the project, requesting
small donations of birdseed.

Activities in Theme 1 call for pumpkins, cranberries, and Indian

corn. You might want to send a note home asking if parents can
donate any of these materials.
If you want parent volunteers
for any of the activities, such
as Making Muffins (page 86),
include this request with your
note, too.

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CHAPTER 5

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new science themes.

1. Harvest Time
Pumpkins and cranberries are two festive foods
that are common this time of year. Your child will
be working with these items to learn about how
plants are a source of food. Use mealtimes at
home to reinforce this concept. Talk about where
different foods you eat come from. Which are plants? Your child can even
keep a chart on the refrigerator, drawing in the plant foods served each
day at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

2. Bears in Winter
As we investigate bears this month, your child will
be learning about how bears adapt to cold
temperatures. Some natural connections will be to
look at children’s own need for food and shelter,
and how these needs are met.

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Harvest
Time
N ovember is a time for observing our relationships with
nature and with one another. Pumpkins, cranberries, and Indi-
an corn traditionally symbolize this time of year. Some of these
foods are shared in celebration with family and friends; some
are stored for future meals. This lesson takes a closer look at
these foods to help students recognize the many varieties of
plant crops and how we use them.

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
fruit the part of the plant that forms around are some fruits that people often think of
the seeds; fruits are usually wet and fleshy as vegetables (like tomatoes)
(like peaches and berries) or dry and seed the part of the plant that contains a
hard (like walnuts and pea pods); there baby plant (embryo)

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Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will observe objects in their world
and recognize properties of these objects. In
addition, they will recognize plants as a source
of food for humans.
Process Skills: observing, classifying, communicating,
predicting, estimating, comparing, measuring,
collecting and recording data

Science on Display
Do you still have those autumn leaves from October’s activities?
Keep them! Cover the top three-fourths of a bulletin board
with light blue paper. Finish the bottom fourth with brown
paper. Tear the top edge of the brown paper to give it an
uneven, earthy appearance. Add some real corn stalks (or cut
them from construction paper) to create a cornfield. This is
where students will plant their corn kernel–growing bags (see
Activity 4: Counting on Corn, page 88). Finally, display a basket
of pumpkins and Indian corn. Students will add to this season-
al display in upcoming activities.

ACTIVIT Y 1

Seasonal Fruit Fun

What could a pumpkin possibly have in common with a cran-
berry? This set of three activities highlights similarities (and dif-
ferences) of seasonal fruit.

PART 1: MYSTERY FRUITS

Materials
✲ 2 paper grocery bags
✲ a small pumpkin
✲ several fresh cranberries
✲ chart paper and a marker

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Note: Before begin-

ning this activity,
put the small pump-
1 Show students Bag 1 and ask them to guess what’s inside.
Write their guesses on a chart labeled What’s Inside Bag 1?

kin in one bag and

the cranberries in
another. Fold over
2 Now ask students what might help them make better guesses
without opening the bag. Student suggestions will probably
include being able to hold the bag and shake it. Students may
the tops and staple also suggest that you give them some hints.
shut. Write the
numeral 1 on the
pumpkin bag and
the numeral 2 on
3 Pass around the bag so students can make observations with
their eyes, ears, nose, and hands. After everyone has had a
chance to hold the bag, have them share their new
the cranberry bag. observations. Could the contents of the bag be something
that they already have on the guess list? Is it something that is
not on the list? Are there ideas on the list they can safely
remove? Discuss new ideas and modify the list.

4 If students have not guessed the contents of the bag yet, begin
giving verbal clues. For example: It is a fruit. After each clue
let students review and revise the list.

5 Continue until students think they have guessed the mystery

object. Then open the bag for all to see!

6 Repeat steps 1 through 5 with Bag 2.

7 Together, compare guess lists for bags 1 and 2. What

characteristics did the contents have in common? How were
they different?

PART 2: MINI-BOOK

Materials
✲ plastic dishpan
Note: Have chil- ✲ water
dren construct the ✲ balance (scale)
booklet by cutting
✲ yardstick or meterstick
on the dotted lines
and placing pages ✲ chart paper
1/8 and 2/7 back ✲ for each small group: a small pumpkin and 1 cranberry
to back, 3/6 and ✲ for each student: a copy of the reproducible booklet
4/5 back to back. (see pages 93 and 94); chart paper

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

Note: Prepare for

this activity in
advance by setting
1 Review each of the observation tasks from the reproducible
booklet before having students complete pages 1 through 6.

up a workstation Observation Task 1—Shape, Color, and Texture: Students

with a dishpan describe the shape, color, and texture of their group’s pumpkin
filled with water and cranberries on page 1.
and a balance
scale. Display a Observation Task 2—Weight: Students weigh the pumpkin and
chart on a nearby one cranberry (separately), and record weights on page 2.
chalkboard or a
wall for each group Observation Task 3—Circumference: How big around is a
(see sample, below). pumpkin? A cranberry? Have each group estimate the circum-
Students will record ference of the pumpkin and a cranberry, cutting lengths of
their data for Task string to show how much they think it will take to wrap around
3 here. the widest part of each fruit. Next, have students use the string
to measure the circumference of each fruit. Have each group
display the estimates on the left side of a chart and the actual
measurements on the right.
Have each group measure estimated and actual lengths of the
circumference strings and then complete pages 3 and 4 of the
booklet. Were the estimates too short, too long, or just right?

Observation Task 4—Sink or Float: Students predict, then test,

whether their pumpkins and cranberries will sink or float. Dis-
cuss predictions, then have students complete the appropriate
parts of pages 5 and 6. Next, have students test their predic-
tions by placing the fruit in the pan of water, and record results
on pages 5 and 6.
Note: As with the moon
phases, it is a good idea to
revisit concepts and give
students opportunities to
think about what they
have learned. To wrap up
this part, show students a
pumpkin much larger
than the ones they tested.
Ask them to predict
whether this pumpkin will
sink or float and to
explain their reasoning.
Generally, kids believe that
larger, heavier objects will
sink. Even though they
will have discovered that
the smaller pumpkins
float, some students may

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

be convinced that the larger pumpkin will sink. Explain that whether
or not something sinks or floats depends on its density (weight per
volume). The pumpkin is not heavy enough (dense enough) to push
the water out of the way. As a result, the pumpkin is actually held
afloat by the water. Things that are heavier (more dense) than water
will sink. In Part 3 you will open up each fruit and look for clues as
to why they floated (air pockets).

PART 3: LOOK INSIDE

Materials
✲ a sharp knife (for teacher use)
✲ plastic knives
✲ reproducible booklets (from Part 2)
✲ for each small group: the pumpkin and cranberries from
Part 2, newspaper to protect work areas, handheld
magnifying lenses

1 Have students write or draw a picture of how they think the

insides of the pumpkin and cranberries will look.

2 Cut open both the pumpkin and the cranberries for each
group. Ask students to take a close look at the insides with the
hand lenses. Can they find the seeds in each?
As students examine the insides of the fruit, ask them
about the hollow areas they see. Explain that these are air
pockets, which helped the fruit float in Part 2.

3 Have students use the cranberry halves like stamps to make

prints in their booklets on page 7. After a close look with a
hand lens, ask students to draw life-size pictures of the seeds.

4 Ask students to complete page 8, describing the insides of

their pumpkins and drawing life-size pictures of the seeds.

5 As a class, share and reflect on what they have learned about

pumpkins and cranberries. Discussion starters include:
✲ How are pumpkins and cranberries alike?
✲ How are they different?
✲ What surprised you the most about the pumpkin?
The cranberry?

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

ACTIVIT Y 2

An A-maize-ing Crop
Sweet, flour, flint, dent, pop… all are kinds of corn. By the time
Colonists landed in the New World, about 50,000 acres of this
corn were being cultivated by Native Americans. Help students
get to know this mighty grain with the following activity.

Note: Before begin-

ning the activity, Materials (for each group of 2 or 3 students)
place a small piece ✲ 1 small ear of Indian corn (look for ears with color
of masking tape on variation)
the husk of each ear
✲ large sheet of construction paper (Indian corn colors)
of corn. Write a
number on each ✲ markers
husk. Assign one
student in each
small group to be
the recorder. 1 Give each small group an ear of corn. Have the recorder in
each group look for the number on the husk and write this
number in a corner on the construction paper.

2 Now it’s time for groups to brainstorm words that describe

their ears of corn. Remind them to use all of their senses
(except taste in this case). Ask the recorders to write these
words on the construction paper.
Note: You’ll learn a lot about your students’ thought processes by
eavesdropping on this part of the activity. You will be amazed at the
different approaches they take. Some students may draw lines to form
the chart before the brainstorming ever begins, then neatly place words
within the chart. Others will write fast and furiously, recording words
all over the paper as quickly as their group members can say them.

3 Allow 10 to 15 minutes for brainstorming, then collect the

ears of corn and place them where everyone can see them.
Let groups take turns sharing their descriptions while others
guess which ear of corn is being described.

4 Follow up with a discussion about the activity. Was it easy or

difficult to figure out which ear of corn belonged to each
group? What words, if any, did each group use? What words
were unique to just one group? How is Indian corn different
from other kinds of corn? (Have some on hand for a
comparison if possible.) How is it the same?

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 3

Making Muffins
From the math of measuring to the science of change, making
muffins is naturally multidisciplinary. There are many different
strategies for making muffins with students. Here’s one
approach that works well.

Materials
✲ muffin ingredients (see recipe cards, opposite)
BOOK BREAK
Read Aliki’s Corn Is ✲ muffin pans
Maize to students
(see Resources,
page 9 6 ), a Note: As you prepare for this activity, send home a letter asking fami-
fascinating story lies to share favorite muffin recipes. Students can work together to orga-
about how Native nize, illustrate, compile, and publish the recipes. Make copies for each
Americans found student to take home. You might also have students take photos of the
and cultivated a cooking experience that they can display, include in a class scrapbook,
wild grass that
or use to illustrate a class story about the activity (see step 4).
became a staple in
our diets.

1 Begin by showing students all of the muffin ingredients. Have

them name as many as they can and make observations of
each ingredient. This will enhance their recognition of just
how these ingredients, when mixed together and cooked,
change in texture and form.

2 Make task cards by breaking the muffin-making experience

into as many steps as you have students (or groups). Tasks can
include gathering equipment, measuring a cup of flour,
cracking an egg and adding it to the mixture, stirring for one
minute, dropping spoonfuls of the batter into baking tins,
and so on. This will give every child a chance to help.

3 Guide students in making the muffin batter. When you are

finished mixing the batter, have students note which
ingredients they can still see and which look different. (For
example, the cranberries will still have their shape but will be
coated with batter; the flour and other dry ingredients are
now mixed together with the liquid.) Record students’
observations on a chart.

4 While muffins are baking, have students tell, in their own

words, how to make muffins. Write up their cooking story on
chart paper.

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

5 As students enjoy the warm muffins, have them take note,

once again, of ways the ingredients have changed. Add their
comments to the language experience story from step 4.

Corn Muffins

2 eggs 2 cups cornmeal

2 cups milk 6 T. sugar
1/4 cup oil 2 T. baking powder
2 cups flour 2 t. salt

Mix together the eggs, milk, and oil. Set aside. Mix dry
ingredients in a separate bowl. Add egg mixture and stir.
Pour into greased or paper-lined muffin pans. Bake at
400˚ F for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen muffins.
Variation: Try adding peeled, chopped apple to the
mixture before baking.

Pumpkin Muffins

2 eggs 1 cup sugar

11/2 cups milk 11/4 t. pumpkin pie spice
4 T. oil 4 cups biscuit mix
1 cups cooked (or canned)
pumpkin

Mix together the eggs, milk, and oil. Add the pumpkin,
sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir, then add the biscuit
mix. Mix all ingredients and pour into greased or paper-
lined muffin pans. Bake at 350˚F for 25 minutes. Makes 2
dozen muffins.

Cranberry Muffins

2 eggs 1 cup sugar

11/2 cups milk 1/4cup orange rind
4 T. oil 4 cups biscuit mix
1 cup chopped cranberries

Mix together the eggs, milk, and oil. Add the cranberries,
sugar, and orange rind. Stir, then add the biscuit mix. Mix
all ingredients and pour into greased or paper-lined muffin
pans. Bake at 350˚F for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen
muffins.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 4

Counting on Corn
Students estimate, count, and graph corn kernels for a close-up
look at this vegetable’s seed.

Materials
✲ Indian corn (from Activity 1), plus 1 extra ear
✲ reclosable plastic bag
✲ Counting on Corn Science Journal page (see page 95)
✲ colored pencils or crayons

Note: Check to
make sure the ears
1 Give each group an ear of Indian corn and the plastic bag
that has the same number.
of corn still have
numbers on them.
Number each bag
2 Hold up an ear and ask students if they know what we call the
part of the corn that we eat. (We eat the seeds, which are
often called kernels. Kernels are part of the corn seed.)
accordingly.

3 Next have each student estimate how many kernels are on the
group’s ear of corn and record this number on the
reproducible record sheet.

4 Students in each group now work together to remove the

kernels from the ear of corn and place them in the plastic
bag. (To make it easier for the students to get the kernels off
BOOK BREAK the cob, you might want to pull off the first few. Be sure to
All their work with place the kernels in the appropriate bags.) Note: Have
pumpkins and students save the husks for use in an upcoming art activity
cranberries is sure (see Curriculum Connections, page 103).
to have students
thinking about
Thanksgiving.
Share a story with a
5 When all of the kernels are removed, have students work
together to determine the total number of kernels. Ask them
to record their methods of calculating. (Some might put the
twist: In A Turkey
for Thanksgiving by kernels into piles of ten and then count. Others might split up
Eve Bunting, the kernels between themselves, count their piles, and add the
Turkey, for a sums of the piles together.) Students then record the total
change, is a guest number of kernels on the reproducible (ten kernels equals one
at a Thanksgiving square) and compare their estimates with the actual amount.
celebration, hosted
by Mr. and Mrs.
Moose.
6 Encourage students to apply what they’ve learned by asking
them to estimate the number of kernels on a new ear of corn.

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

Pass around the ear so all students can get a close-up look.
Ask students to record their estimates, then invite them to
share their reasoning. For example, a student might compare
the size of the new ear with the original ear and adjust the
estimate up or down accordingly. Work together to count the
kernels, then compare estimates and the actual amount.

ACTIVIT Y 5

Planting Corn Seeds

Students discover where new corn plants come from.

Materials
✲ corn kernels (from Activity 4)
For each student:
✲ a paper towel
✲ a reclosable plastic sandwich bag
✲ an index card
✲ a thumbtack

1 Hold up a bag of corn kernels. Ask students what would

happen if they planted the kernels? (New corn plants should
grow from these seeds.) How many new corn plants would
they have if each kernel grew? (Suggest that students think
back to the last activity. Potentially, this could be hundreds of
new plants from one ear!)

2 In preparation for planting, have each student write his or her

name and the date on the index card. Then have students
return to their small groups with their bag of kernels. Ask
each student to take five kernels.

3 Next, demonstrate the steps for planting the kernels inside

the plastic bag.
✲ Dip the paper towel in water. Squeeze out the excess.
✲ Fold the damp paper towel to a size that will fit inside
the bag.
✲ Place five kernels on top of the towel, then carefully slip
the towel inside the bag. Zip shut.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

4 After completing these steps, ask students to record

observations of their kernels on their index cards. Remind
them to date their entries.

5 Have students use the thumbtacks to attach their planting

bags and index cards to the science bulletin board (see
Science on Display, page 81).

6 Students check their kernels daily, recording the date and

observations on their index cards each time. (Students can
carefully remove their bags and index cards from the bulletin
board for this, replacing them when done.)

7 Wrap up this lesson by discussing students’ observations. What

did they see that indicated their kernels had started to grow?
Did all the seeds start growing on the same day? Did all the
seeds grow? What will happen if they continue to let the new
corn plants grow? Is this a good time of year to grow corn
where you live? Why or why not?

Hint
To keep the paper towel from drying out, add just enough water to
the bag so that the bottom of the paper towel is touching the water
and acts like a wick.

HARVEST TASTE TEST

Brainstorm a list of autumn harvest-related foods (apples, corn, nuts, cranberries, pumpkin,
etc.). In a twist on Stone Soup, assign each child one piece (or small amount) of food to
contribute to a class harvest taste-testing celebration. If necessary, modify the foods on
your original list so that the foods collected are easily shared in class (popcorn instead of
fresh corn; cranberry sauce instead of cranberries; and so on). Use the opportunity to have
children comment on the textures, tastes, colors, and smells of each food.

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS MATH
Pop-up Pumpkins How Many Seeds?
Make pop-up For more estimating
pumpkin books for practice, have
a variety of writing students return to
projects. To begin, their small groups
make a pumpkin and number a piece
template. Have of paper 1 through
children trace four however many bags
pumpkins on construction paper, cut of kernels there are. Be sure the bags
them out, stack them, and fold them are zipped shut, then pass them
in half. Open the pages and place around. Give each group one minute
two or three staples along the fold. to estimate how many kernels are in
Make pumpkins stand up by each bag. Continue rotating bags until
spreading the pages apart. each group has recorded estimates for
them all. Then let groups take turns
Story starters follow:
announcing how many kernels are in
✲ Make an acrostic poem by their original bags.
writing each letter from the
word pumpkin on a page (not
including the title page). Think
of a word that begins with the
letter p that describes pumpkins.
Write this on the p page. Repeat
with each of the other letters.
✲ With younger children, make a
Letter P picture book by cutting
out pictures of things that begin
with the letter p.
✲ Keep a journal from the point of
view of the class pumpkin.

Students can share their books at

the reading/language arts center.
Place some next to the cornstalk
display or in an old bushel basket.
Variation: Make pop-up cranberry
books. Use lids from one-pound
coffee cans as templates to cut out
circle-shaped pages from red paper.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ART
Make a Corn-Husk Wreath
Make corn-husk wreaths 3. Have students tear softened husks
like the one shown at into half-inch-wide strips. Then
the end of Corn Is attach to the wire as follows.
Maize by Aliki (see a. Fold a piece of husk in half and
Resources, page 96). hold it behind the wire circle.
Students will each need b. Fold the ends over the wire.
a 10-inch piece of stiff, c. Slip the ends through the loop.
fine wire (check craft stores) and corn Pull tight to make a knot.
husks (check with a farm stand or
produce store). d. Repeat steps a, b, and c until
the wreath is full.
1. Before beginning the wreaths,
show students the husks. Ask if
they know what part of the corn
plant these are. (The leaves that
wrap around the ear of corn.)
2. Prepare the husks by soaking
them in water for a few minutes.
This will make them easier to
fold. While husks are soaking,
help students form circles out of 4. Place the wreath between two
the wire by twisting the ends damp paper towels, then weight
together. down with a heavy book. (This
helps the wreaths to dry flat.)

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 CHAPTER 5: ACTIVITY 1

5 4
exactly right
FLOATS too long
too short
SINKS
Our prediction was…
in water, it
When we put the pumpkin around.
and it is ____________ inch(es)
We measured our cranberry
FLOAT
____________ inch(es) around.
SINK We predicted it would be
pumpkin will… of Our Cranberry
We predict that our Circumference

Write five words that describe

the inside of your pumpkin.
Draw a pumpkin seed. PUMPKIN
Shape________________________

Color _________________________

Texture _______________________

CRANBERRY
Shape________________________

Color _________________________

Texture _______________________
8 1

Cut out on dotted lines, fold on solid lines.

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CHAPTER 5: ACTIVITY 1

3 6
exactly right
too long
FLOATS
too short
Our prediction was SINKS

around. in water, it
and it is ____________ inches When we put the cranberry
We measured our pumpkin

____________ inches around. FLOAT

We predicted it would be
SINK

of Our Pumpkin cranberry will…

Circumference
We predict that our

Describe what you think the

cranberry will look like inside.

Our pumpkin weighs

_______________________________

Our cranberry weighs

_______________________________
Make a print of your
cranberry here. Draw some
2 cranberry seeds. 7

Cut out on dotted lines, fold on solid lines.

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 C H A P T E R 5 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Harvest
Time

Counting on Corn
My Estimate I think our ear of corn has ________________ kernels.

My Count To count the kernels on our ear of corn, we will

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

We counted _____________ kernels

on our ear of corn.

Now color in the number of

kernels that your group counts
on the ear of corn.

On one dozen ears of corn, I

estimate there are _____________
kernels.
This is how I estimated:
_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________ One square equals ten kernels.

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

Corn Is Maize by Aliki (HarperCollins, 1976). Reading Rainbow: June 29, 1999 by David Wiesner
The history of corn and how Native GPN Educational Media
Americans and new settlers of America (shopgpn.com/june291999.aspx)
used it. Nonfiction. How big can a pumpkin grow? See some that
weigh hundreds of pounds! For more
The Harvest Birds/Los Pájaros de la Cosecha by information about this episode that explores
Blanca López de Mariscal (Children’s pumpkin growing and the concepts of fact
Press, 1995). A farmer gets advice for and fiction, visit GPN Educational Media’s
improving his harvest from helpful birds Web site.
in this Mexican folktale. Told in English Harvest Ceremony: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth
and Spanish. Fiction. National Museum of the American Indian
Mousekin’s Golden House by Edna Miller (www.nmai.si.edu/)
(Prentice Hall, 1964). The classic about a This information-packed resource (available as
mouse who finds shelter in a decaying a PDF) was created especially for teachers. Use
it to build your own background knowledge
pumpkin. Fiction.
about the first Thanksgiving—and to help
Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington dispel some of the myths that surround the
(Greenwillow, 1986). Simple text harvest celebration and Native peoples (then
describes how a child plants pumpkin and now). The role of corn is a featured topic.
seeds and watches as they grow. Fiction.
Raccoons and Ripe Corn by Jim Arnosky
(Lothrop, 1987). The reader watches as
several raccoons raid an autumn
cornfield. Fiction.
A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
(Clarion, 1991). In this humorous story,
Turkey is a guest for a change at a
Thanksgiving celebration, hosted by Mr.
and Mrs. Moose. Fiction.

FOR TEACHERS
Apples by Mary Ellen Sterling (Teacher
Created Materials, 1990). This theme unit
offers a wide range of cross-curricular
activities and projects related to a popular
harvest food, apples.
Project Seasons by Deborah Parrella
(Shelburne Farms; Shelburne, Vermont).
This wonderful collection of farming and
agriculture activities for elementary
students is organized by seasons. To
purchase, visit
www.shelburnefarms.org/product/179/
education_resources.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Bears in
Winter
T his is the time of year when bears prepare for winter. For
months now they have been feasting, storing much of what they
eat as fat. When the cold settles in and food is scarce, they are

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will learn that a bear’s behavior
during this time of year is related to its
environment, specifically the cold
temperatures and scarcity of food supplies.
Process Skills: observing, communicating

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
bear a large mammal; three kinds of bears 88˚F) and its heart rate drops to almost 8
live in North America: the black bear, the beats per minute (from 50 to 80 beats per
grizzly bear, and the polar bear; all go minute when active); during winter sleep
into a winter sleep; black and grizzly a bear lives entirely off its stored body fat
bears enter their period of winter sleep hibernation a deep sleep that animals
when food is scarce, usually during winter go into during winter; true hibernators
months, but polar bears can enter into (such as bats, chipmunks, and many
winter sleep at any time of the year if rodents) experience a drop in body
food is scarce temperature that is just above freezing;
den a cave or shelter for an animal; bears the breathing rates of animals that
go to dens for the winter, where they hibernate slow down; if disturbed, true
sleep until spring comes again hibernators take several hours to rouse,
whereas bears remain relatively alert and
dormancy (or winter sleep) the can get up right away if they need to
way some animals cope with winter by
“sleeping” for part of the winter; a migration the movement of some animals
dormant bear’s body temperature drops from one place to another to find food
a little below normal (from about 100˚F to and shelter

ready to take shelter in caves or under the roots of dead trees,

and go into a deep sleep until spring, when food is once again
readily available. There is some confusion about whether bears
hibernate. Not many animals are considered true hibernators.
Unlike true hibernators, which take several hours to rouse from
a winter sleep, bears can wake up immediately, for example, if
disturbed. A bear’s temperature in a winter sleep drops a little,
whereas a true hibernator’s temperature drops drastically.

Science on Display
Prior to beginning this theme, make bear tracks. Copy the repro-
ducible pattern onto black construction paper, laminate, and
cut out. Make as many tracks as you like, forming a trail from
the front door, or some other location, to a “den” (an area set
aside for this theme). Cover one wall in this area with a piece
of craft paper and display the title WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT
BEARS. Students will add to the display in Activity 1: Bear Facts.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 1

Bear Facts
Let your students share what they know and want to know
about bears. Then put your young researchers on the right
track to finding answers to their questions.

Materials
✲ 2 pieces of chart paper
✲ mural paper
✲ marker
✲ 2 bear tracks per student, 1 front track and 1 back track
each (see reproducible, page 104)
✲ tape

1 Invite students to speculate about the tracks they see in the

classroom (see Science on Display, page 98). Give them clues
to the animal’s identify, if necessary.

2 Once the bear’s identity is revealed, write on one sheet of

chart paper “What We Know About Bears.” Have students list
(or dictate) what they already know about bears.

3 Share a question you have about bears. Write this question on

a “front” bear track. Ask students if they have any questions.
Pass out front bear tracks and have students write down (or
dictate) their questions. Some students may not have
questions at this time. This is okay. Just keep the tracks handy
so that when they have questions they can write them down.

4 Let students share their questions, then tape the tracks to the
second piece of chart paper labeled “Questions We Have
About Bears.” (Add yours, too.)

5 Discuss ways to find answers to the questions. Mention

resources like books, field guides, videos, even people, such as
a game protector at the nearest fish and wildlife department
or a zoologist. Don’t forget your class or library computer.
(See Resources, page 106.)

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

6 After tracking down information, students can use back bear

tracks to write down the answers to their questions, pull off
their front tracks from the question chart, and tape both
tracks together on the mural titled WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT
BEARS (see Science on Display, page 98).

ACTIVIT Y 2

Ready for Winter?

How do humans prepare for winter? How about bears? This
activity invites children to learn more about winter survival and
to examine their own needs for shelter and food.

Materials
✲ watercolor paints
✲ salt
BOOK BREAK
Introduce students ✲ cups for water
to the idea of bears ✲ for each student: a large sheet of blue construction
getting ready for paper, 2 pieces of white watercolor paper (half the size
winter with Jim of the construction paper), a paintbrush; plain paper
Arnosky’s book
Every Autumn
Comes the Bear.
(see Resources,
page 106 ). Guide
students in a
1 On Day 1, have students use watercolors to paint pictures of
bears getting ready for winter. Have students sprinkle salt over
the paint while it is still wet. As the paint dries, this will create
discussion about
bears preparing for
a soft, crystal-like appearance on the pictures.
winter—what they
eat, how they put
on weight, how
they find dens for
2 On Day 2, have students paint pictures of something they or
others do to get ready for winter. Repeat the salting process.

the winter, and so

on. After your
discussion, explain
3 On Day 3, have students use strips of plain paper to write
about what is happening in each picture, then attach the
strips to their paintings.
that students will
be making a class
big book that
compares how
bears and people
4 Help each student fold a large sheet of construction paper in
half, glue the bear picture to the left half, and glue the
people picture to the right half.
get ready for
winter. Plan to
complete the
activity in three
5 Stack all of the folded construction paper pages, punch a hole
through all layers at the top and the bottom, and fasten them
with O-rings.
days.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

6 Read the book together, then schedule students to take the

book home overnight to share with their families.

Note: Make sure students closely observe what happens to the wet
paint when the salt is sprinkled. (It seems to disappear.) Talk about
what causes the splotchy effect. Introduce the word dissolve (to
change into a liquid). Ask students why they think the salt dissolved.
This is a good opportunity to reinforce the notion that science is all
around us. In fact, whatever children choose to do when they are
older, they will probably use some science. As they mix different colors
of paints, study the symmetry of objects, or use the warmth produced
by the friction of their hands to soften and shape clay.

ACTIVIT Y 3

A Long Winter’s Nap

Students tuck themselves in to understand how the heart rate
of a sleeping bear compares with the heart rate of an active
bear.

Materials
Note: Prepare a ✲ chart paper
chart in advance. ✲ marker
Make three columns: ✲ A Long Winter’s Nap Science Journal page (see page 105)
Name, Active, and
Winter Sleep. Add
the title: Changing
Heart Rates.
1 Show students how to find their heart rate. (With young
children it may be easiest to have them put two fingers on the
artery in the neck.) Have them count for six seconds, then
add a zero to the end of the number to get their heart rate
for one minute. (Explain that you are multiplying six seconds
by ten.) Practice this a couple of times.

2 Next, take students on a brisk walk—maybe a lap around the

school. (The goal is actually to get students’ heart rates up.)

3 As soon as you return, have students take their heart rate

again. This time, let students come up to the chart and record
their names and active heart rates (for one minute).

4 Now it’s time for students to tuck themselves in for a winter

sleep. Have them lie down (or at least put their heads on

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

their desks). Turn off the lights (for that cozy den effect) and
read a story about bears.

5 After about five minutes, or when you finish reading, have

students measure their heart rates again. When they have
figured out the heart rate per minute, they can write this next
to their names under the Winter Sleep column.

6 Have students compare the numbers on the chart. How do

their active heart rates compare with resting? (Even though
they will see a drop in their heart rates from active to winter
sleep, remind them that the change is even more dramatic
with a bear: 50 to 80 while active, 8 during winter sleep.) To
get an approximate idea of just how slow 8 heartbeats per
minute is, have students tap their hands on their desks once
every 8 seconds for one minute.

7 Wrap up this activity by inviting students to imagine that they

are bears about to curl up for their long winter naps. What
will they dream about? Pass out the reproducibles and ask
children to draw pictures or use words to show what they (as
bears) are dreaming about.

C S
FORAGING FOR n FOOD
Celebration
C n
Prepare for this activity by putting
some bear food (nuts and berries)
in plastic snack bags, one for each
child. (Label each bag with a
child’s name.) When the children
are out of the room, hide the bags
around the classroom. Then, when
they return, explain that you want
them to pretend they are very hungry bears, fattening up for a
long winter’s nap. Tell them that if they scrounge around the
classroom, they’ll find food fit for a bear. (Explain that each
child should look for a bag of bear food with his or her name
on it.) As students hunt, share a bear story. If students have
difficulty finding their food, you can guide them with your
story (...and then the bears tried looking up high for their
food). After they have fattened up, the children-turned-bears
can hunt for classroom caves (any available nook or cranny),
curl up, and go to sleep until spring.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES
Scavenger Hunt Bears at Home
What are other In addition to
ways animals cope searching for
with winter? Have answers to their
students work with bear questions,
partners on an students can take
Animals in Winter turns working on
scavenger hunt. the Science on
Give each team a list of five animals. Display mural. Lead a discussion
Have students use class and library about what to include: What kinds of
resources to locate three pieces of bears live in North America? What
information on each animal: Does the kinds of bears live in other parts of
animal hibernate, enter dormancy, or the world? (Pandas from China and
remain active in winter? What is the koalas from Australia are likely to
animal’s winter habitat? What are the come up. Let students discover for
animal’s winter sources of food? A themselves that koalas are not
starter list follows. actually bears.) What kind of habitat
does each bear live in?
Little Brown Bat (hibernates; in a
Form committees for each task.
cave or mine; does not need food
You might have a Bear Committee
for winter)
(students who illustrate the bears), a
Black Bear (dormant; finds shelter in Background Committee (responsible
caves or in roots under fallen trees; for background features like rocks,
stores food as fat for winter) trees, streams, and so on), and a
Food Committee (responsible for
Meadow Mouse (active; tunnels
adding bear food: fish, berry bushes,
under snow; eats seeds, roots, and
etc.). Set aside some time for
stems)
committees to gather different media,
Striped Skunk (dormant; winters in including paint, fabric, pictures from
fields and woods; eats insects, magazines—whatever is handy and
roots, berries, small animals) fun.
Woodchuck (hibernates; burrows
below frost line; doesn’t need food)
Snowshoe Hare (active; winters in
woods and brush; eats bark, buds,
own droppings)
[Source: Hands-On Nature, Vermont Institute of Natural Science, 1986]

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CHAPTER 5: ACTIVITY 1

Front Track

Back Track

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 C H A P T E R 5 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Bears in
Winter

A Long Winter’s Nap

If you were this bear, what would you dream about this
winter? Draw a picture or write a story about your dream.

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CHAPTER 5: NOVEMBER

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN FOR TEACHERS

Bears by Bobbi Kalman and Tammy Everts Bears by Ian Stirling (Sierra Club Books for
(Crabtree, 1995). This books describes the Children, 1992). Written as a factual book for
eight different families of bears, their upper-elementary students, this book provides
anatomical features, and their behavioral a lot of good information and would be a
traits. Includes color photographs and great resource for a unit on bears.
illustrations. Nonfiction. Investigating Science Through Bears by Karlene Ray
Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky Smith and Anne Hudson Bush (Teacher Ideas
(Putnam, 1993). Beautiful watercolor Press, 1994). This book includes science and
illustrations and simple text follow a bear social studies units focusing on black bears,
through the days before winter sleep. Fiction. grizzly bears, and polar bears, among others.
Wake Me in Spring by James Preller (Scholastic,
1994). In this sweet story, Mouse tries to
convince his sleepy friend Bear to stay up and
enjoy the pleasures of winter, but to no avail.
Simple text for young readers. Fiction.

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CHAPTER 6

December
Ice and Snow
page 110

For the Birds

page 123

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar this month to help
plan and supplement upcoming activities.
✲ The winter solstice is the first day of winter in the Northern
Hemisphere and is the shortest day (number of daylight
hours) of the year. Check a calendar or almanac for the
date (usually on or around December 21) and write it in.
✲ December’s full moon is often called the Cold Moon. Any
guesses why?
✲ Recycle holiday gift wrap to make sets of card-matching
games for younger children.
✲ On December 17, 1936, the first giant panda arrived in the
United States from China. Ask students how big they think a
newborn panda is. (About six inches long—the size of a
small hamster.)

Planning Ahead
This month’s
activities look at
birds. Contact your
local Audubon
Society for
information about
birds that winter
locally.
Get a head start on
collecting materials
for January’s
activities: Ask
families to send in
empty shoe boxes.

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CHAPTER 6

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new science themes.

I
1. ce and Snow
Children continue their explorations of weather by
looking at the effect of temperature on water.
Students will have opportunities to experiment with
the changes that occur as something freezes and
melts, including water to ice and milk to ice cream!

F
2. or the Birds
How do birds cope with the cold? Students will be
coming to their aid this month by making bird
feeders. Bird feeders not only make it easier for
birds to find food in winter, but they also offer
opportunities for up-close observations. Your child will be keeping a
journal as part of a group bird-watching activity in school. Try keeping one
at home, too. Record the kinds of birds you or your child spot, when you
see them, and what they are doing.

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Ice and
Snow
F or many, winter means the coolest temperatures of the year.
This cooler weather is the result of the Earth’s position on the
annual path it follows around the sun. In some places, the tem-
perature dips below freezing, while in other parts of the coun-
try the temperature may remain in the 70s! No matter where
you and your students live, you can investigate the science of
change that occurs at this time of year.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will continue to use thermometers as
a way to gather data. They will investigate the
effect temperature has on water. Students will
also continue to notice that although the
weather changes daily, over time things such
as temperature tend to be constant for the
same months every year (winter is cooler).
Process Skills: observing, predicting, classifying, comparing,
measuring, collecting and recording data,
interpreting

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y

freezing when it is cold enough for water winter the time of year when, in the
to turn to ice Northern Hemisphere, the Earth’s axis is
pointing away from the sun; as a result,
frost frozen water vapor
the sun’s rays are hitting this part of the
ice water that has become solid; Earth at more of an angle and are
pure water freezes at 32˚F scattered over a larger area, so they do
not heat as strongly as do the more direct
snow tiny six-sided ice
rays of summer
crystals; each crystal
is different, but
every crystal is
hexagonal
(six-sided)

Science on Display
By now, you’ll probably want to remove the autumn leaves from
the tree. (Well, maybe leave one up to represent those few
brown leaves that cling on all through winter.) Students can
add snowflakes falling around and on the tree by following the
directions here.

SPARKLING SNOWFLAKES

1 Use the lid from a 3-pound coffee can to trace several circles
on old manila file folders. Cut them out to make circle
templates.

2 Have students trace and cut out a couple of circles on light

blue construction paper. They should write their names on
one side of their circles.

3 Next, let students brush on “ice crystals” (mix 3 tablespoons

salt with 1/4 cup water). Let the papers dry overnight.

4 The following day, have students fold and cut their snowflakes
as illustrated, next page.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

5 Let students tape their snowflakes on and around the Science

on Display tree.

ACTIVIT Y 1

The Sun and the Seasons

Introduce students to the connection between the sun and the
seasons with this activity. Help students understand that in the
Northern Hemisphere, winter is when the Earth’s axis is point-
ing away from the sun. The sun’s rays are hitting the Earth at
more of an angle and are scattered over a larger area, so they
do not heat the Earth as much as the more direct rays of sum-
mer. You may also want to explain that, meanwhile, the South-
ern Hemisphere is experiencing its summer.

Materials
✲ flashlight
✲ piece of black paper

1 Pass around a sheet of black construction paper for everyone

to touch.

2 Now set the black paper on a flat surface. Turn on the

flashlight, hold it one to two inches above the paper, and
shine it directly on the paper for several minutes. While doing
this, ask students to predict what the paper will feel like where
the light is shining. (It will be warmer.) Encourage them to
give their reasoning. Talk about what the light on the paper
reminds them of.

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

3 Remove the flashlight and quickly let children feel the area
where the light was shining.

4 Turn on the flashlight again. This time hold it at a 45-degree

angle from the paper. Ask students to compare what the light
looks like on the paper this time with how it looked last time.
(It will be more scattered and not as bright.) Have students
predict how the paper will feel and explain their reasoning.

5 After several minutes, let students feel the paper. Have them
compare how the paper feels this time with last time. (It will
be cooler than when the light was shining directly above.)

6 Ask: If the light on the paper represents how the sun hits the
Earth during summer and winter, which way was winter?
Again, ask students to explain their answers. (Some will
probably connect the idea that the scattered, less-direct light
produced the cooler-feeling paper surface.)

ACTIVIT Y 2

Freezing and Melting

Students investigate how a change in temperature can change
the state of water. After freezing cups of water, students may
observe that there is more ice than water. Recognizing that the
level of ice is above the water line (marked on the cups) or that
the water level is lower than where the top of the ice was, can
be an interesting discovery for young students. Water is an
interesting substance in that it expands as it freezes. Most other
substances contract, or
shrink, when they freeze.
As they conduct this
experiment, children will
see evidence that the water
expanded by noting that
the level of ice is above the
black line. The child’s stage
of development will deter-
mine whether he or she
perceives this as being
more water or recognizes
that the amount of water
has remained unchanged.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Materials
✲ sheet of chart paper and marker (set up chart paper
similar to reproducible for this activity)
✲ tray
✲ Freezing and Melting Science Journal page (see page 120)
✲ for each group of two or three students: a thermometer,
a clear plastic cup

Note: This is a two-part activity requiring two days to complete. To

prepare, use a permanent black marker to make a line a half inch
below the top of each cup (on the outside). Number the cups 1 through
how ever many groups of students you have. Fill a pitcher with water
about an hour before starting, giving the water a chance to come to
room temperature. This will ensure that all groups begin the experi-
ment with water that is the same temperature, thus allowing for fair
comparisons of results. Finally, divide the class into small groups.

PART 1 (Day 1)

1 Begin this activity by asking the children: What is ice? Let

their descriptions, definitions, and experiences with ice guide
other discussions during the course of the experiment.

2 Next, ask students what they think will happen if you place a
cup of water in the freezer. (If you live someplace where the
temperature is cold enough, place the cups of water outside.)
Many children will respond that it will turn to ice. How long
do they think it will take for the water to become ice? This is a
good time to let students set up an operational definition for
the experiment. How will they define ice? Will it be when
there is some ice starting to form in the water or when the
entire cup of water has turned to a solid block of ice? The
important thing is that everyone uses the same definition.

3 Hand out reproducibles and have each group predict and

record how long it will take a cup of water to turn to ice.

4 Give each group a cup of water filled to the black line and a
thermometer. Have students record the number of the cup on
their worksheets. Next, they should record the starting time
and place the thermometer in the cup. While they wait two
minutes to record the temperature, they can write their initial
observations of the cup of water on their worksheet. Let them
know when it is time to read the thermometers and remind

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

Note: What’s the them to record the temperature on the worksheet.

science behind ice
expanding when it
freezes? While most
substances contract
5 Place the cups in the freezer for 30 minutes. While students
wait, introduce Cool Poetry (see Curriculum Connections,
page 118).
(shrink) when they
cool down, water is
unique in that it
expands (the water
6 After 30 minutes, let each group make a quick check of its
cup, noting and recording time, temperature, and additional
observations. Have students check their cups at regular
molecules move intervals, noting the point at which they can no longer insert
farther apart). the thermometer in the cup due to the thickness of ice.
Because of this,
students will
observe that the
ice line on their
7 When the students have reached a definition of ice, let them
complete the worksheet.

cups is above the

water line. PART 2 (Day 2)

Materials
✲ chart, cups of ice, thermometers, and reproducibles
from Part 1
✲ marker

1 Discuss students’ experiences from Part 1. What did they

learn? (The water froze and turned to ice. Ice forms when the
water reaches 32˚F, etc.) What would happen if the cup of ice
were left out on their desks? Would it take as long for the ice
to melt as it did for it to freeze? How can they find out?

2 Discuss ideas for designing an experiment to test how long it

takes for the ice to melt. Remember the idea of operational
definitions. How would students like to define the end result
of this part of the investigation? (What will determine when
the ice is melted? Is it when they can insert the thermometer
in the water or when there is no ice left in the water?)

3 After recording predictions for how long it will take the ice to
melt, have students mark the top of the ice on the outside of
the cup. Then, as in Part 1, students should record starting
time and observations on their worksheets, then make
observations every 30 minutes.

4 Bring students together to compare and discuss the results

and what they have learned.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 3

Making Ice Cream

In this activity, students discover that just as ice changes to
water, milk can turn to ice cream.
Note: You may find it
helpful to recruit several
Materials (for each group)
parents or upper-grade
1
students to lend a hand ✲ /4 cup milk
with this activity. While 1
✲ /4 cup heavy cream
these helpers assist with 1
✲ /4 cup sugar
measuring and pouring 1
ingredients, remind them ✲ /4 t. vanilla
to involve the younger ✲ 2 cups crushed ice or snow
students by asking ques- 1/
✲ 2 cup table salt
tions along the way, such ✲ 1 quart-size resealable freezer bag
as “What are we putting
in the bag now?” or ✲ 1 gallon-size resealable freezer bag
“How much milk are we ✲ mittens
pouring in the bag?”

1 Place the milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla in the quart-size bag
in that order.

2 Zip the quart bag closed, making sure that some of the air is
expelled from the bag and that it is zipped completely.

3 Put the quart bag in the gallon bag, along with the ice or
snow and the table salt. Zip the gallon bag shut.

4 It’s mitten time! Have students put on their mittens (as this
next step is pretty cool), then take turns gently kneading the
gallon bag. Ask students to predict what will happen to the
milk and other ingredients inside. Talk about the changes
students see. What does the salt do? (Ice cream freezes at
about 27˚F, but ice only reaches 32˚F. Adding salt lowers the
freezing point of water, making it possible to freeze the ice
cream.)

5 In about ten minutes, your students will see that the ice has
all melted and the mixture in the quart bag has turned from a
liquid to a solid and is ready to eat!
Note: Here are some suggested questions to guide a discussion on the
technology used in this activity: What tools did students use to make

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

the ice cream? Could they make ice cream without these tools? What
might have happened if the smaller bag was not shut completely?
What are some other tools used to make ice cream? How do you think
ice cream was invented? How do you think ice cream is made in facto-
ries? The important thing here is to help children think about what
tools are and how we use them.

ACTIVIT Y 4

It’s Frosty!
Introduce snow’s cool relative, frost. Frost is frozen water vapor.
For gardeners and farmers, the proverbial frost on the pump-
kin means that the growing season has ended. Even in warmer
climates frost can be a problem. When frost threatens orange
groves in Florida, farmers build bonfires to prevent cold air
from settling around the fruit and causing damage. Sometimes,
growers spray their crops with water to create an insulating
layer of ice that can actually prevent the plant from freezing!
Let students explore this form of water with these activities.

Material
✲ a drinking glass

1 Show students the glass before placing it in the freezer.

2 After a half hour, remove the glass from the freezer. Set it on
a table where all the children can see.

3 What changes do they see? What is forming on the outside of

the glass? Explain that this is frost and that it is similar to
snow. (When you take the cold glass out of the freezer, the
water vapor immediately surrounding the glass freezes.)

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
on the thermometer at which water
LANGUAGE ARTS freezes and where it begins to melt.
Cool Poetry Tell children to
Here’s an activity pretend they are
students can work icicles. Then use
on while they wait a ruler or pointer
for their water to turn to indicate a
to ice (or for their ice temperature.
to melt) in Activity 2. Try moving the
Give each student a temperature up
copy of the Cool Poetry reproducible and down the
(see page 121). Explain that they will thermometer at
be writing a form of poetry called different speeds.
concrete poetry. Brainstorm words that Children should
describe ice, and have students record freeze or melt
these words in the brainstorming box. according to the
Next, have them cut out the cube temperature and
pattern and glue it to an old manila file speed of change.
folder to give it some sturdiness. When
the glue is dry, have students select five
words they think best describe ice and
MATH
write one word on each square of the
Let It Snow
cube. Students can then fold and glue
Let it snow, let it snow. If you live
as indicated to make their cubes. For a
someplace that gets
sparkly touch, brush some of the “ice
snow, here are some
crystal” salt-and-water mixture over the
super snow science
cube (see Science on Display,
activities.
page 111). Place cubes in ice trays
and display at one of your classroom
centers for students to read and enjoy. 1. Collect a cup
of snow. Ask
students to predict how much
MOVEMENT water will be in the cup when
Melt Down, Freeze Up the snow melts. Measure the
amount of water left after the
Draw a snow melts. Compare
thermometer on predictions with the actual
the board and result. (Did you know it takes
mark off degrees about 10 inches of snow to
in Fahrenheit and produce 1 inch of water?)
Celsius. Show
children the point 2. Look around the school yard.
Is the snow the same depth

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

everywhere? Measure
and explain your results.

3. Build a life-size snowperson in

the school yard. Measure your
snowperson’s height and chest
daily. Record these
measurements on the
chalkboard in your classroom.
Note the temperature and
weather conditions, as well.
Wait a week and measure
again. Continue until the person
is gone. What happened?

ART
Paint Cubes
These easy-to-make, fun-
to-use ice cubes will
reinforce the idea that as
ice warms up it changes
back into, in this case,
colorful puddles of
water. First, mix together
powdered tempera paint and water to
form a thin paint. Pour the paint into
an old ice tray, adding a craft stick to
each cube. Repeat with as many
different colors as you like. Place the
tray in the freezer until paint cubes
freeze. Invite children to pop the cubes
out of the tray, hold by the stick
handle, and paint away. Be sure to
reinforce students’ understandings of
freezing and melting by inviting them
to share observations of the paint
cubes as they work. How are they
changing? How is this like what
happened in Activity 2 (see page 113)?

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 C H A P T E R 6 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name ______________________________________________ Cup Number ___________ Ice and
Snow

Freezing and Melting

PART 1: Freezing Water
I think the water will turn to ice in _________________ minutes.

Time Temperature Our Observations

The water turned to ice in _________________ minutes.

PART 2: Melting Ice

I think the ice will melt in _________________ minutes.

Time Temperature Our Observations

The ice turned to water in _________________ minutes.

Something I learned from doing this experiment is…
________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 120

CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

Name _____________________________________________________

Cool Poetry BRAINSTORMING BOX

DIRECTIONS _____________________________

1. Work with a friend and

think of some words _____________________________

that describe ice. How

does it feel? What does _____________________________
it look like? Does it
make any sound? Write _____________________________
the words you think of
in the Brainstorming _____________________________
Box.
2. Follow your teacher’s _____________________________
directions to cut out
and make the cube. _____________________________
3. Use words from your
Brainstorming Box to IS…
make a poem on your
cube about ice. ICE

Cut on solid lines,

fold on dotted lines.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

It’s Snowing! It’s Snowing! by Jack Prelutsky Reading Rainbow: Snowy Day: Stories and Poems
(Greenwillow, 1984). A collection of fun edited by Caroline Feller Bauer
poetry about, what else, snow! Fiction. (HarperCollins, 1986). This DVD provides a
Snow (Ready-to-Read. Level 1) by Marion Dane great way for children to hear read-alouds of
Bauer (Aladdin, 2003). A simple text that some notable poems (e.g., “Winter Morning”
simultaneously charms and instructs readers. by Ogden Nash). When ready, young viewers
Nonfiction. can then enjoy LeVar’s snowy adventure in
Alaska where he travels to learn about sled
Snow Is Falling by Franklyn Branley dogs. For more information, call GPN
(HarperCollins, 1983). An informational book Educational Media at (800) 228-4630 or visit
about snow. Nonfiction. http://shopgpn.com/snowydaystoriesand
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Random poems.aspx.
House, 1978). A child builds a snowman who Snowflakes
then takes the child on an adventure. Fiction. (www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/)
Snow Sounds: An Onomatopoeic Story by David A. One visit to this site provided by Caltech
Johnson (Houghton Mifflin, 2006). A book physics professor Kenneth Libbrecht and
that tickles the imagination awake with you’ll be excited about the science behind
onomatopoeic text. snow. Make your first stop the photo galleries.
Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling (Voyager, 2002). Then, look at the FAQ section to supplement
Lovely illustrations complement engaging your own background knowledge about snow.
storytelling. This book is both informative and Libbrecht is the author of several books about
memorable. Fiction. snowflakes, including Ken Libbrecht’s Field Guide
to Snowflakes (Voyageur Press, 2006).
FOR TEACHERS
Science Photo Cards: Understanding Weather
(Creative Teaching Press). Use this collection
of 12 full-color photo cards to help children
tackle key weather vocabulary and concepts.
For more information, call Creative Teaching
Press at (800) 287-8879 or visit
www.creativeteaching.com.
Snowballs by Lois Ehlert (Harcourt, Brace,
Jovanovich, 1995). This entertaining book will
inspire students to make their own snow
people and snow animals using snow, of
course, and great accessories from around the
house. The last couple of pages discuss what
snow is and why it snows. Photos of creative
snow people add to the fun.

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

For the
Birds
H ow do birds cope with the cold? Some have learned to
survive in the colder, northern climates by finding and eating
seeds, berries, and hibernating insects. Other bird species,
such as penguins, have adapted to live in cold year-round. And
some fly south to warmer climates for the winter. This lesson
invites children to learn more about the birds around them.
A local bird-watcher should be able to name birds you can
expect to see around the school. Check with your local Audubon
Society to see if a member would volunteer to visit and answer
children’s questions about birds and bird feeding. Have students
think of some questions ahead of time. Provide the visitor with a
copy of the questions in advance, so that both students and the
community resource person will feel prepared.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will observe and begin to recognize
the relationship between birds and their
environments.
Process Skills: observing, predicting, comparing, classifying,
communicating

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
bird a warm-blooded animal that has a penguin a mostly black-and-white bird
backbone, feathers, wings, two legs, and that lives near the oceans in the Southern
breathes through lungs; there are more Hemisphere; there are 18 species of
than 9,000 species of birds in the world penguins

Science on Display
Gather information about the kinds of birds that live in your
area during the winter months. If possible, make pictures of the
birds available to students to use as reference.
Remember that display tree? (You may still have leaves and
snowflakes on it.) Ask students to select one of the birds to learn
more about. To guide students’ research, identify a couple of
facts you’d like them to find, such as: What does your bird eat?
Where does it feed? Have students illustrate their birds, place
them on the display where they would likely be found feeding,
and attach fact cards. For example, a woodpecker likes to look
for insects in the tree. Doves are mostly ground feeders.

ACTIVIT Y 1

What Is a Bird?
What animal has the warmest and most lightweight coat of all?
Has eyes that are almost half the size of its head? Doesn’t have
teeth? Students discover more about what makes an animal a
bird with this activity.

Note: This activity Materials

helps children under-
stand that animals are ✲ magazine pictures of animals (mammals, amphibians,
classified into groups insects, birds, etc.—try to make half the pictures of
based on physical birds)
attributes. ✲ chart paper (2 pieces)
✲ glue stick

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

1 Gather pictures of animals. You will need one picture per

child, plus an extra picture of a bird and an extra of any other
kind of animal. Children can help with this preparation. Just
guide them in their selections so that you have a good variety.

2 Gather children in a circle. Give an animal picture to each

student. Display both pieces of chart paper in the circle.

3 Explain that you would like to place half of the pictures on

one side of the chart and half on the other side of the chart.
Ask: What are some ways to group these animals?

4 Now glue a picture of a bird on one side and some other

animal on the other side. (Your sorting method is
birds/animals that are not birds.) Ask: Does anybody have a
picture that fits on either side? Have students take turns
coming to the chart and telling where they think their
pictures belong. If they correctly determine the side it
belongs on, let them glue the pictures to the correct side.
Continue to do this until all the pictures are glued on the
chart, giving children who do not guess the sorting rule the
first time another chance.

5 Ask students to explain how they decided where to place their

animals. Focus the discussion on attributes of birds (wings,
feathers, two legs). List the characteristics students suggest on
the bird chart. Together, come up with a title for the chart,
such as What Makes a Bird? As students discover more about
birds, invite them to add new characteristics to the chart.

ACTIVIT Y 2

Feed a Friend
Feed them and they will come. Birds burn up a lot of energy in
the process of looking for and gathering food, particularly in
winter when food is not as readily available and when they need
more energy to stay warm. Setting out bird feeders in cold
weather helps birds conserve energy and makes it easier for
them to survive the winter. Making and setting up bird feeders
is also a great way to introduce your students to the birds in
their backyards and gives children important experience in car-
ing for animals.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Common Winter Birds

Materials
✲ For each group: a cup of peanut butter, a cup of
cornmeal, a margarine container filled with wild
birdseed mix
✲ For each student: a pinecone, a 12-inch piece of yarn, a
black-capped
craft stick, a paper plate
chickadee
✲ copies of the Feed a Friend reproducible (see page 133)

blue jay
1 Tie the yarn to
the top of the
pinecone as
illustrated.

2 Use a craft stick to

place peanut
butter in the
crevices of the
cardinal
pinecone.

3 Roll the pinecone

in cornmeal, then
in the wild
birdseed.
dove
Hanging Bird Feeders: Before hanging up the feeders, discuss
reasons for feeding birds during the winter (to provide food for
them when food is scarce, to observe birds). Take a walk
around the school grounds and look for birds. Decide on the
downy
woodpecker best place to hang the feeders. Remind students that birds
need places where they can find shelter (like shrubs and trees).
Aim for a spot near your classroom windows, but if not, arrange
for students to observe the birds daily. When you have located
a good area, hang the feeders. Add a nonmetal dish of water to
your bird-feeding station, too, to provide an easy source of
water. If you are considering putting food out for ground feed-
ers, be mindful of potential predators like neighborhood cats.
house finch
Observing Birds: As you begin watching birds at your feeding
station, use a simple field guide like Peterson First Guide to Birds
to identify them. Once you have determined the kinds of birds
using the feeders, try to find pictures of these birds to share
with students. Let them compare and contrast the characteris-
nuthatch tics of these birds. What kind of beak does each have? How do

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 126

CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

different beaks help birds? (Digging for

worms, eating bugs from beneath bark,
cracking seeds, collecting nectar, etc.) What
color is the head? How big is the bird? Place
these pictures near your bird-watching
window, along with copies of the Feed a
Friend reproducible page for recording
observations.

Note: If you would like to offer some variety in the food you set out
for birds, try letting children use heavy string and needles to string
unshelled peanuts. Drape these on trees where the pinecone feeders
hang. Sprinkle cracked corn and sunflower seeds on the ground (or
on a windowsill) to attract birds that might not use the pinecones or
peanut feeders.

ACTIVIT Y 3

Beaks and Birds

How does a nuthatch dig out insects from logs? How does a
blue jay crack open the hard shell of a nut? With their beaks, of
course! But not just any beak will do. Birds’ beaks are adapted
to the food they eat. Investigate the specialized nature of birds’
Note: To prepare beaks to reinforce the concept of adaptation.
for this activity,
place nuts with Materials (for each group)
shells (like walnuts)
on several trays ✲ pliers
(one per group). ✲ tweezers
Paint paper cups ✲ nuts (with shells)
brown or cover film tray
✲
canisters with
brown paper and ✲ paper cup
fill with seeds (to ✲ birdseed
simulate insects in
a log).

1 Divide the class into groups and give each a set of materials
(pliers, tweezers, tray of nuts, cup of seeds).

2 Ask students in each group to take turns using the tools as if

they were beaks to grab food. In their journals, ask them to
record observations. Which beak is best for grabbing the

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

nuts? The seeds? (Students will find that it is impossible to

crack the nuts with the tweezers and awkward to use the pliers
to get the seeds out of the cup.)
BOOK BREAK
Inspire students to
look more closely
at beaks on the 3 Ask students what kinds of birds might have beaks that work
like pliers? (Birds like blue jays and cardinals that crack open
nuts.) Like tweezers? (Birds like nuthatches and woodpeckers
birds at their feeder
with Unbeatable that dig out insects from logs or tree trunks.)
Beaks by Stephen
Swinburne (see
Resources,
page 13 5 ). Post a
4 Encourage children to look closely at the birds that come to
the feeders. What kinds of beaks do they have? How do they
use their beaks? Look for unusual feeding behavior, too. For
break-watch chart
example, a nuthatch will take a seed from a bird feeder but
at the window. List
various functions of
won’t crack it like other birds. It will take the seed back to a
bird beaks, such as: tree and crack it against a crevice. Some birds, like
✲ cracks nuts and chickadees, are hoarders. They stick seeds in crevices and will
hard seeds remember for a few weeks where the seeds are. Blue jays
✲ digs for worms in sometimes store nuts under leaves and in tree crevices, and
the ground come back for them, as well.
✲ hammers holes
in trees
✲ sucks nectar P RO J E C T F E E D E R WA T C H
from flowers
✲ tears flesh
✲ catches insects in
Y our students can contribute to an ornithological study
on winter bird populations to find out more about
birds that stay around in the winter: what their numbers
the air
are, what there feeding preferences are, etc. This bird-
Ask students to jot
down the date and watching kit includes a data collection form for recording
time that they see observations and comments, an educational poster, and a
birds with beaks quarterly newsletter that offers updates on the research.
performing these For more information, contact the Cornell University
tasks.
Laboratory of Ornithology at 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd.,
Ithaca, NY 14850; (800) 843-BIRD; www.birds.cornell.edu/.

CTraveling
S n Puppet Show
Bird Cup
Celebration
CGive each child ansmall paper cup (available in a variety of
solid colors at party stores). Show them how to glue on
paper beaks, wings, and tails to turn the cups into birds.
Invite them to add other details with a marker. Children can
create informative puppet shows about birds for another
class. They might also like to form small groups and put on
puppet shows for one another; for example, retelling any of
the stories about birds they’ve read as part of this theme.

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

ACTIVIT Y 4

Cold Weather Wear

How do penguins stay warm? In the same way other birds adapt
to their environments, penguins have developed a fat layer that
keeps them from losing body heat in cold temperatures.

Materials
✲ 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
✲ 2 quart-size zipper-lock plastic bags
✲ large bowl filled with icy water

1 Gather students around to make a fat bag. Put the shortening

in the bottom of one of the bags. Turn the second bag inside
out, then place it inside the first bag. Zip the two bags
together, making sure both sides lock. Let students help
squish the shortening around until it completely surrounds
the interior bag. You now have a fat bag.

2 Explain that even during the summer, the temperature in

Antarctica barely rises above freezing. Use a globe or world
map to locate Antarctica.

3 Let students take turns testing the fat bag by slipping one
hand in the bag and submerging both hands in the ice water.

4 Discuss their observations. Which hand felt warmer? Why?

How would a layer of body fat help keep a penguin warm?

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 5

Penguins: A Breed Apart

Students compare and contrast penguins with the birds they
see at the feeding station.

Materials
✲ chart paper (set up in Venn diagram fashion, as
illustrated)
✲ Penguins: A Breed Apart Science Journal page
(see page 134)
✲ several books on penguins (see Resources, page 135)

1 Let students work in small groups to think of ways penguins

are the same as birds they have seen at their feeding station or
around their homes, and three ways they are different. Have
them fill out the Science Journal page. Make sure each group
has access to at least one book about penguins.

2 Bring the groups together to share ideas. Help students

organize their ideas using a Venn diagram.

3 Discuss some of the similarities and differences, such as,

unlike most other birds, penguins do not fly. Ask students if
they know how penguins get around. Let them demonstrate
their ideas.

4 Guide the discussion to help students understand that

penguins may lack the ability to fly, but that they have adapted
ways of moving that are much better suited for the
environment in which they live. Let students try out some of
these penguin moves:
✲ Penguins use their paddlelike wings to make powerful
swimming strokes in the ocean.
✲ Penguins that live where there is snow get around by
tobogganing. To do this, they fall on their bellies and
slide, pushing off with their wings and feet.
✲ The rockhopper penguin, just as its name implies, hops
from rock to rock.
✲ And there’s always the famous penguin waddle!

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CHAPTER 6: DECEMBER

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS different birds at the feeder flap their
Am I a Bird? Big Book wings and to record observations in
their journals. Does one species seem
This is a fun project
to flap its wings faster than others?
for students to take
Here are a few to look for:
home and do with
their families. Send Chickadee: wings beat 270 times
home the every 10 seconds
reproducible letter
Crow: wings beat 20 times in 10
explaining the book
seconds
(see page 132), along with a sheet of
colored construction paper. Students Pigeons: wings beat 30 times in 10
work with parents or other family seconds
members to color or cut and paste a
picture of a bird or other animal (as Students might like to team up to
indicated in the letter) on the paper. try flapping their arms as fast as these
When they bring their pictures back to birds. While one flaps, the other can
class, compile them into a big book. count and time.
Let students take turns sharing their
pages, asking: Am I a bird? and MATH
listening for classmates to respond yes
Seasons
or no! Make sure the finished big
books get sent home overnight, too! What would it be
like to live with
penguins and have
MOVEMENT winter all year long?
Test Your Wings Discuss such
What does it feel cultures with
like to be a bird? Let students. Ask: What
students test their would you like (or dislike) most about
wings to find out. having 12 months of winter?
Have them flap their If students could create their own
arms for one seasons, what would their world be
minute—at a rate of like? (Encourage them to think about
about one beat per second. Anyone temperature, precipitation, plants,
tired? Explain that their arms probably animals, etc.) Next, let students pick
ache but that a bird’s wings wouldn’t the season they would most enjoy
because they’re adapted for that having all year long. Give each child a
purpose and can endure this 2-inch square of white paper to draw
movement for long periods of time. something related to a favorite season.
Encourage students to notice the ways On a large sheet of chart paper, list the
seasons, then have students glue their
squares in the appropriate columns.

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C H A P T E R 6 : PA R E N T PA G E

Dear __________________________________ ,
Your child is learning about birds in class. Here’s
an activity you can do at home.
Each student is making one page of a class
book. Some of the pages will picture birds and
some will show animals that are not birds.
_______________________________ has been assigned a
page that pictures
___________ a bird
___________ any other animal that is not a bird.

This can be a family project. Together you can

decide on what kind of bird or animal will be on
this page. You can cut the picture from a
magazine; use crayons, pencils, or markers to draw
it; choose a photograph from your collection—use
your imaginations! As you work on this project with
your child, talk about why this animal is a bird or
why it is not a bird. Place the picture on the
construction paper included with this letter and ask
your child to sign his or her name.
Please have your child bring the picture to
school by _____________________________.
We will put the book together in class and send
it home overnight with each child. At the end of
the year, each student’s picture will be returned.

Have a wonderful time working together!

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 132

 CHAPTER 6: ACTIVITY 2

Feed a Friend

Type of Bird _________________________________________________________________

Date Seen ___________________________________________________________________

At Which Feeder ________________________________________________________

Name of Student Making the Observation

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Comments:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Note: Make numerous copies of this page. Place them on a counter or desk near the window and have
students fill it out each time they observe feeder birds.

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C H A P T E R 6 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ For the
Birds

Penguins: A Breed Apart

Write three ways penguins and birds are

alike in the space where the circles overlap.

Penguins Other Birds

___________________ ___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________ ___________________

___________________ ___________________ ___________________

Write three ways Write three ways other

penguins are different birds are different from
from other birds. penguins.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston (Chronicle BRIDGE
Books, 2006). A superb introduction to Sea Grant Ocean Sciences Education Center
miraculous eggs, oviparous animals, and life (www.vims.edu/bridge/)
cycles. You’ll want to pore over the watercolor This site has done the Web research you don’t
illustrations again and again. Nonfiction. have time to do. Just select the grade level
Antarctica by Helen Cowher (Farrar, Straus, and (K–6) and find a link to activities and lesson
Giroux, 1990). This story focuses on the plans on the ocean science topics you teach—
interaction among the animals who live in weather, sea life, bird migration, coral reefs,
Antarctica (Adelies and Emperors, Weddell and more.
and leopard seals, and skuas). Fiction.
How Do Birds Find Their Way? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-
Out Science 2) by Roma Gans (HarperTrophy,
1996). An inviting introduction to bird
identification, navigation, and habitats.
Includes maps and charts. Nonfiction.
A Nest Full of Eggs by Priscilla Belz Jenkins
(HarperCollins, 1995). A boy watches a robin
build its nest, hatch its eggs, and raise its
young. Includes descriptions of the different
types of nests built by various birds. Fiction.
Night of the Pufflings by Bruce McMillan
(Houghton Mifflin, 1995). Beautiful color
photos show children in Iceland guiding
pufflings to the sea as they make their first
flight. Nonfiction.
Unbeatable Beaks by Stephen Swinburne (Holt,
1999). Vivid collages set off the interesting,
informational text about bird beaks and how
they function. Nonfiction.

FOR TEACHERS
“Chick-U-Bator” is a clear-domed mini-incubator
that can be used to hatch quail, pheasant,
chicken, or duck eggs in the classroom,
available through ETA Science Catalog. To
order a catalog, call (800) 445-5985. Or, visit
the Web site: www.etascience.com/.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence
Atwater (Dell, 1986). This is a classic read-
aloud about a man who receives a penguin
from his friend, the Antarctic explorer
Admiral Drake, and the surprises he
encounters raising the penguin and its chicks.
Fiction.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 135

CHAPTER 7

January
The Night Sky
page 13 9

Push and Pull

page 15 1

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar to help plan and
supplement upcoming activities in this month’s themes.
✲ New Year’s Day
✲ The Quadrantid’s Meteor Shower is an event that occurs annually
during the first week of January. The meteors are best seen by
early risers at around 5 A.M. Look to the northern sky.
✲ Winter nights are great for stargazing. Look for Ursa Major,
the Great Bear, home of the Big Dipper. Show students the
representation of the constellation below and ask: What do you
think this group of stars looks like? Explain that different cultures
looked at the stars and saw different things. In the group of stars
pictured here, some saw a big bear.

✲ January’s full moon is known as the Wolf Moon.

✲ On January 3, 1888, a patent was given for the first artificial
drinking straw. When you drink through a straw, are you pushing
or pulling liquid? See pages 151 to 166 for more Push and Pull
activities.

Plan Ahead
Start collecting magnets for this month’s activities. Edmund Scientific
offers assorted magnets. For information, call (800) 728-6999 or visit
the Web site http://scientificsonline.com.

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CHAPTER 7

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new science themes.

1. The Night Sky

Stars fill children and adults alike with a sense of
wonder. In this month’s activities, your child will take a
close look at stars. Watch for a related family activity
page that your child will be bringing home. To extend
the learning, share a story about the stars at your
child’s bedtime. Try making up a story about a
constellation (like the Great Bear) or find one in a
book. Invite your child to tell a star story, too.

P
2. ush and ull P
We’ll also be exploring what makes
things move—including your child!
Together, identify things that move in
your daily lives. Watch for a family
activity sheet about this, too.

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

The Night
Sky
F or the young child, stargazing means looking up into the
night sky and being filled with a sense of wonder about those
faraway lights. January is a great month to learn about the stars.
It gets dark early, and the nights are often clear, allowing stu-
dents to watch the stars come out before bedtime. Inviting stu-
dents to become stargazers is a way to connect them to the past
and to the future. People in earlier times used the patterns and
location of the stars to navigate their way through their world.
Today we continue to took to the stars for answers about
our universe.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will describe the stars as bright objects that
can be seen in the night. They will also begin to
recognize that people have given names to some of
the patterns formed by the stars, forming imaginary
pictures called constellations.
Process Skills: observing, communicating, inferring, predicting

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
constellation a pattern of stars that speed; a “shooting star” may be spotted
forms an imaginary picture; there are 88 on any night, but there are times of the
recognized constellations, but only a few year when there are meteor showers and
of these can be seen year-round; many meteors per hour can be seen; one
constellations that can be viewed all year of the most productive meteor showers of
are called circumpolar constellations the year happens during the first days of
because they are found in the area of January (see Highlights of the Month,
the night sky located around the poles of page 13 7 )
the Earth; Ursa Major (contains the Big star a ball of gas that can be seen in the
Dipper) and Ursa Minor (contains the Little night sky as a small point of light; stars
Dipper) are circumpolar constellations in come in different sizes and colors; the star
the Northern Hemisphere nearest to our planet is the sun; stars differ
from the planets and our moon in that
shooting stars these are not stars at all; they give off their own light (planets and
they are meteors, or glowing chunks of the moon shine because they reflect light
rock moving through space at great from the sun)

Science on Display
Transform your science area into a space station! Cover a bul-
letin board with dark blue craft paper, then use a white crayon
to outline a few favorite constellations. Let children take turns
applying star stickers to correctly indicate the stars’ placement
in the constellations. (Provide pictures for them to use as ref-
erence.) Label each constellation. Add a construction-paper
frame and use glitter paint to make knobs and dials that suggest
you are peering through a space-station window.
Add a Starry Stories tape to the space station. There are sev-
eral good resources listed at the end of this chapter for star leg-
ends. Record the stories on audiotape. (Upper-grade students
might volunteer to tape the stories for you.) Next, make a sim-
ple picture of each constellation, laminate them, and staple
them together to make a booklet for students to use while lis-
tening to the tape. Display the storybook and tape in the cen-
ter with simple directions for starting the tape.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 1

Shimmering Stars
What do your students see when they look up at the stars? This
activity encourages students to take a close look and to use spe-
cific language to describe what they see.
Note: Students will
be making star-
shaped mobiles. To Materials
reinforce the pieces, ✲ Shimmering Stars Parent Letter and Science Journal
you might want to page (see page 148)
copy the patterns on star patterns (see page 149)
✲
plain paper and
then have students ✲ string
glue that paper to ✲ tape
heavier stock like ✲ glitter
construction paper glue
✲
or used manila
folders, then cut out ✲ chart paper cut into a large star shape
the stars.

1 A couple of nights before you begin your unit on stars, send

home the parent letter/activity sheet.

2 When all students have had a chance to complete the

stargazing activity at home, ask them to share their
observations. How many stars do they think are in the sky?
(Billions!) How would they describe a star to someone who
had never seen one? Make a list of the words and phrases they
use to describe stars.

3 This is a good time to introduce the definition of a star. The

Science Dictionary provides one definition (see page 140).
Students might like to add their own ideas, too.

4 Give each student a copy of the star patterns page (see page 149).
Have them write the word stars on the largest star and one word
that describes stars on each of the smaller stars. Students can
refer to their journals and the take-home activity for ideas.

5 When they are finished, have students cut out the stars, then
lightly brush glue over the surfaces and sprinkle with glitter.

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

6 Help students use thread and tape to join the three small stars
to the larger star. Punch a hole in the top of the large star and
push a length of thread through the hole. Dangle students’
shimmering stars around the room.

ACTIVIT Y 2

Stargazing
Students discover why we only see the stars after dark.

Note: Before the Materials

activity, use the star ✲ 7 flashlights (You may want to include a note in this
patterns on page 149 month’s Science at Home newsletter asking to borrow
to make seven stars some.)
on white or yellow ✲ 7 paper stars (use star patterns, page 149)
paper, then laminate
for durability.

1 Tape the laminated paper stars to the floor to form the

pattern of the Big Dipper, as illustrated on page 144.

2 Ask seven volunteers to stand on each of the stars. Give each

of these students a flashlight.

3 With the classroom lights still on, have these students point
the flashlights at the ceiling and turn them on. Ask the other
students (stargazers) to describe what they see. Can they see
the light from the flashlights on the ceiling? (Probably not.)

4 Now ask stargazers to make a prediction: How will the light

from the flashlights look if you turn out the classroom lights?
Give them time to share their predictions before going on.

5 Now turn out the classroom lights. Ask students to describe

how the light from the flashlights looks now. (The light will be
visible, appearing as small circles of light.)

6 Lead a discussion comparing the visibility of the lights from

the flashlights after the room was darkened with the visibility
of the stars after it begins to get dark at night. Help students
to understand that the stars are always out there, but we don’t
see them during the day because of the brightness of the

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

sun’s light (classroom lights in this experiment).

BOOK BREAK
Wrap up Activity 2
7 Select seven different students to hold the flashlights and
stand on the stars.
by reading The Big
Dipper by Franklyn
Branley (see Re-
sources, page 150 ).
8 Have your stargazers observe the lights on the ceiling again.
How many lights (stars) do they count on the ceiling? Explain
that, long ago, people used the stars to help them get from
Before you one place to another. They imagined that groups of stars
begin reading, pick formed pictures and they gave these pictures names. These
seven new imaginary star pictures are called constellations. What
students to hold imaginary picture can they see on the classroom ceiling?
the flashlights.
Read the book with
the lights out and
the Big Dipper 9 Ask students if they have ever seen the constellation called the
Big Dipper. Explain that the pattern of stars on the ceiling
looks like the Big Dipper. Ask students how they think this
shining overhead.
constellation got its name. Help them to see the handle and
the bowl of the dipper.

ACTIVIT Y 3

Seasons and Stars

Materials
✲ pencils
✲ black tempera paint and brushes
✲ white crayons
✲ heavy white paper cut into 8-inch squares
✲ large sheets of construction paper
✲ glue stick
✲ writing paper cut into 8-inch squares

winter
Note: Before the activity, make at least five stencils of the Big Dipper.
To do this, copy the Big Dipper pattern (see illustration, left) onto old
manila file folders or blank 5-by-8-inch index cards. Laminate, then
use a hole-punch to indicate position of stars. This idea would also
extend nicely to the constellations that you choose for the Starry Story
booklets (see Science on Display, page 140 ). Students can use the
spring stencils to create constellations while listening to the stories.

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

1 Show students the pictures of the Big Dipper in its summer

and winter positions. Ask students why they think the position
would change. Do the stars move? (No, but the Earth moves,
causing the constellations to appear as though they are
moving from east to west in the night sky.)

2 Place the large drawing of the Big Dipper on the floor.

Explain that this is how the Big Dipper looks in the sky during
the winter months.

summer 3 Now have students form a circle around the picture. Explain
that they each represent the Earth as it makes its yearly trip
around the sun. Have students walk around the dipper,
paying special attention to the handle of the dipper. As
students move around the circle, does the handle point away
from them? Toward them? To either the left or right sides?
Help students understand that the reason the Big Dipper
looks like it is in a different position is because we on Earth
have changed position.
fall
4 Now have students sit in a circle around the picture. Ask for
students’ help in labeling the rest of the seasons, showing the
position of the Big Dipper during those seasons.

5 To finish this lesson, share the Micmac Indian legend of Great

Bear and how it moves through the sky (see page 145). Ask
students how they think the Indians got the idea for this story.
(The story describes the apparent movement of the
constellation through the year.)

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS Dipper told by the the Micmacs of
At E vening Nova Scotia. Display a picture of this
constellation as you share the story
Ask children to
with students.
recall what they
know about moods, BEAR HUNT
including any from the Micmac Indians of
moods they’ve ever Nova Scotia
felt. Explain that in Long, long ago, there was a great bear
stories and poems, a who, when the weather turned cold, went
poet or a writer uses words to create to sleep for a very long time. When the
different moods for us to feel. Read the great bear finally woke up in the early
poem “At Evening” together. Invite spring, he was very hungry. The bear left
children to suggest words that describe his den in search of food but was spotted
how they felt (sleepy, strong, etc.). by hunters, who were very hungry, too.
Review the poem carefully to discover The hunters chased the bear, but the bear
which words helped to create these was quick and difficult to catch.
moods. All through the spring and summer, the
bear continued to move while the hunters
SOCIAL STUDIES chased him. As summer turned into fall,
A Story to Share some of the hunters grew tired of the
chase. They stopped hunting the bear. By
Explain that there late autumn the three remaining hunters
are 88 named finally caught the bear and killed him. The
constellations, but bear’s blood stained the tree leaves
that different groups causing them to turn bright red. The dead
of people sometimes bear could be seen in the sky, lying on its
gave constellations back, all winter long. But in the spring, the
different names and spirit of the great bear entered another
made up their own stories about these bear. This bear woke up hungry, too, and
stars. The Big Dipper, which is actually went out looking for food. And once again,
within a larger constellation called hungry hunters spotted the bear and the
Ursa Major, the Great Bear, has many hunt began again.
stories associated with it. According to
Chinese legend, the dipper was an Two other books that tell tales of the
instrument that would measure food Big Dipper are Her Seven Brothers by
equally and fairly during times of Paul Goble (a Cheyenne legend) and
famine. The early people of Great Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette
Britain saw the Big Dipper as King Winter, the story of slaves who used
Arthur’s chariot. Here is a retelling of a the constellations to find their way to
Native American legend about the Big freedom. (See Resources, page 150.)

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

ART MATH Counting on Stars

Stories that Sparkle Make constellation
Ask students to think graphs, showing the
about the stories they’ve number of stars in
heard about the Big each. Some
Dipper. Have them think questions to guide a
back to when they used discussion follow:
the flashlights to form
the Big Dipper on the ✲ How many stars are in each
classroom ceiling, too: What pictures
constellation?
came to their minds when they saw the
✲ Which one has the most? The fewest?
pattern of light on the ceiling? Then
have students follow these directions to ✲ How many more stars in _____ than
create shimmering night skies and star _____ ?
stories. ✲ Are there more stars in ____ or ____ ?
✲ How many fewer stars in ____ than
1. Put the Big Dipper pattern on a
____ ?
piece of white paper. Mark the
placement of each star with a pencil. ✲ How many stars altogether?
Follow up with an opinion graph:
2. Color a star with white crayon
What is your favorite constellation?
wherever there is a pencil dot.
3. Paint over the whole paper with
black tempera paint. (The white stars
will pop out from the black
background thanks to the resistance
of the crayon’s waxiness to the water-
based paint.) Let the painting dry.
4. Write a new story about the Big
Dipper. (Ambitious stargazers may
want to rename the constellation
and make up a completely new
story.) Allow students to work
individually or collaboratively on
their stories, using their journals to
jot down ideas and write rough
drafts. Mount the story and the
painting on a large sheet of
construction paper. Display around
the science or reading area.
5. Record Starry Stories, Volume Two,
featuring students’ new star stories
(see Science on Display, page 140).

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

At Evening

I like the little sleepy sounds

You hear when day is done
When shadows gather here and there
At setting of the sun.

A brook grows drowsy in the eve,

As dusk comes still and slow;
You hear across the quiet night
His murmur soft and low.

The wind no longer calls and shouts

From high up in the trees;
He hums, instead, through evening hours
His lulling melodies.

The little leaves that talk all day

With wind and flitting birds
Speak now among the darkened boughs
Their gentle whispering words.

So as the hours of sunset come

And daytime noises cease,
The evening brings the weary world
Its gifts of dreams and peace!
—Arthur Wallace Peach

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C H A P T E R 7 : PA R E N T PA G E

THEME:
Dear ______________________________________, The
We are becoming a class of stargazers. You can reinforce Night Sky
science concepts at home by stargazing with your child.
Spend a few minutes looking at the stars together. Ask your child to
describe how the stars look. Have your child record three of these
words on the form below and return this paper to class by
_________________. Your child will be using these words for class activities.
Thank you, and happy stargazing!

Shimmering Stars
Date _____________________________________________________________
Stargazers’ Names _________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Write a word in each star to describe the stars you

saw tonight.
2. Finish the sentence:
When I looked at the stars _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

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 CHAPTER 7: ACTIVITIES 1 & 2

Star Patterns

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

The Big Dipper by Franklyn Branley Lunar Cycle 1: Calendar
(HarperCollins, 1991). An introduction to the Science NetLinks (part of Thinkfinity)
pattern of stars known as the Big Dipper. (www.sciencenetlinks.org/tools)
Nonfiction. Access dozens and dozens of lesson plans and
“Coyote Helps Decorate the Night” retold by teaching tools that support standards-based
Harold Courlander, in From Sea to Shining Sea: science instruction. The activity Lunar Cycle 1,
A Treasury of American Folklore and Folk Songs found in the Tools section of this site,
(Scholastic, 1993). This Hopi tale from the challenges children to use photos of the moon
Southwest details how Coyote helped scatter at different phases to complete the pattern of
stars in the night sky. Fiction. one lunar cycle.
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter Astronomy: Our Place in Space
(Knopf, 1988). This story tells how slaves used American Museum of Natural History
the drinking gourd constellation (the Big (www.amnh.org/ology/astronomy/)
Dipper) to make their way north to freedom. Colorful graphics and interesting information
Fiction. covers a variety of interests: Mars, gravity, our
sun, and more.
Her Seven Brothers by Paul Goble (Bradbury, 1984).
A Cheyenne legend about how the Big Dipper
came to be. Fiction.
Stargazers by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, 1992).
This easy-to-read book explains constellations
and telescopes. Nonfiction.
Switch on the Night by Ray Bradbury (Knopf, 1983).
“Once there was a little boy who didn’t like
the Night.” So he surrounds himself with
lanterns and flashlights, and lights up the
house at night with every lamp in the house.
Then he meets Night and learns about
switching on the crickets, the frogs, and a
skyful of stars. Nonfiction.

FOR TEACHERS
Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey (Houghton
Mifflin, 1988). This book will come in handy
for pictures of constellations. Also contains a
few constellation myths.
Stars: A Golden Guide by Herbert Zim (Golden
Press, 1985). A simple field guide to stars.
David Levy’s Guide to the Night Sky (Cambridge
University Press, 2001). A rather extensive
guide to night sky phenomena, this book will
help you locate constellations and learn the
features of the moon, and much more.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Push and
Pull
W hat makes things move? Moving is something that
young children know a lot about. They spend much of their
time making things move—pushing toy trucks through sand
and pulling sleds through the snow, blowing bubbles across the
yard and throwing balls through hoops.
The concept introduced in this theme—that the forces of
push and pull result in motion—is developed in different kinds
of activities. Your students will be looking for examples in their
daily surroundings, moving their own bodies to imitate the
forces of push and pull, listening to stories, and building models.
Research about how we learn has indicated that presenting an
idea in a variety of ways and making connections between these
presentations will enhance learning. After you finish an activity,
help students make these important connections by reminding
them of how the same concept was presented in earlier activities.

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
push and pull forces that magnet an object made from iron and ore that can
cause motion push or pull objects made of iron or steel

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will recognize that they can make
things move by pushing or pulling them, and
that they can change the speed and direction
of that movement. They will also discover that
magnets can be used to make things move
without actually touching them.
Process Skills: observing, classifying, comparing,
communicating, predicting, measuring,
collecting and recording data, interpreting

Science on Display
Remember the moon border you started in September? If
you’ve kept this activity going, the border has most likely
moved beyond the science display and is taking over another
part of your classroom. Well, here’s another fun border idea
that will personalize the topic of movement for your students.
Create a background for your border out of black craft paper,
cut about 6 inches high and however long you need to wrap
around a wall or two. Dip the tires of a toy truck in some bright
yellow paint and make tracks along the top and bottom edges
of the border. Students can now complete the border as part of
Activity 1.

ACTIVIT Y 1

Look at Us Move
Students discover there are many ways to move from here to there.

Note: To complete Materials

this activity you ✲ old magazines (students will be cutting out pictures from
will need a copy these)
(or photocopy) of
✲ students’ school pictures
students’ school
pictures (small, ✲ glue sticks
wallet-size). ✲ chart paper

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

1 Help students brainstorm ways they get from one place to

another. List their ideas on chart paper, and post.

2 Give students copies of their school pictures. They will need

to cut out the head portion of their pictures, then set the
photos aside.

3 Pass out blank 3-by-5-inch cards. Ask students to look through

the magazines and cut out pictures that show people moving.
Have students stick to pictures that are about the same size as
their cards. It’s okay if there’s some overhang but the intent is
to have all students’ cutouts close to the same size. (Hint:
Sports magazines are a good source of movement pictures.)

4 Have each student cut out a picture, then cut out the head of
the person (or one of the people) in the picture.

5 Next, have students glue their magazine pictures to the cards,

then add their own face pictures, gluing them where the
original heads had been. If students are using photocopies of
school pictures, they might like to add color with
multicultural-colored crayons.

6 Let students share their pictures—explaining the movement

in their pictures—then glue them to the border.
(You can also try this activity without the children’s participation,
choosing instead to surprise them one morning with pictures of them-
selves on the move! Expect a lot of talk about their various “moving”
situations!)

ACTIVIT Y 2

Push and Pull Play

Students act out ways we use the forces of push and pull.

1 Have students stand up and find some space where they can
move without touching anyone else. (This is a good outdoor
activity if weather permits.)

2 Explain that you are going to name some movements for

them to act out that use the forces of push and pull. Here are
some to get you started, but feel free to add more.

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

✲ pulling a box from a tall shelf

✲ pushing a friend on the swings
✲ pulling a banana off of a bunch
✲ pushing a huge box
✲ pulling your little sister in a wagon
✲ pushing a broom

ACTIVIT Y 3

Let’s Go Sledding
If you live in a snowy area, sledding will probably be something
your students do a lot. But if you live in a milder climate, sled-
ding may not be a familiar activity. Either way, this activity
invites children to make some predictions and observations,
and challenges them to put the forces of push and pull to work.

Materials
✲ 1 shoe box with lid for each group of two or three
students (the larger the shoe box, the better)
✲ small, empty boxes (tiny gift boxes or the kind wooden
matches are packed in)
✲ a box filled with string, paper clips, rubber bands, pieces
of Velcro, pipe cleaners, thin wire, buttons, tape
✲ Let’s Go Sledding Science Journal page (see page 161)

Note: Paint the

outsides of the
1 Show students the lid from one of the shoe boxes and one of
the small boxes. Place the small box on the lid and ask how
you could make the small box move across the lid, from one
boxes white, turn- end to the other. Listen to their ideas and try them out.
ing them into (These will probably include giving the small box a push or
snowy slopes for blowing on the small box. Encourage students to recognize
sledding! that the push helped move the box.)

2 Now ask students if any of them have ever gone sledding. If

they have, let them describe the sleds and the kinds of places
they went sledding. If none of them have ever gone sledding,
try to have some pictures on hand to share.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

3 Demonstrate the idea of sledding by setting up a shoe-box

hill, as illustrated. Set one of the small boxes on the edge and
let it slide.

4 Now ask students if they can think of a way to get the sled
back up to the top of the hill. (Most obvious response will be
to pick up the box and set it back on top of the lid.) If they
were sledding for real, how would they get the sled back up?
(Pull the sleds uphill.)

5 Now, present this challenge: How can we get the sled (small
box) to the top of the hill (lid) without picking it up with our
hands? (Possible solutions include taping string to the box
and pulling it up, and attaching a paper clip to the box and
using a magnet to move the box.)

BOOK BREAK
Share Dr. DeSoto
by William Steig,
6 Let students share ideas for several minutes, then break them
into small groups to come up with a solution. Show them the
various materials they can use (see Materials). They may
the story of a suggest other materials, too.
celebrated dentist
(who happens to
be a mouse) whose
system of pulleys
7 Give students time to experiment with materials and create
ways to move the sled back to the top of the hill. As with many
activities, some groups will need and want to spend much
enables him to do
dental work on more time on this than others. Groups that finish early can
larger patients. work on the Science Journal page describing and/or
Allow time illustrating their designs.
afterward for the
inspired discussion
that is sure to
follow (see
8 Give each group a chance to show off its design, describing
the kinds of movements that are happening to get the sled to
the top. If possible, set up hills and sleds in the science display
Resources,
area so that students can try out one another’s designs.
page 16 6 ).

9 If students are really enjoying this activity, don’t stop! Let

them try adding loads to their sleds. Does it make a difference
how the sleds move down the hill? How does the effort
needed to get the full sled to the top of the hill compare with
the empty sled?

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

10 Use sledding as a springboard to a discussion about how

technology effects our daily lives:
✲ Why do you think someone invented a sled? (To reduce
work.)
✲ What are some uses for a sled?
✲ What is something that you could do with a sled to help
you at home?
Brainstorm other inventions that help us move things.

ACTIVIT Y 4

Magnetic Attractions
Students investigate objects that are attracted to magnets.

Materials
✲ small bar magnets
✲ Magnetic Attractions Science Journal page (see page 164)
✲ assorted objects such as paper clips, coins, straws,
washers, crayons, pieces of aluminum foil

Note: This is one

1 Give each student a copy of the Science Journal page. Have
students write Yes or No to indicate their predictions about
whether or not each item on the list will stick to a magnet.
of those activities
that is a lot more
manageable if the
materials are easily
2 Once students have recorded their predictions, invite them to
test the objects and record their results. After testing the six
objects on the list, students can find four more objects to test.
accessible. If possi- They should write the name of each object in the space
ble, use small trays provided, record their predictions, then test each object.
that can hold
enough magnets
and test materials
for each person in a
3 When all groups are finished, gather students together. List
the first six objects on chart paper and ask students to answer
Yes or No to this question: Does (the object) stick to a
small group of two magnet? If discrepancies occur, take time to retest.
or three students.

4 After you have recorded the results for the first six objects,
have students help you list additional objects they tested.
Record Yes or No for these items, as well.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

5 Using information collected from this experiment, what can

students say about the kinds of objects that will stick to a
magnet? (Do all metal objects stick to a magnet? Shiny
objects?) Many children will predict that anything made of
metal will stick to the magnet, but this is not the case. Objects
made of iron, nickel, or cobalt (or alloys of these metals) are
attracted to magnets. Objects made of aluminum and lead are
not. Discuss students’ ideas and compile and display a list of
the characteristics of things that stick to magnets.

ACTIVIT Y 5

Move It With Magnets

Students explore how a magnet can make something move
without touching it.

Materials
✲ magnets (at least three different sizes, shapes)
✲ paper clips
✲ Move It With Magnets reproducible (see page 165)
✲ large sheet of light-colored construction paper (trace
each magnet across the top of this paper)

1 Give each small group a magnet and some paper clips.

Challenge them to use the magnet to make the paper clip
move. Give them a couple of minutes to try this, then have
them share their observations.

2 Now show them some of the other magnets . Will they all pull
a paper clip? (Students will want to test this out, too.)

3 Ask: Do you think all magnets pull with the same strength or
are some magnets stronger than others?

4 Have students brainstorm ideas for testing the strength of

each magnet’s pull. Then give each small group three
different magnets to test. Direct students’ attention to the
large sheet of paper on which you have traced the magnets.
Ask them to predict which magnet will have the most pulling
power. Have students sign their names (or make a check

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

mark) under the tracings to indicate their predictions.

5 Demonstrate how to use the reproducible to test pulling

power: Place the magnet on top of the magnet outline, and
the paper clip on top of the picture of the paper clip. Move
the magnet, one block at a time, toward the paper clip.
Continue to do this until the paper clip is pulled toward the
magnet. (The paper clip does not necessarily have to move all
the way to the magnet.) Make a mark where the front of the
magnet lies on the paper. Have students work in their groups
to test the magnets themselves, repeating the procedure for
the other two magnets and completing the question at the
bottom of the reproducible to tell which magnet had the most
pulling power.

6 After all groups have tested their magnets, come together to

discuss the results as a class. Look back at the predictions.
How do these compare with the results? Why would it be
important for some magnets to be stronger than others?

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
SOCIAL STUDIES Have an equal number of children
People Who Move hold onto each end of the rope so that
the cloth is in the center of the neutral
Take a walk around
zone. At a signal, the teams begin
school to look for
pulling, trying to get the cloth into their
people who are
territory. Switch teams several times so
moving things.
that every child has a chance to win.
Before setting out,
have students share
their ideas of what
they might see. Bring a clipboard to
record who students see, what they are
moving, and a description of the
movement. Have students collect each
person’s autograph on this record
sheet, as well. (Hint: The day before ART
your walk, brief people you might see Sliding Sleds
at work. Explain what students will be Use reproducible on pages 162 and
looking for. This way they will be 163 with students to create sledding
ready to show off a part of their work.) scenes. Here’s how:
As an extension, have students work
with a parent to find people around ✲ Glue page A to a file folder
their home or neighborhood who are and let dry.
moving things. A sample letter and ✲ On page B, cut the long and
record sheet is provided (see page 160). short dotted lines, then set
When students return findings to class, aside.
compile a class book about moving. ✲ When page A is dry, cut out
each piece, being careful not
MOVEMENT to cut off the tab at the end.
Fold the tab along the dotted
Tug-O-Game
line, toward the strip.
Measure out a long
length of smooth ✲ Next, insert the tab from the
rope or clothesline. long strip through the long cut
Mark off the center line on page B, and slip the
point on the rope other end of the long strip
with a knotted piece through the short cut line. Pull
of cloth. Place two the strip through to the other
parallel lines of masking tape side. Glue the sled to the tab.
(approximately 3 feet apart) on the ✲ Pull and push the long strip to
ground to mark off a neutral zone. make the sled move.

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C H A P T E R 7 : PA R E N T PA G E

Dear ______________________________________,
In class, your child is learning about the forces of push and pull, and
how they help things move. You can reinforce your child’s understanding
by taking some time together to watch for people who are moving
things. This might be around home, in the neighborhood, at the grocery
store, wherever you and your child happen to be.
Please help your child record what you see together on the chart
below and return this paper to class by ____________________________________________.
Thank you for your help.

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Look at Us Move!
WHO WHAT IS BEING MOVED DESCRIPTION OF MOVEMENT

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 C H A P T E R 7 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:

Let’s Go Sledding Push and

Pull

Group Members __________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Solve This Problem: The sled is at the bottom of the hill.

How can you get it back to the top without picking it up
with your hands?
Draw a picture here to show how you can solve the problem.

Use words here to explain you solution.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

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C H A P T E R 7 : S L I D I N G S L E D S PA G E A

Directions
1. Glue this page to a file folder. Let
dry.
2. Cut out pieces 1 and 2 along the
dark lines.
3. Fold the tab in along the dotted
line.
4. Cut on the dotted lines on page
B.
5. Slip the tab through the long cut
on page B. Glue your sled to the
tab.
6. Slip the strip through the short cut
on page B. Pull the strip through
to the other side.
7. Cut out small pictures of people
from magazines. Or make your
own. Paste them to the sled. Now
push and pull to make your sled
move.

tab

1 2

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 C H A P T E R 7 : S L I D I N G S L E D S PA G E B

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C H A P T E R 7 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Push and
Pull

Magnetic Attractions
Will it stick to
Object the magnet? Did it stick?

1. paper clip

2. coin

3. straw

Will it stick to
Object the magnet? Did it stick?

4. washer

5. crayon

6. aluminum foil

Think of four more objects to test. Write the names of the

objects here. Write your prediction first. Then test with the
magnet.

Will it stick to
Object the magnet? Did it stick?

7.

8.

9.

10.

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 CHAPTER 7: ACTIVITY 5

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Move It With Magnets

Trace magnet here. Trace magnet here. Trace magnet here.

Which magnet has the most pulling power?

_________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 7: JANUARY

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

Amazing Magnetism (Magic School Bus Chapter Book) Hard Hat Harry’s 6-Pack (Good Times Video,
by Rebecca Carmi (Scholastic, 2002). Ms. 2005) This collection of videos features cars,
Frizzle challenges Mr. O’Neatly’s class to a machines, and trucks. Hard Hat Harry DVDs
science contest. Learning and fun ensues are intended for the youngest learners. (Each
while The Friz teaches her students about video has a run time of about an hour.)
magnetism. Fiction. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Reading Rainbow)
Dr. DeSoto by William Steig (Farrar Straus Giroux, explores what happens when one action sets a
1990). A celebrated dentist, who happens to series of actions in motion. There’s also a neat
be a mouse, uses a system of pulleys to enable segment on how bowling balls are made. For
him to do dental work on larger patients. more information, call GPN Educational
Fiction. Media at (800) 228-4630 or visit http://
Forces Make Things Move (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out shopgpn.comifyougiveamouseacookie.aspx.
Science 2) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley The New Way Things Work 3.2 (Dorling Kindersley,
(HarperTrophy, 2005). An enjoyable and 2006) Based on David Macaulay’s book, this
straightforward introduction to some multimedia extravaganza shows how 150
challenging science concepts. Nonfiction. machines work through lavish illustrations,
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee animations, and live-action videos. Children
Burton (Houghton Mifflin, 1939). Mike and familiar with the book will recognize their
his steam shovel, Mary Anne, help Popperville guide, the Great Woolly Mammoth.
build a new town hall. Includes diagrams of Inventor’s Workshop
levers and other parts that help Mary Anne PBS Kids
get the job done. Fiction. (http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games.html)
What Makes a Magnet? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Third graders will enjoy creating their own
Science 2) by Franklyn M. Branley fabulous inventions online at Cyberchase’s
(HarperTrophy, 1996). Accessible Inventor’s Workshop. You’ll enjoy lessons and
explanations and cheerful illustrations help to activities that connect to the NCTM standards.
convey the properties of magnets. Includes
directions for hands-on activities.

FOR TEACHERS
Magnets & Electricity (Teacher Created Materials)
A compilation of hands-on science activities
designed to make lesson planning easier. For
more information, contact Teacher Created
Materials at (800) 858-7339. Or visit the Web
site: www.teachercreatedmaterials.com.
Simple Machines Made Simple by Ralph E. St. Andre
(Teacher Ideas Press, 1995). Students build
levers, pulleys, and other gadgets while they
learn about simple mechanics. The book
includes activities for slightly older children
that can be adapted for primary students.

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CHAPTER 8

February
In the Shadows
page 17 0

Healthy Hearts
page 184

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar to help plan and
supplement upcoming activities in this month’s themes.
✲ February 2 is Groundhog Day.

✲ February 14 is Valentine’s Day.

✲ National Heart Month

✲ The February full moon is the Snow Moon or Hunger Moon.

✲ Challenge children to locate Punxsutawney on a map.

(Hint: It’s in Pennsylvania.) What is this city known for?
✲ Two other names for groundhogs are woodchucks and whistlepigs.
Where would you find a groundhog?

Plan Ahead
The first theme this month focuses on shadows,
and since Groundhog Day falls on February 2,
be prepared to have students listen to the news
that morning. What do they think the
groundhog’s weather prediction will be?
(See note on page 174.)
You’ll need a stethoscope for the Healthy Hearts activity. Inexpensive
stethoscopes are available from Delta Education, (800) 258-1302;
www.delta-education.com.

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CHAPTER 8

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new science themes.

I
1. n the Shadows
Your young scientist will be learning more
about the nature of shadows this month (and
watching to see if the groundhog’s prediction
comes true!). You can reinforce learning at
home by noticing together which objects make
shadows and which don’t.

2. Healthy Hearts
Helping children learn about healthy habits
when they are young makes it easier for them
to continue to have healthy habits as they grow.
This month, we’ll be focusing on the heart.
Watch for a family activity page that invites you
and your child to compare heart rates.

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

In the
Shadows
A ccording to weather lore, if the groundhog emerges
from its burrow on the morning of February 2 and sees its
shadow, we can expect six more weeks of winter weather. If he
doesn’t see it, there will be an early spring. Use the ground-
hog’s forecast as an invitation to your young scientists to learn
more about the true nature of shadows.

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
opaque something you can’t see through, translucent something you can see
like a notebook through, but not clearly, like wax paper

shadow a dark shape that is made when transparent something you can see
an object blocks out the light through clearly, like window glass

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will observe that light travels in a
straight line unless it strikes an object. They
will recognize that some objects that are hit by
light block it completely, creating a shadow of
the object. They will also recognize that not all
objects create shadows when light hits them.
Process Skills: observing, inferring, predicting, comparing,
communicating, classifying, interpreting

Science on Display
When getting ready to begin a study of shadows, select some
Note: So that students small objects that make interesting shadows, such as an eraser,
can better see the shadows a crayon, a paper clip, a key, and a small toy. Trace the shadows
they make, turn out the on a piece of poster board, coloring them in with black mark-
lights over the area if pos- er. Place these objects, along with other objects, in a shoe box
sible. If this is not possi- labeled Only the Shadows Know. Across the top of the chart
ble, try stacking boxes write: Can you guess what made these shadows? Explain to stu-
(like the kind that reams dents that the shadows were made by objects in the box. Invite
of copy paper come in) to them to first guess which object made which shadow, then use
build a workstation. The the flashlight to solve the mystery. (You might want to have stu-
boxes will help cut down dents take turns at this display, working in small groups of two
on some of the extraneous or three at a time.) Freshen the activity now and then by adding
classroom light. new shadow pictures to the chart and objects to the box.

ACTIVIT Y 1

What Is a Shadow?
Students make shadows to learn more about light and what
happens as light hits objects.

Materials
✲ flashlight
✲ chart paper
✲ marker

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

1 Hang chart paper on a wall or chalkboard. Darken the room

and shine the flashlight directly onto the paper.

2 Ask students to describe what the light looks light. (It will
appear as a circle of light.) Have them describe the path of
the light from the flashlight to the paper. (They should see a
straight beam of light.)

3 Now invite a student to hold one hand in the light beam

about halfway between the flashlight and the chart paper.
(Kids will love this!) What happens to the light on the chart
paper? (The light beam is interrupted by the hand, and a
dark area, a shadow of the hand, appears on the paper.) Ask a
second student to trace around this hand shadow. Then let
the first student sign his or her name by the shadow picture.
Both students can return to their seats.

4 Ask students to try to guess what would happen to the shadow

if a hand is placed closer to the flashlight. Listen to their
guesses, then try it out. Have another student place a hand in
the beam of light, this time within a couple inches of the
flashlight. Ask students to describe what they observe. How
does this second hand shadow compare to the first hand
shadow? (This shadow will be bigger. The closer an object is
to the light source, the darker and larger the shadow that is
produced.)

5 As with the first hand shadow, ask another child to trace

around the second hand shadow, then let the student whose
hand it is sign by the tracing.

6 Time for more guessing. Ask students to predict what will

happen if the hand is moved farther away from the light
source. Listen to predictions, then invite a new student to
place his or her hand fairly close to the chart paper. Students
should describe how this shadow compares with the first two.
Repeat steps of tracing and signing hand shadows.

7 Finish up by asking students to describe how a shadow is

made and how shadows can change in appearance. To guide
the discussion, ask students to identify the light source
(flashlight) and explain what makes the shadow. (The light
cannot pass through the hand. Where this light is blocked
out, a dark area in the shape of a hand is made.)

8 Invite students who did not get a chance to help each other
make, trace, and sign their shadows.

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

ACTIVIT Y 2

Groundhog Day
What do classroom groundhogs have to say about their shadows?

Materials
✲ groundhog pattern (see page 180)
✲ used manila file folder
BOOK BREAK ✲ craft sticks or pencils
Around the
beginning of ✲ air-drying clay
February, read ✲ heavy white paper
Groundhog Day!
✲ brown paper lunch bags
by Gail Gibbons.
(See Resources, ✲ crayons
page 18 3.) After ✲ tape
reading, ask
children to share
their ideas about
the reliability of a Note: Do this activity before Groundhog Day. Prior to the activity,
groundhog’s make stencils of groundhogs by copying the pattern on file folders.
predictions. Introduce the activity on February 1 (or as close to this date as possi-
ble), asking students what they know about Groundhog Day.
If they don’t already know, tell them the story. Ask them to make a
page in their Science Journals for recording the groundhog’s predic-
tion and their own predictions, and tracking the weather for the next
six weeks.

1 Let students trace the groundhog pattern onto white paper,

then cut out and color their groundhogs.

2 Next, have students tape the groundhog to a craft stick or

pencil, then insert the stick into a ball of clay.

3 Give each student a brown paper lunch bag. This will be the
groundhog’s burrow. Students can name their groundhogs
and write the names on the bag.

4 Have students place groundhogs in the bags, fold over the

tops, then set the bags on a windowsill.

5 The following morning, have students lift their groundhogs

out of the burrows, set them on the windowsill, and observe
whether or not the groundhogs see their shadows. Remind
students to record observations in their weather journals.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

6 Gather students together to discuss their observations. Did all

of the groundhogs see their shadows? Why or why not? (They
should all have the same result.) How do their groundhogs’
predictions compare with the predictions of the groundhogs
in the news? Why would the results be the same or different?

7 Your groundhogs may want to return to their burrows if they

see their shadows and sleep for the next six weeks. Or if they
didn’t see their shadows, you can roll down the paper bags
and let the groundhogs enjoy the early spring.

ACTIVIT Y 3

Mystery Shadows
Materials
✲ overhead projector
✲ file folder
✲ collection of shadow-producing mystery objects (keys,
paper clip, banana, baseball card, beads, coins, watch)
Note: Before this ✲ paper bag
activity, tape the file
✲ Mystery Shadows Science Journal page (see page 181)
folder on the light
stem of the over-
head projector, cre-
ating a screen so
that students can-
not see the objects
1 Explain that you are going to be putting different objects on
the overhead projector. Ask students to use the shadows as
clues to guess what the objects are.
that you place on
the overhead.
2 After you have made shadows with all the objects in the bag,
ask students which objects were the hardest to identify and
why. Then ask which objects were easiest to identify and why.
What do all the objects have in common? (They all block light
and make shadows.)

3 Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a

flashlight and each student a copy of the reproducible
Science Journal page. Turn out the lights (or otherwise
darken the room) while students complete the reproducible.

4 Display and discuss students’ drawings. Which shadows were

easy to identify? Which were difficult? How did they change

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

the size of their shadows? As students may recall from Activity

1, when an object is farther away from the light source, the
shadow will be smaller. So one student might have held the
object farther from the light source while the other traced the
shadow.

ACTIVIT Y 4

What Makes a Shadow?

Students compare and classify shadow-making objects with
nonshadow-making objects.

Materials (for each group)

✲ flashlights (or can be done on a sunny windowsill)
✲ set of objects to test: opaque objects (piece of aluminum
Note: Before the
foil, small piece of cardboard), translucent objects (piece
activity, place
of wax paper, piece of paper towel), transparent objects
objects for each
(clear plastic lid, clear plastic sandwich bag)
group in the plastic
sandwich bags. The ✲ What Makes a Shadow? Science Journal page
objects on the Sci- (see page 182)
ence Journal page
record sheet corre-
spond to those listed
above. You’ll find a
couple of blank
1 Let students work in small groups for this activity. Give each
small group a plastic bag that contains the objects and give
each student a reproducible.
spaces on the chart
in case you want to
add other objects
to the bag.
2 Tell students that the first thing they need to do is observe the
items in the bag and predict whether or not each object will
make a shadow. They should record their predictions on the
reproducible.

3 After students have made their predictions, give each group a

flashlight and turn out the lights. (Or direct each group to
find a sunny location where they can test for shadows.)

4 The students should test each object and record on the

reproducible which objects made shadows and which did not.

5 After they have tested the materials in the bag, including the
bag itself, they should go on to the next two challenges on the
reproducible (find one more object that makes a shadow, find
one more object that does not make a shadow).

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

6 When all groups are finished, let students help you list the
items that made shadows and those that did not (including
their “Challenge” finds). Some questions to guide a discussion
BOOK BREAK of these results follow.
Challenge students
to identify more ✲ What do all the objects that make shadows have in
mystery shadows common? (These objects are solid. They block out light.)
with Guess Whose
Shadow? by ✲ Does light pass through all of these objects in the same
Stephen way? (No. Some, like the wax paper, are translucent and
Swinburne. (See only let some light through. Other materials, like the
Resources, clear plastic lid, are transparent. They let all of the light
page 18 3). The pass through. Children may describe these differences as
photographs in this
light not being as bright—translucent objects—or light
book will keep
children guessing
being bright—transparent objects.)
about what objects ✲ What do all the objects that don’t make shadows have in
made the shadows. common? (We can see light through these objects.)
Then turn students’
own shadow
pictures into a class
shadow book and
challenge another
class to identify the
objects.

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS
Look at My Shadow
After
reading the
poem
“Shadows”
(see
page 179),
challenge
children to see if it’s possible
to have their own shadows
measure 10 feet tall (using
the sun or a different light
source). Experiment with
other objects, too, to make
shadows of varying lengths.
Then have children rewrite
the poem substituting the
word tree for other objects.

Have children illustrate. their

sentences and bind the pages
into a class book of shadow
measurements.

MOVEMENT
Shadow Friends
Pair up students and
let them take turns
being their partner’s
shadows—imitating
everything their
partners do. This
will take a little
practice. Encourage students to make
their movements slowly, at least at first,
so that their shadows can keep up.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

MATH light beam on the wall or onto a white

Measuring Me sheet that’s been draped over a door.
Invite children to take turns placing
Here’s an activity to
their hands in the light to demonstrate
take outside on a
any hand shadows they already know.
sunny day. On a
Then, share new hand shadows for
chart, record each
them to try. Finally, encourage
student’s name and
children to create new shadow shapes
height. Make two
of their own. A good source for
columns for
hand shadow ideas is The Little Book
recording length of students’ shadows.
of Hand Shadows by Phila H. Webb
Select two times during the day (one
(Running Press, 1990).
early in the morning or later in the
afternoon, the second between noon
and 1 P.M.) to go outside and measure
shadows. Let the kids work in pairs to
measure their partners’ shadows. Have
students record the length of their
shadows in the appropriate column.
(Write in the time of day at the top of
each column.) Use the chart to help
students answer questions like: When
were the shadows the longest?
Shortest? Is everyone’s shadow the
same length? Was the teacher’s
shadow the same as the students’
shadows? What was the light source
outside?

DRAMA
Hand Movies
Long before moving
pictures appeared
in the movies and
on television,
people were
enjoying making
moving pictures
with hand shadows. To have students
try their hand at this ancient art, you’ll
need a strong light source, such as a
high-intensity study lamp, or the light
from a film projector. Darken the
classroom, if necessary, then shine the

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

Shadows
I see my shadow,
As tall as a tree.
I see my dog’s shadow,
As tall as me!

—Shawn Richardson

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 CHAPTER 8: ACTIVITY 1

Groundhog Pattern

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C H A P T E R 8 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ In the
Shadows

Mystery Shadows
Directions: Find something in your classroom to make a
mystery shadow. Draw the shadow here. Ask your teacher
and classmates to guess what made the shadow.

Find a way to change the size of your mystery shadow. On

the back of this paper, draw a picture of the new shadow.
Explain how you changed the shadow’s size.

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THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ In the
Shadows

What Makes a Shadow?

Prediction
(Will this object
Object make a shadow?) Result

aluminum foil

cardboard

wax paper

paper towel

clear plastic lid

clear plastic
sandwich bag

Find one more object that makes a shadow. Write its name
here. Is it opaque, translucent, or transparent?
____________________________________________________________

How can you tell? __________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

RESOURCES
FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS
Groundhog Day! By Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, Punxsutawney Groundhog Club
2007). What do groundhogs have to do with (www.groundhog.org/teachers/)
the onset of springtime? Gail Gibbons sheds Head straight to Punxsutawney, PA, for the
light on the subject. Nonfiction. scoop on everybody’s favorite groundhog—or,
Guess Whose Shadow? by Stephen Swinburne visit this Web site! The Teachers’ Corner
(Boyds Mills Press, 2002). A playful provides links to activities and lesson plans
introduction to the hows and whys behind that support learning about the history and
shadows. Nonfiction. traditions that surround Groundhog Day.
Nothing Sticks Like a Shadow by Ann Tompert
(Houghton Mifflin, 1988). Shadows go
wherever you go, don’t they? Woodchuck and
Rabbit explore the question. Fiction.
Shadows (Rookie Readers) by Deanna Calvert
(Scholastic, 2004). A fun-to-read book with
simple text and playful illustrations. Fiction.
Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller (Albert
Whitman & Company, 2006). Groundhog has
the flu and needs to find a substitute. Can any
of his animal friends take his place? Fiction.

FOR TEACHERS
Shadow Magic
Uncle Milton
Just hang the glow-in-the-dark screen on the
wall, set an object directly in front of it, and
flash the strobe light. This simple-to-use
shadow-casting set is perfect for hands-on
learning. To learn more about this
product call (888) 742-2484 or visit:
www.unclemilton.com/. (For extra fun,
download free shadow templates from the
Web site. Templates include: butterfly, fish,
ghost, pumpkin, robot, and rocket.)

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Healthy
Hearts
V alentine’s Day is a time when we share messages from
the heart. What better time to introduce your students to
messages important for the heart? It is clear that helping
young children understand the importance of practicing
healthy habits, such as good nutrition, lots of exercise, and
proper rest when they are young, will make it easier to
continue those healthy habits as adults. So this year, give your
students a very special valentine.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will begin to develop an
understanding of the relationship between
having a healthy body and eating the right
foods, getting exercise, and relaxing.
Process Skills: observing, predicting, collecting and recording
data, communicating, measuring, comparing,
classifying, interpreting

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
heart a muscular organ that pumps the
blood through the body; the average
adult heart rate (number of beats per
minute) is 70; this means that the heart is
contracting or pumping blood about 70
times each minute; for children ages 6 to
8 the average beats per minute is 65 to
130 (resting)

nutrition the kinds of foods we need to

stay healthy, including proteins,
carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals,
and some fiber; examples of these
nutrients are found at right

pulse the way arteries throb when the

heart contracts

Science on Display
Cover your bulletin board with bright red craft paper. Then let
students help make a border of hearts that resemble the candy
conversation hearts found this time of year. Here’s how.
Give each student one of the candy hearts. Make a list of the
messages. Now let students brainstorm other messages to add
to the list. Next, have each student trace and cut out a heart
from pastel-colored paper, then choose a message to write on
the heart. (Make heart stencils by copying the pattern on this
page.) Have students display their hearts on the bulletin board
to create a border. (Depending on the size of the bulletin
board, you may need students to make more than one paper
heart each.) After you are finished, students can eat their candy
hearts. (Remind them, of course, that it’s not good for them to
eat too much sugar!)
Students can use the remainder of the board to display
theme-related messages about the heart on heart-shaped paper.
These might include heart facts, health tips, poems, riddles,
and so on. Allow time for students to browse through their
classmates’ messages—and learn from each other.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 1

Heart Work
Introduce your students to this awesome organ by letting them
experience how hard their hearts work.

Materials
✲ Heart Work Science Journal page (see page 192)
✲ stethoscopes (see Plan Ahead, page 168)
✲ alcohol swabs

1 Ask students to guess how large their hearts are. After

listening to their ideas, have them each make a fist. Explain
that their hearts are about the size of their closed fists.

2 Keeping their fists closed, students should place one fist

where they think their hearts are in their bodies. Show them
with your own fist that the heart is located to the left of center
inside their chests.

3 Explain that their hearts are important muscles because they

keep blood pumping through their bodies. In order to do this,
their hearts must be strong. To demonstrate, tell students that
you are going to say lub dub. When you say lub they should
open their fists; when you say dub they should close their fists.
Try to time your lub dubs so you are doing one per second.

4 Let students practice the rhythm a couple of times, then

explain that they will do this for the next minute. Start timing
and keep them in rhythm by chanting lub dub, lub dub….

5 At the end of one minute, ask students how their hands feel.
(Their expressions and groans during the above task will let
you know! Their hands will feel tired.) Do they think they
could do this for five minutes? An hour? Now they know why
the heart must be strong: so that it can keep pumping night
and day, without ever stopping.

6 Finish up by introducing students to the stethoscopes.

Demonstrate how to use the instrument, then let them take
turns listening. (Wipe the ear pieces with alcohol swabs after
each child’s turn.) Ask them to describe the sounds they hear,
then have students complete Part 1 of their journal pages.

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

ACTIVIT Y 2

Listen to My Heartbeat
Students investigate their heart rates after rest and exercise.

Materials
✲ chart paper
✲ glue stick
✲ blue and red crayons
✲ Science Journal page from Activity 1

Note: Before the

activity, use the
chart paper to set
up a graph like the
one illustrated here.

1 Start this activity after children have been sitting for a while.
Give each child a copy of the reproducible worksheet. Ask
them to predict how many times they think their hearts beat
in one minute and write this number in the place provided
on the worksheet.

2 Explain that one way to find out the number of times your
heart beats is to locate your pulse. Demonstrate this for the
children by placing your index and middle fingers on the
pulse point in your neck. Help students to do the same.
Remind them that when they locate their pulse point, they
only need to lightly place their fingers on this spot.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

3 Tell them to try counting the number of beats in six seconds.

Keep time for them while they count silently. Do this a couple
of times or until they have the hang of it.

4 Now tell them this time they will be counting to find their
heart rates for one minute. Again, time for six seconds. At the
end of this six seconds have students add a zero to their count
and record this number on their journal pages. (You are
multiplying their count in six seconds by ten to determine
heartbeats per minute.) Next to their names on the class
graph, they can then color in one heart for every ten seconds
with blue crayon. For example, if the heart rate is 90, color in
nine hearts.

5 The next step is to have students predict what effect exercise

will have on their heart rates. Listen to their ideas and have
them jot down predictions on their journal pages. Then select
an activity for students to do for one minute, such as jumping
jacks, a brisk walk with you up and down a staircase, etc.

6 After one minute of exercise, count beats, add zero, and

record on the worksheet. As before, have students complete
this part of the worksheet, then color in one heart for every
ten, this time with red crayon.

7 Work together to create a key for the graph. Draw or glue a

blue heart next to the graph and ask: What do the blue hearts
represent? (Heart rate before exercise, or resting.) Draw or
glue a red heart next to the graph and ask: What do the red
hearts represent? (Heart rate after exercise.)

8 Guide a discussion of the results with the following questions:

✲ Are the heart rates the same before and after exercise?
✲ Why do they think the heart rates are higher after
exercise?
✲ Does everyone have the same heart rate?
✲ What is the class range in resting heartbeats? In active
heartbeats?

9 Have students complete Part 2 of their Science Journal pages.

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

C O M M U N I T Y H E L P E R S
Heart Workers

T ell students that they will be

learning about their hearts.
What are some questions they have
about their hearts? Provide heart-
shaped cutouts for students to
record these questions. Brainstorm people who might
be able to answer their questions (the school nurse, a
pediatrician, an aerobics instructor, someone trained
in CPR). Make a list of their ideas, including specific
names if they have any (for example, a parent who is
a doctor, the school nurse). Invite someone from
their list to visit. Have students write their questions
on extra paper hearts. Give these to the visiting
expert in advance.

ACTIVIT Y 3

Match the Beat

Students compare the number of times their hearts beat per
minute with the heart rates of other animals to understand the
Note: Before the relationship between size and rate.
activity, cut apart the
animal cards and
glue them to index Materials
cards or construction ✲ reproducible
paper. On the remain- animal
ing four cards, write picture cards
these numbers: 20, (see page 194)
70, 200, 500.
✲ 8 index cards
or squares of
construction
paper
✲ watch or clock
✲ tape

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

1 Show students each of the animal cards. Ask students to help

you place the cards in order from the smallest animal to the
largest animal. Tape these cards in a row on the chalkboard.

2 Now show the four number cards. Let students read the
numbers on the cards. Explain that these numbers represent the
average heartbeats per minute of the four animals shown on the
picture cards. Ask students to predict which heart rate goes with
each animal and explain their reasoning. (They should be able
to match 70 with the person card based on their prior
experiences with finding their own heart rates in Activity 2!)

3 After discussing their ideas, reveal the answers (elephant—20;

child—70; rabbit—200; mouse—500) and tape the number
cards under the matching animals. Let them try to clap their
hands, as they did in Activity 1, to each heart rhythm.

4 Redirect students’ attention to the two sets of cards. Ask if

they notice any patterns. Guide them in making the
connection that the larger the animal, the slower the heart
rate.

5 Tell students that they will observe this connection again

when they collect heart rates at home. (Typically, the adult
heart rates they collect will be slower than their own heart
rates, for the same reason.)

C S
HEALTHY n SNACKS
HEART
Celebration
C n cookie cutter to cut heart shapes from
Use a heart-shaped
bread. Have children spread the bread with healthy treats
(natural jellies and jams, natural peanut butter, nonfat cottage
or cream cheese). Provide other healthful toppings such as low-
fat grated cheese, fresh vegetable shavings, fresh, canned, and
dried fruit bits, and sesame seeds. If possible, print index cards
with basic nutrition information for each food, so children can
see which vitamins and minerals they are each enjoying.

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

Curriculum Connections
MATH MOVEMENT
Hearts at Home Healthy Heart Exercise Course
As an extension to Once you have
Activity 2, students established with
can compare their your students that
heart rates to an exercise is important
adult’s. The for maintaining a
reproducible take- healthy heart, let
home sheet (page 193) them work together
includes a letter of explanation to in small groups to create an exercise
parents and a record sheet. Students course that promotes aerobic exercise.
can work with an adult at home to Decide on a location for your
determine resting and after-exercise course—the classroom, gym, or maybe
heart rates. When students return their even outside! Explain that students
papers to class, discuss and compare will work in groups to plan a form of
the results. Some activities to help exercise for different stations.
students analyze their data follow. Examples of activities could include
✲ Let students share their results. jumping jacks, jogging in place,
Whose heart rate is faster, the child’s jumping rope, etc.
or the adult’s? Give each group a numbered sign (1
through however many groups/stations
✲ Graph results. Overall, do children
there are). After students decide on the
or adults have faster heart rates?
exercises (and clear them with you),
(Typically, young children have
have them put directions on their signs
faster heart rates than adults.)
(using words and/or pictures). Display
✲ What could explain the difference signs to create a course, then invite
between children and adults? (In students to take turns going through.
general, the smaller the organism, You might even consider inviting other
the faster the heart rate.) members of the school community—
the principal, gym teacher, school
nurse—to help model the importance
of exercise for everyone.

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 C H A P T E R 8 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Healthy
Hearts

Heart Work
Part 1
Six words that describe my heart are:
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Part 2
1. I think my heart beats ___________ times per minute.

2. My heart rate when I am resting is __________ beats per

minute.

3. I think my heart rate after I exercise will be ________ beats

per minute.

4. My heart rate after I exercise is _________ beats per

minute.

On the back of this paper draw a picture of you doing a

favorite exercise.

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C H A P T E R 8 : PA R E N T PA G E

Dear ______________________________________,
We are learning about the human heart in class: how it works and
how to keep it healthy. You can help your child understand
more about hearts by doing this activity together. Please have your
child return the completed activity to class by _______________________________.
Thank you.

Name ______________________________________________ Date _____________________________________

Hearts at Home
Ask your child to show you how to take a heart rate (by placing
your index and middle fingers on the pulse point in your neck).
Take each other’s resting heart rate, counting beats in six seconds.
Add a zero to the numbers to get beats per minute. Write your
heartbeats here:
Name________________________________________________ Resting Heart Rate________________________________

Name________________________________________________ Resting Heart Rate________________________________

Now, if you can, do some light exercise together, such as taking a

walk, doing some jumping jacks, or jumping rope for a minute.
Afterward, take each other’s heart rates, counting beats in six
seconds, and adding a zero to the numbers to get beats per
minute. Write your heart rates here:
Name________________________________________________ Active Heart Rate__________________________________

Name________________________________________________ Active Heart Rate__________________________________

Compare your heart rates. Whose heart rate is faster?

________________________________________________

Talk about why this might be. Write a possible explanation on the
back of this page.

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 CHAPTER 8: ACTIVITY 3

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CHAPTER 8: FEBRUARY

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN First Human Body Encyclopedia (Dorling Kindersley,

A Drop of Blood by Paul Showers (HarperCollins, 2005). A wealth of diagrams, photographs,
1989). What makes up a drop of blood and and illustrations that help to explain the
what it does for us are two of the questions workings of the human body and its various
answered in this easy-to-read book with systems.
kid-friendly illustrations. Nonfiction. (Also My Body by Patricia Carratello (Teacher Created
check out Hear Your Heart by the same Materials, 1980). Describes body parts—
author.) including the heart—and how they work.
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body by Includes reproducible patterns for children to
Joanna Cole (Scholastic, 1989). Ms Frizzle is make a life-size replica of the human body.
off on another adventure, leading her
students on an exploration of how our bodies TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS
work. Nonfiction. Nervous System Guide
See Inside Your Body by Katie Daynes (Usborne, National Science Teachers Association
2006). A lift-the-flap book that helps children (www.nsta.org/publications/interactive/nerves/)
learn about the body’s inner workings. Boost lessons on the nervous system with the
Nonfiction. interactive features at this site provided by the
The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler (Chicago National Science Teachers Association. An
Children’s Museum, 2005). A simple and amazing opportunity to show students
affecting message about skin . . . and diversity. simulations of the functioning of nerve cells,
Fiction. reflexes, brain waves, and more. While this site
is most suited for older students, it’s well
Uncover the Human Body by Luann Colombo (Silver worth the trip for exciting the interests of
Dolphin Press, 2003). This book’s three- younger scientists.
dimensional format and instructive text make
it one that kids will read and reread. Learn and Live
Nonfiction American Heart Association
(www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?
identifier=3028650)
FOR TEACHERS A visit to this site provides access to grade-
Adorable Wearables Human Body by Donald Silver specific learning activities and reproducibles.
(Scholastic, 2005). Use the wearable models to
help young children learn about muscles,
bones, digestion, the five senses, and more.
Blood and Guts: A Working Guide to Your Own Insides
by Linda Allison (Little Brown, 1976). A
factual and humorous look at the workings of
the human body. Intended for an older
audience but with lots of information and
activities that can be adapted for primary
children. Includes a separate chapter on the
heart.
Easy Make & Learn Projects: Human Body by Donald
M. Silver (Scholastic, 2000). The models,
manipulatives, and mini-books in this resource
provide engaging ways to help kids learn
about the body’s systems. Includes patterns
and step-by-step directions.

A Year of Hands-on Science © Lynne Kepler, Scholastic Teaching Resources 195

CHAPTER 9

March
Windy Weather
page 119

Flying Things
page 214

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar to help plan and
supplement upcoming activities in this month’s themes.
✲ The arrival of spring—vernal equinox—occurs either on March 20
or 21 (check your calendar for the exact date each year). On this
day the number of daylight hours equals the number of hours of
darkness.
✲ March’s full moon is often called the Worm Moon, most likely
because of the emergence of worms from the mud after the
ground has thawed. Ask students to think of another good name
for the March moon.
✲ Look for signs of spring!

Plan Ahead
Ask students to begin collecting pictures of flying things. They’ll use
these for activities in Theme 2 this month.
Place orders for seeds now, if you plan on doing the seed activities in
Chapter 10 (see pages 242 to 256). Some seed catalogs you and your
students might want to request follow.
W. Atlee Burpee & Co., 300 Park Avenue, Warminster, PA 18974,
(800) 333-5808; www.burpee.com.
Seed Savers Exchange, 3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, IA
52101, (563) 382-5990; www.seedsavers.org.
Seeds of Change, PO Box 152, Spicer, MN, 56288, (888) 762-7333;
www.seedsofchange.com.
Native Seeds/SEARCH, 526 North Fourth Avenue, Tucson, AZ
85705, (866) 622-5561; www.nativeseeds.org.

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CHAPTER 9

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new science themes.

1. Windy Weather
Our class is continuing to explore the weather in
our world, this month taking a closer look at wind.
You can help your child understand the concept of
the wind’s strength and direction at home just by
noticing the wind when you’re outside together. How strong is it? In what
direction does it seem to be blowing?

2. Flying Things
From airplanes to birds and butterflies, children
are captivated by flying things. This month,
we’ll be investigating some of the principles
of flight. Encourage your child’s interest and
understanding by talking about some ways flying
things you see are alike and different.

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Windy
Weather
W hen March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a
lamb. When March comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion.
This piece of weather lore makes reference to the changeable
and sometimes blustery weather of March. Your students will
enjoy characterizing the personality of the wind, and, by doing
so, will discover the impact wind has on their daily lives.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: As a result of these activities, students will
observe changes in the wind and learn that the
wind can vary in strength and direction. They
will learn that there are instruments to measure
the strength and direction of the wind. In
addition, students will recognize the wind as a
force strong enough to push objects.
Process Skills: observing, predicting, measuring, collecting
and recording data, interpreting, inferring,
communicating

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
Beaufort scale a measure of how strong the wind is storm a very strong wind that
blowing. Wind speed is often estimated using this scale usually includes rain, snow,
or hail, and sometimes
strong breeze:
calm: smoke rises large branches thunder and lightning
(o mph) move; flags beat
(25–31 mph) wind moving air; as air is
warmed by the sun it rises,
light air: smoke moderate gale:
drifts (1–3 mph) flags extend and colder, denser air
(32–38 mph) moves in to replace it; the
slight breeze: vanes fresh gale: twigs direction and strength of
move (4–7 mph) break (39–46 mph) the wind is influenced by
geographical features like
gentle breeze:
leaves and twigs strong gale: signs, mountains, deserts, and
move (8–12 mph) antennas blow bodies of water; the
down (47–54 mph) direction of the wind,
moderate breeze:
whole gale: trees determined by where the
branches move, flags
flap (13–18 mph) uproot (55–63 mph) wind is blowing from, often
affects our weather
fresh breeze: small hurricane:
trees sway, white caps widespread wind vane instrument used
on water (19–24 mph) destruction
(64+ mph)
to show wind direction

Science on Display
Use this month’s display area to post a large calendar that fea-
tures the winds of March. Cover the board with blue craft
paper. Make a border out of cotton balls that are stretched out
to appear cloudlike. At the top of the paper, write: “Is March a
lion or a lamb?” Read the question with students and ask if any-
one knows what it means. Describe how people have described
the calm and gentle winds as being like a lamb, and the strong
winds roaring like a lion.
As with the moon calendars (see Chapter 3, page 41), have
students sign up to observe the wind each day in March (week-
ends, too) and draw either a lion or a lamb on the calendar to
characterize the wind. Use the reproducible calendar (see
March: Lion or Lamb?, page 208) to have students keep their
own windy weather journals. (Have students fill in the dates on
their calendars first.) At the end of the month, review the class
and individual calendars. How would students answer the ques-
tion at the display now?

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 1

Huff and Puff

Students do some huffing and puffing to learn about the power
Note: You will of the wind.
need at least one
cotton ball per stu-
dent, plus a bag of Materials
cotton balls if you ✲ cotton balls
wish to use them on ✲ 2 sheets of colored craft paper (two different colors) for
the graph. (You can graphing
substitute small cir-
cles of white paper.) ✲ craft paper (one 3-foot-long sheet for each small
Before the activity, group)
tape the craft paper ✲ masking tape
sheets to the floor, ✲ glue stick
leaving plenty of
room between each
so that students do
not get in one
another’s way. 1 Begin by asking students to describe wind. What is it? Can
they see it? If they can’t see it, how do they know it is there?
(They can see objects that are being moved or pushed by the
wind; they can feel it in their hair or on their skin.) Have
them look out a classroom window and identify signs of wind
(or the absence of it).

2 Next, give each student a cotton ball. Explain that they are
going to be moving the cotton ball from one side of their
group’s paper to the other side. The challenge is that they
BOOK BREAK cannot touch the cotton ball with any part of their bodies.
Take time out for a What ideas do they have for moving their cotton balls? If no
familiar and fun one suggests blowing on it, you can explain that because you
story about wind are learning about the wind, you would like them to move the
power, the story of cotton balls by blowing on them.
“The Three Little
Pigs.” Students can
join the wolf with
their own huffing
3 Ask students to blow as hard as they can (like lions), trying to
get the cotton ball to the other side with as few puffs as
possible. Let one student demonstrate while the others keep
and puffing.
Afterward, invite count of the number of puffs. Show students where they will
students to take record this information on their papers. Now have one
turns dramatizing student demonstrate how to blow the cotton ball gently across
this story. Simple the paper (like a lamb). Again, show them where to record
props could this number.
include straw,
cardboard bricks,
and sticks.

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

4 Divide the class into groups of three or four and assign each
group to a piece of chart paper on the floor. Explain that they
will take turns: while one student is puffing, one or two will be
counters, and one will be the recorder. Conduct several trials
so each child has a chance to blow on the cotton balls. Have
students record how many strong puffs and how many gentle
puffs it took to move the cotton ball across the chart paper.

5 After all groups are finished, bring students together to

compile and graph the data. Make two graphs: Number of
Strong Puffs and Number of Gentle Puffs. Have students glue
cotton balls or paper circles by their names to represent the
number of puffs it took them to move the cotton ball.

6 Start a discussion about the results by asking: What did this

activity teach you about the wind? (That wind can be calm or
strong. That wind can move objects by pushing them. The
stronger the wind, the quicker it moves objects.)

ACTIVIT Y 2

Wind Power
Extend students’ observations by testing objects outside.

Materials
✲ an assortment of objects (foam balls, golf balls, wooden
blocks, sheets of newspaper, empty plastic milk bottles,
Note: Plan on and so on)
doing this activity
at least twice, choos-
ing a day when the
wind is gentle, and
a second day when
the wind is stronger. 1 Take students and objects outside. Let students work together
in groups to select several objects and test how easily they are
moved by wind power. You might discuss ways to conduct
these mini-experiments or let groups make their own plans.

2 After each group has had a chance to test and observe several
objects, bring students together in a sharing circle. Explain
that they are going to make two groups of objects: those that
were moved by the wind and those that were not moved by the
wind. One at a time, have groups sort their objects. Record the
names of objects in each group, then ask: What do the objects

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

that were moved by the wind have in common? What do those

that were not moved by the wind have in common?

3 Finally, ask students to describe the strength of the wind on

this day. Record their words on the chart from step 3.

4 Repeat the activity on a day when the wind’s strength is

different.

5 Compare the charts. Are there objects that did not move on a
calm day but were pushed by the wind on a breezy day? Ask
students to explain the differences in the two charts: What
kinds of objects are moved most easily by the wind? What
kinds of objects are more difficult for the wind to move? Is
there any kind of wind that could move these objects? This is
a good time to introduce the Beaufort scale (see Science
Dictionary, page 200).

ACTIVIT Y 3

Make a Wind Sock

Students make a weather instrument that will help them mea-
sure the strength of the wind.

Materials (for each student)

✲ a 16-by-51/2 -inch piece of tagboard (an old manila file
folder cut in half lengthwise works nicely)
BOOK BREAK ✲ a large paper clip
Share Storms by ✲ 3 pieces of kite string, each 12 inches long
Seymour Simon.
Ask students to ✲ 6 pieces of crepe paper, each 18 inches long (strips of
think about how fabric the same length will work, too)
the storms are the ✲ colored markers, construction paper, watercolor paints
same. How are (your choice)
they different?
Discuss students’ ✲ hole-punch
own storm ✲ stapler
experiences. What
have they
observed? How did
they feel? What did
they do to stay
safe?
1 Explain that students are going to construct an instrument
that helps show the strength of the wind.

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

2 Give each student a piece of tagboard to decorate using

markers, watercolor paints, or construction paper.
Weatherproof students’ decorated board by laminating.

3 Help students roll their laminated tagboard into cylinders,

and staple the edges together.

4 . Have students staple the six long strips of crepe paper around
the cylinder as illustrated.

5 Use the hole-punch to make three holes evenly spaced

around the top edge of each child’s cylinder.

6 Have students thread and knot one piece of the string

through each of the holes, then tie and knot all three pieces
of string around one end of the paper clip.

7 Take students outside to try out their wind socks. They should
hold the wind socks away from their bodies. How can they tell
if the wind is blowing? (The wind sock will move.) Have
students describe the strength of the wind by observing their
wind socks. How does this wind rank on the Beaufort scale?

8 Hang the wind socks around the room for a week or so, then
let the students take them home so that they can use them to
observe and describe the wind at home, too.

ACTIVIT Y 4

Make a Wind Vane

Students make another instrument to help them learn more
about the wind.

Materials (for each student)

Note: Before the ✲ reproducible wind vane pattern (see page 211)
activity, make a ✲ straw
hole in the center
✲ pencil
of the bottom of
each cup. ✲ straight pin
✲ small ball of clay
✲ tape

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

✲ small plastic cup (recycle yogurt cups or use the kind

sold for bathrooms)
Note: Encourage ✲ tagboard (4-inch square plus extra to reinforce arrow)
students to include
descriptions of
the wind in their
Science Journals.
(They can add extra
pages for this.) They
1 Ask students how they can tell which direction the wind is
coming from.

might illustrate how

the wind blew their
wind socks and
2 Ask them if they have ever seen a barn or house with an arrow
on its roof. Introduce the term wind vane (see Science
Dictionary, page 200) and explain that people use this kind of
record words that instrument to find out the direction of the wind. Take time to
describe the wind or discuss various uses for this information. Who would want or
draw pictures of need to know about the wind and why?
their wind vanes,
indicating the direc-
tion of the wind on
a particular day.
3 Have each student cut out the arrow on the reproducible and
paste it to a piece of tagboard.

Remind students
to include the
date and time
4 While their arrows are drying, students can mark the cups
with compass directions: north, east, south, and west.

on all entries.
5 After their arrows are dry, students cut them out again.

6 Assist students with the next step: Use two small pieces
of tape to attach the straw to the center of one side of
the arrow, as shown. Insert the straight pin through the
middle of the straw, then stick it into the pencil’s eraser
top. Push the other end of the pencil through the hole
in the top of the cup. Place the cup upside down on the
tagboard square. Use pieces of the clay to secure the cup
to the tagboard, as shown.

7 Take students and their wind vanes outside to see if they

can find the direction of the wind. First, ask if anyone
knows which way is north. If not, let them know, and
explain that they need to hold their cups with the north
mark facing north. Remind students that the direction
in which the arrow is pointing is the direction from
which the wind is blowing. For example, if the arrow is
pointing northwest, the wind is blowing out of the
northwest, toward the southeast. Ask students if they
have every heard weather reporters talk about the wind.
How are winds named? (By the direction from which
they are blowing.)

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

ACTIVIT Y 5

Which Way Is the Wind Blowing?

Materials
✲ wind vanes (see Activity 4)
✲ reproducible (see page 212)
Note: Plan on
doing this activity
over four consecu-
tive days, allowing
about 15 minutes
a day.
1 Share this saying with students:

A wind from the west,

Brings weather at its best;
A wind from the east,
Brings rain to man and beast.

Explain that typically winds from the west bring good weather,
while winds from the east bring bad weather. Remind students
that people used wind vanes to find out which direction the
wind was coming from so they would know if good or bad
weather was on the way. Ask: What are some ways we learn
whether good or bad weather is coming our way?

2 Have students cut apart the reproducible page to form a

booklet. On Day 1, students use their wind vanes to find the
wind direction, then record this information on page 1, along
with the date. The following day, students illustrate and/or
describe the weather that followed their wind observations.
They then make a Day 2 wind observation and record it on
page 2 of the booklet, the next day recording the weather.
Repeat for Day 3.

3 At the end of the week, look over the books together. Do

students notice a pattern?

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
SOCIAL STUDIES
What’s the Meaning?
Ask students about
wind vanes they
may have seen. (It
would be helpful to
collect pictures of
LANGUAGE ARTS wind vanes prior to
Words for Wind this lesson.) Many
have an animal or some other figure
“Who Likes the Wind?”
that sits above the arrow. Ask students
(see page 210) is full
why they think people have wind
of sensory images.
vanes with different figures. Explain
After children listen
that sometimes a figure was a
to the poem, comb
meaningful symbol. For example, a
through the lines
blacksmith might have a wind vane
together to discover
with a horse on it. Here are some other
the words the poet uses to help us see,
figures found on the tops of wind
feel, hear, and touch the different
vanes: a lobster, a moose, a fish, a
winds. Brainstorm and chart other
sailboat, and an ice cream cone! Using
words for winds in each season. Let
the wind vanes they made as models,
students use the chart as a reference to
have students illustrate (and construct
write their own windy word poems.
if they want) wind vanes with figures
ART Wind Works that have meaning to them.
Students can use their
own wind to create works
of art using tempera
paints and straws. Spread
newspaper over the work
area. Give each student a
sheet of heavy white
paper. Use eyedroppers to place paint
on students’ papers. Now give each
student a straw. Tell them that instead
of brushes, they are going to blow
through the straws to move the paint
around the paper. Encourage them to
blow both gently and hard through the
straw. Does it make a difference how
the paint moves on the paper?

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C H A P T E R 9 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

Name ________________________________________________________________________________ THEME:

Windy
Weather

March: Lion or Lamb?

Guess which type of wind we will have most often in
March: ____________ calm and gentle (lamb) __________ strong (lion)
Each day, feel the wind. If it is gentle, paste a lamb in the
box. If it is strong, paste a lion in the box.

In March there were _____________ lion days (strong winds) and

_______________ lamb days (calm winds). The wind in March was

more like a ______________________________________ than a ______________________________________.

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 CHAPTER 9: LION OR LAMB

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

Who Likes the Wind?

“I,” said the kite,
“ I like the wind,
I call it fun
To travel high and wink at the sun! ”
“ I,” said the boat,
“I like the wind,
J ust let it blow
And fill my sails and away I will go! ”

“ I,” said the thistle,

“ I like the wind,
I call it fun
To leap and jump and before the wind run! ”

—L eah Gibbs K nobbe

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 CHAPTER 9: ACTIVITY 4

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Make a Wind Vane

Draw a wind vane in the space below.

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CHAPTER 9: ACTIVITY 5

Which Way Is the Wind Blowing?

Date____________________________________ Date____________________________________
The weather today is The weather today is
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

Draw an arrow on this wind Draw an arrow on this wind

vane to show the wind vane to show the wind
direction today. 1 direction today. 2

Date____________________________________ Date____________________________________
The weather today is The weather today is
___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

Draw an arrow on this wind Draw an arrow on this wind

vane to show the wind vane to show the wind
direction today. 3 direction today. 4

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 CHAPTER 9: MARCH

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

Feel the Wind by Arthur Dorros (Crowell, 1989). Weather Wiz Kids
Bright illustrations and simple text explore (www.weatherwizkids.com/index.htm)
causes, effects, and use of wind. Fiction. Meteorologist Crystal Wicker developed this
I Wonder Why the Wind Blows and Other Questions Web site to give children and educators easy
About Our Planet by Anita Ganeri (Kingfisher, access to interesting information about
1994). Part of the “Science Facts” series, this weather. Includes many photos and kid-
book answers children’s most common friendly charts and graphs.
questions about weather and other natural Franklin’s Forecast
phenomena. Nonfiction. The Franklin Institute Science Museum
Mirandy and Brother Wind by Patricia McKissack (www.fi.edu/weather/)
(Knopf, 1988). Mirandy tries to capture the Check out the Resources for Science Learning
wind to help her move with grace and win the page—with links to sites that invite young
Cake Walk competition. Fiction. learners to access a variety of weather
technologies (tools they need to make
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children edited weather predictions just like professional
by Jack Prelutsky (Random House, 1983). This meteorologists). Plus, access to links that
comprehensive poetry anthology includes a cover topics such as weather folklore, severe
variety of beautiful poems about the wind’s weather, and climate.
power, music, and mystery. Fiction.
Storms by Seymour Simon (Scholastic, 1989).
Vivid color photographs bring storms to life.
Nonfiction.
The Sun, the Wind and the Rain by Lisa Westberg
Peters (Holt, 1988). A young girl explores the
erosional effects of the wind (and the sun and
rain) at the beach. Fiction.
Weather and Climate by Barbara Taylor (Kingfisher
Books, 1992). This is challenging reading for
primary-grade students, but provides a lot of
good information that could be selectively
read aloud. Nonfiction.

FOR TEACHERS
Anemometers (for measuring wind speed) and
handheld wind vanes (for determining wind
direction), as well as other simple weather
instruments, are available from Didax. To
order call (800) 458-0024 or visit
www.didax.com.
Weather: A Thematic Unit by Diane Williams
(Teacher Created Materials, 2004). This
literature-based theme unit includes plenty of
suggestions for books, stories, and poetry, as
well as supporting activities related to weather
and wind.

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

Flying
Things
Y oung children are naturally captivated by objects moving
through the sky: airplanes and helicopters, birds and butter-
flies, dandelion seeds and hot-air balloons. Flying things invite
children to move as they do—arms outstretched like a plane or
flapping like a bird—and to wonder what it would be like to
move through the sky just as flying things do. As your students
explore the winds of March with the activities here, they will
observe how objects glide, float, and twirl through the air.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will begin to recognize that flying
things can move through the air as a result of
being pushed. They will also be able to
provide examples of how people have
borrowed the idea of flying from objects in
nature, and will be able to distinguish between
naturally flying objects and flying objects
made by people.
Process Skills: inferring, observing, comparing, classifying,
predicting, measuring, making models

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
drag the air resistance that happens as an lift a force that helps keep flying things aloft,
aircraft moves forward; opposite of thrust or in the air

gravity a downward pulling force thrust the force that pushes an aircraft
forward

Science on Display
Send students into space without leaving the classroom with this
display. Use a large cardboard appliance box to create the figure
of an astronaut. Cut the ends and one of the sides from the box,
leaving three pieces which will stand like a screen. Ask a student
to lie down on one of the cardboard panels, positioning legs so
they look like they are floating. Trace around the student.
Draw a helmet around the outline of the head. Cut out a
space for the face large enough for students to fit their faces in.
Let students add the finishing touches to this stand. I like to
assign committees to work on these kind of projects—one to
paint the background of the box black, another to cut out stars
from foil or white paper and glue them to the black back-
ground, and a third to paint the space suit and helmet.
Prop up the astronaut stand in the science area. Over the
next week, take a snapshot of each of your students posing as
an astronaut. See Space Stories, page 220, for a related activity.

ACTIVIT Y 1

Things that Fly

Students compare flying things to develop a basic understand-
ing of the principles of flight.

Materials
✲ pictures of flying things (collected by students; have
extras on hand)
✲ Things that Fly Science Journal page (see page 221)

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

1 Have each student bring a picture of a flying thing to sharing

circle. Let them identify their flying objects.

2 After everyone has had a chance to show their picture, ask

students to think of ways to sort these pictures into two
groups. Try out their ideas. (Suggestions for groups could
include: things with wings/things without wings; living things/
things that are not alive; things that will carry people/things
that will not carry people; and so on) For each group, have
children state how the flying things are the same.

3 Ask students to look at the variety of flying things they have

collected. Ask: “Which of these things do you think was flying
before the others?” Listen to their ideas, then work together
to create a time line of flight with students’ pictures (tape
pictures to adding-machine tape or to other strips of paper).
Mention that Wilbur and Orville Wright made history in 1903
when they flew for 12 seconds in a gas-powered plane. Ask
students where they think people got the idea to fly. (In the
1400s, Leonardo da Vinci studied flight. He created hundreds
of designs for flying machines, including a helicopter!)

4 Have students sort the pictures again into two different

groups (such as flying objects from nature/flying things made
by people). Can they find a flying object with wings in both
groups? Can they find an example of a flying object that
glides? Encourage children to recognize how flying objects
made by people imitate flying objects found in nature. Let
students complete the Science Journal page.

ACTIVIT Y 2

Wonderful Whirlybirds
Students discover what wings can do.

Materials (for each student)

✲ reproducible whirlybird pattern (see page 222)
✲ paper clip
✲ 2 sheets of copy paper
✲ chart paper

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

1 Hold the piece of copy paper flat and above your head. Tell
students you are going to let go of the paper. What do they
think will happen? (It will drop to the ground.)
BOOK BREAK
Read How People
Learned to Fly by
Fran Hodgkins (see 2 Let go of the paper. When it has fallen to the floor, ask
students to describe what they observed.
Resources, page 223.)
Have a chart
on hand that lists
the alphabet
3 Now crumple a second sheet of copy paper into a ball. Hold
the flat paper in one hand and the crumpled ball in your
other hand. Again, ask students to predict what will happen
letters. After you when you drop both.
have read the
book, challenge
students to think
of as many flying
4 Drop both pieces of paper. Ask students to compare how the
two pieces of paper fell. Ask: Why does one piece float down
to the ground and the other piece drop straight down? (The
things as they can.
Write these flying flat piece of paper offers more resistance to the air. The air
things next to the pushes up against the paper as it falls. This helps to keep the
corresponding paper aloft for a longer period of time.)
alphabet letters.
You probably won’t
be able to finish
this at one sitting,
5 Let students cut out their whirlybirds. Have them add the
paper clip to the bottom strip of the whirlybird (as
illustrated), but hold off having them fold the wing strips.
so leave the chart
in the science area Instead, ask students to hold their whirlybirds so both strips
and encourage are upright. They should hold the whirlybird as far above
students to add their heads as they can, then wait for the countdown (3, 2, 1,
names of flying drop). Have them describe the way the whirlybird moves and
objects on their record their observations in their journals.
own, too. (Or
revisit the
chart together
another day.)
6 Now ask students if they have any ideas for how to make their
whirlybirds stay in the air for a longer period of time. (Many
will recognize the potential wings and quickly suggest folding
the strips to make wings.)

7 Tell them to go ahead and fold

the strips to create wings.
Count down and launch!
(Again they should drop the
whirlybirds from high above
their heads.) How does the
flight of the whirlybird this
time compare with its first
flight? (This time the
whirlybird will spin through
the air. Like the piece of paper
in step 1, the wings provide air
resistance, allowing the
whirlybird to stay aloft longer.)

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

8 Students will want to play with their whirlybirds for a while.

Encourage their explorations by giving them one or more of
the following challenges: Does the direction of the
whirlybird’s spin change if you reverse the wings? What
happens if you remove the paper clip? Color your whirlybird.
What does it look like now when it spins?

ACTIVIT Y 3

Rocket Balloons
In Activity 2, students discovered how the principles of drag,
lift, and gravity work. In this activity, students will learn about
thrust, or the way flying objects can be pushed. This is a good
Note: This is a fun
opportunity to revisit concepts developed in the lesson on push
activity, and one that
and pull (see Chapter 7, page 151).
will get your students
thinking about vari-
ables—those things that Materials
could make a difference ✲string (about 25 feet)
in the observed results.
✲ tape
For example, some stu-
dents will probably ques- ✲ 2 chairs
tion whether the amount For each student:
of air in the balloon ✲ balloons (all the same kind—same size, shape, etc.),
affects how far it will 1 paper lunch bag, a straw, a spring-type clothespin
travel. (It does!) When-
ever your students raise
such questions, encour-
age them to pursue
answers.
1 Give each student a paper bag to decorate like a spaceship. In
the meantime, set up a rocket balloon launch area. Cut a
piece of string to 25 feet in length. Wrap one end of the
string with tape (this will make it easier to slip the string
through the straws). Set the two chairs about 20 inches apart.
Use tape to attach the string to the back of one of the chairs.
Eventually you will want to have the chairs far enough apart
(about 20 feet) so that when you tape the other end of the
string to the second chair back, the string is taut.

2 When students have finished their bags, have them tape one
straw each to one of the skinny sides of their bags (as
illustrated on the next page).

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

3 Next, give each student a balloon and a clothespin. Assist

students in blowing up their balloons (good time for an
upper-grade helper), then pinching them shut with the
clothespins. Have students slip the balloons into the paper
bags, so that the end that has the clothespin is facing out.

4 Invite one student to bring the bag and balloon to the

launch area. Slip the end of the string that is not taped to
the chair through the straw on the bag, then tape down
that end to the back of the other chair.

5 Move the bag and balloon to the center of the string. Ask
students to predict what will happen when the clothespin
is removed. Which way will the rocket balloon travel?

6 Let the student remove the clothespin while classmates

observe. Ask students to describe what happened to the
bag and the balloon. (As the air rushes out of the balloon,
the bag is pushed forward, in the opposite direction.)

7 Give all students a chance to launch their rockets. (The

purpose of putting the first bag in the middle was to
challenge students’ to predict which way the bag would
travel. Now that they know, students can launch the bags
from one end, with the open end of the bag where the
balloon sticks out facing the nearest chair.)

8 After launching all of the rocket balloons, discuss how the

bags moved across the string. This is a good time to tie in
related vocabulary, including thrust and drag (see Science
Dictionary, page 215).

9 Repeat the activity (the kids won’t mind), and this time let
students measure how far their rocket balloons travel.

C S
FLYING n
TOY MUSEUM
Celebration
C n to bring to school one toy that really flies
Invite each child
(or a model of a flying vehicle, such as a toy airplane or a
flying action figure). Ask each child to explain the features of
his or her toy to the class and/or demonstrate the toy’s flying
ability. Afterward, dangle the toys from strings attached to
ceiling wire to create a hanging museum of flying toys.

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CHAPTER 9: MARCH

Curriculum Connections
ART MATH
A Roomful of Flying Things Pilot a Plane
After Activity 1, have Invite students to
students glue their pilot paper airplanes
pictures of flying things they make, then
to tagboard (or pieces of keep flight logs of
old manila file folders). test runs. First,
After the glue dries, have demonstrate how to
students cut out the fold a simple paper
pictures and color the back sides (the airplane (see Resources, page 223).
tagboard side) to look like the front. Have students fold their own planes,
Help students make a small hole then pair up to test them out. How far
through the top of their flying-thing can their planes fly? Create and
pictures (you may just want to poke a make copies of a simple flight log with
hole yourself using a pin). Give each space for the following information:
student a paper clip that has been Pilot’s Name, Copilot’s Name, Distance
opened to an S shape to slip through I Think My Plane Will Fly, and
the hole in the picture. Stretch a length Distance Traveled (with space
of lightweight string around the for Test 1, Test 2, etc.). After the test,
classroom and hang the flying things bring students together to share their
from it. results.
Follow up by asking students why
they think flight was invented as a
LANGUAGE ARTS means of transportation. Compare and
Space Stories contrast it with other forms of
Remember those transportation (car, bus, train,
astronaut horseback, bicycle, etc.). Ask students
photographs of to predict how many classmates have
students? Have flown. (This could include planes,
students glue their helicopters, even hot-air balloons.)
photos to colored Create a graph with columns for
construction paper different forms of transportation,
and write stories about imaginary including flying things. Have students
flights. Students can add finishing take turns adding their names to the
touches to their pictures and stories graph in the appropriate columns, then
with star stickers and glitter paint. discuss the results. (Are there more
These photo stories make a fun flyers than nonflyers? How many more
hallway display or a class book to students have traveled by _______ than
share with families. by _________?)

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 C H A P T E R 9 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Flying
Things

Things that Fly

Name two things Draw a flying thing
you have seen fly. from nature here.
_________________________________________

_________________________________________

One way these flying things

are the same is:

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________ Draw a flying thing made

by people here.

One way these flying things

are different is:

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

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CHAPTER 9: ACTIVITY 2

Whirlybird Pattern

Directions:

1. Cut out the rectangle.

A B
2. Cut on the dotted lines.

3. Your teacher will

explain how to fold
your whirlybird.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

The Big Balloon Race by Eleanor Coerr Build and Fly Activities
(HarperTrophy, 1992). Ariel stows away on New England Air Museum
her mother’s hydrogen balloon and discovers (www.neam.org)
that piloting this aircraft takes a lot of work. A A helpful site for learning more of the
historical account of balloonist Carlotta science, history, or technology related to
Myers’s 1882 race. Nonfiction. flying. You can search the collections for the
Flying by Donald Crews (Greenwillow, 1986). This type of craft you’d like to learn more about.
picture book follows the flight of an airplane Or, you can access the Build and Fly Activities
from the time it takes off until it lands again. page that provides easy access to hands-on
Fiction. activities sure to delight the imaginations of
novice aviators.
The Glorious Flight by Alice and Martin Provensen
(Viking, 1983). Based on the true story of a The Greatest Paper Airplanes (KittyHawk Software,
flight made in 1909 across the English 2005; [602] 678-0923). With a focus on the art
Channel. Fiction. of paper folding, this program features fold-
by-fold plans for 50 flying machines. Includes
Hot-Air Henry by Mary Calhoun (Morrow, 1981).
animated lessons on the history of flight and
Henry the cat takes a solo flight in a hot-air
the principles of aerodynamics, plus throwing
balloon. Fiction.
tips.
How People Learned to Fly (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out
Young Eagles
Science 2) by Fran Hodgkins (HarperCollins,
Experimental Aircraft Association
2007). Readers will learn about history . . .
(www.youngeagles.org/games/)
and about man’s determination to be carried
The Young Eagles program is designed to help
by the wind.
children learn about flight and have real-life
The Paper Airplane Book by Seymour Simon (Puffin, opportunities to fly in aircraft. To learn more
1988). Designs for paper airplanes plus the about programs in your area, call (877) 806-
science behind what makes them glide, do 8902 or visit the Web site listed above. At the
tricks, and more. Nonfiction. Web site, young aviation enthusiasts can learn
all about airplanes and play several fun games,
FOR TEACHERS including Pitch, Yaw & Roll, which teaches
Flight by Judy Vaden (Teacher Created Materials, players how to fly a plane.
1981). This comprehensive theme unit for
intermediate students includes activities that
can be adapted for younger children.
Kids’ Paper Airplane Book by Ken Blackburn
(Workman, 1996). Directions and materials
for making 16 paper airplanes.

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CHAPTER 10

April
Rain Comes and Goes
page 227

Seeds and Soil

page 242

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar to help plan and
supplement upcoming activities this month.
✲ Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1872 in Nebraska—more than
one million trees were planted that year. Start a school tradition:
Plant a tree every year.
✲ Earth Day is celebrated around April 22. It was first observed in
1970 to promote clean air and water, and to emphasize taking
responsibility for the environment.
✲ Looking for a class activity that will help you to celebrate Earth
Day? Read Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment
by Linda Schwartz (The Learning Works, 1990).
✲ Take a survey: What do students in your class (grade, school) think
is the biggest environmental problem? Plan an activity to help.
✲ April’s full moon is the Pink Moon, for the first flowers of spring.

✲ Read a puddle poem like “Country Rain” by Aileen Fisher (from

Out in the Dark and Daylight). Go puddle hopping. Make footprint
patterns.

Plan Ahead
Begin collecting large jars with lids and soup cans for Activity 2 in this
month’s first theme (Rain Comes and Goes). You’ll need a jar with
two lids and a soup can for each group of students.
Ask students to save and bring in paper-towel and gift-wrap tubes for
the rain stick–making activity on page 231.

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CHAPTER 10

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new themes.

1. Rain Comes and Goes

As part of a unit on rain and the water cycle,
each child will be charting rainy days this
month. You can help your child complete the
calendar by noting weekend weather together.

2. Seeds and Soil

As part of an investigation on what plants need to
grow, your child will be planting seeds and
recording observations in a journal. For a simple
growing activity at home, try planting a pizza
garden in a pot. Oregano and sweet basil are two
herbs that are easy to grow.

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Rain Comes
and Goes
A pril showers bring May flowers. April’s showers also
bring plenty of opportunities for your young scientists to ex-
plore water. Children love to play in water, but they don’t always
appreciate what rain can do. This introduction to the water
cycle will have children looking forward to rainy days so they
can catch raindrops and march through puddles, then watch
those same puddles disappear and reappear as clouds in the sky.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will observe that rain is drops of water and can be one of many
changes in weather that may occur from day to day. They will describe
and measure rain and include these observations in their weather journals.
They will also begin to recognize that rain, as the liquid state of water, can
change states as it evaporates. This is a part of the water cycle.
Process Skills: observing, inferring, predicting, comparing, collecting and recording data,
measuring, communicating, making a model, interpreting

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
clouds billions of tiny water drops or ice water molecules warm up they move,
crystals; as water vapor rises into the and evaporate, faster
atmosphere, it cools; as it cools, it precipitation the solid (snow, hail, frost)
condenses and turns into water drops or and liquid (rain) states of water that fall
ice crystals; the droplets or ice crystals from the sky
combine with particles of dust or dirt to
form a cloud; the shape, size, and color rain gauge the instrument used to
of a cloud can help us forecast the measure rainfall
weather

condensation the process by which water cycle the movement of water

vapor cools and turns into drops of water from clouds to the Earth, and back to the
evaporation the process by which water clouds again; the rain falling today is
(a liquid) turns into water vapor (a gas); made up of the same water that fell to
heat speeds up evaporation, because as Earth as rain millions of years ago

Science on Display
Note: Students will use Turn part of the science area into a raincoat factory. In a box,
the reproducible calendar place a variety of materials for students to test their water-
and raindrop cutouts to repelling power. You might include wax paper, copy paper, con-
keep their own records struction paper, cotton fabric, vinyl scraps, sandpaper, alu-
(see pages 23 8 and 23 9 ). minum foil, and more. Keep a small can of water and several
Have them record predic- eyedroppers near the box. Invite students to explore the water-
tions, then attach rain- repelling properties of each material by placing drops of water
drops to show rainy days. on the material. What do the drops do on each kind of mater-
Note the weather on week- ial? Students can work together to make groups of materials
ends to help children that repel and materials that don’t repel (absorb).
complete their calendars. At some point, students can design their own raincoats. Let
Remind children to keep them each cut out a raincoat (see reproducible, page 237),
calendars in their then decorate it using assorted materials (from markers and
journals. crayons to pieces of wax paper, vinyl, etc.). Remind students to

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

write their names on the back of their raincoats, then laminate

and hang them on a clothesline across the science area. Have
students attach a description of their raincoats. Students will
enjoy using a plant mister to spritz their raincoats with water for
effect.
Along with the raincoats, set up a class calendar to chart
rainy days in April. Have students cut out large raindrops and
place them in a box near the calendar. Students can take turns
gluing the raindrops onto the calendar on rainy days.

ACTIVIT Y 1

What Is Rain? (Part 1)

Begin this unit by collecting students’ ideas about rain.

Materials
✲ 5 sheets of light blue craft paper (each cut into one big
Note: If possible, try to drop shape)
begin this activity with
a rainy-day walk. Check
weather forecasts to see
when rain is expected.
(A light sprinkle is
fine.) Make sure
1 Take students outside for five or ten minutes while it is
sprinkling. Bring along a clipboard to record their
observations. While you are outside, ask the following
children are dressed questions to help students focus on the five senses:
to take a walk in wet
weather. Before the TASTE: Catch some raindrops on your tongue. How does
activity, label each of the rain taste?
the paper drops with
SOUND: Listen to the rain. What do you hear as the drops
one of the five senses.
hit the ground? What does it sound like when you walk through
wet grass or a puddle?
SIGHT: How do things look when they get wet? What does
rain look like as it comes down through the air? Look for a
drop on a leaf or a piece of grass. Try to catch one on your
sleeve. What does the drop look like?
SMELL: Take a deep breath through your nose. What words
describe the smell of rain?
TOUCH: Catch some raindrops on your face and in your
hands. How does the rain feel on your skin? How does the wet
ground feel?

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

2 Back in the classroom, brainstorm words that describe rain,

using each of the five senses. Record students’ responses on
the paper drops. For example, on the drop labeled “sound”
you might write splash, drip, splat, etc. (Use the notes as
reminders.) Do this for each of the senses. Dangle drops
around the science display area or tack to a bulletin board.

What Is Rain? (Part II)

Follow your walk with this demonstration of how rain forms.

Note: Set up mate- Materials (for each small group of students)

rials for this activity ✲ large glass jar with two lids (only one needs to fit)
in advance. Set one
✲ metal can (empty soup cans work well)
jar with two lids in
the middle of each ✲ ice cubes
work table. Place a ✲ hot water
few ice cubes in a
can and set that on
the table, too. Divide
the class into small
groups and assign
1 Explain to students that you will be pouring some hot water
into each of the jars. One of the students in each group will
loosely place the lid on the jar—without grabbing the jar. A
each to a table.
second student will immediately place the second lid upside
down on top of the first lid. As soon as this has been done, a
third student will set the can with the ice cubes on the top lid.

2 When students know which task they will be doing, go around

and add about 1 inch of hot water to each group’s jar.

3 After the cans with ice are in place, students

should begin observing what is happening in
the jar. Encourage them to record brief
observations, though they may not want to
take their eyes off the jars. Guide them
through a discussion, pointing out that some
of the hot water will vaporize or evaporate, but
as it rises and meets the cooler air, produced
by the ice on the lid, the water vapor will
condense and form droplets near the top of
the jar. The inside of the glass around the top
of the jar will get a little steamed up, like a
cloud. Droplets on the first lid will start to
merge together as they cool even more, and
eventually, rain back to the bottom.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

4 Help students make connections between this experiment

and how rain falls from clouds when warmer air cools and
forms drops, which eventually fall like the drops in the jar.

ACTIVIT Y 2

Build a Rain Gauge

Students learn how to collect, measure, and reuse rainwater.

Materials
✲ a large, empty, clean coffee can and lid
✲ empty soup cans (one per group)
Note: Label the large ✲ rulers
can Rainwater. ✲ masking tape
✲ Build a Rain Gauge Science Journal page (see page 240)
✲ rocks

1 Explain that people who study the weather measure how

much rain we get. The instrument they use to measure rain is
called a rain gauge. Show students an empty soup can and ask
them to suggest ways to use the can to measure rainfall.

2 Divide the class into groups and give each a set of materials.
Have group members write their names on a piece of masking
tape and put the tape on the bottom of the can. Set the cans
outside, away from buildings and trees, where they can fill up
with rain. Suggest that they support the cans with rocks so
they won’t tip over in the wind.

3 After each rainfall, bring the cans inside. Let students use
rulers to measure the amount of rain and record their results
on their Science Journal page.

4 When they are done measuring the rain each time, have
students pour the rainwater into the large coffee can. Use this
rainwater to make a Rain Mobile (see page 235). As students
continue to collect rainwater, they can use it for Activity 3 (see
page 232) and to water classroom plants.

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ACTIVIT Y 3

Contemplating Clouds
Students observe that not all clouds look the same. You might
want to use the illustrations in the Science Dictionary to introduce
words for different clouds during this activity (see page 228).

Materials
✲ paper and pencil

1 Invite students to observe clouds under various kinds of

weather conditions.
✲ On a sunny day students can sit outside in the school
yard, watching and drawing clouds. Have them label
these pictures Sunny Day Clouds.
✲ On a day when the weather is rainy or threatening rain,
have students observe from a window. Again, they should
BOOK BREAK draw one or two clouds on a piece of paper and label
“One Monday these pictures Rainy Day Clouds.
morning the king,
the queen, and the
little prince came
to visit me. But I
2 Also ask students to describe the clouds by color, size, and
shape. Make sure they notice the differences between the
sunny day clouds and the rainy day clouds.
wasn’t home,”
begins the young
boy in the
enchanting book 3 To reinforce the idea that billions of tiny drops come together
to make a cloud, give each student a piece of torn paper. Ask
students to make as many dots with their pencils as they can
One Monday
Morning by Uri on the paper. These dots should be tiny and close together.
Shulevitz (see Re- Explain that the dots they are making are like the droplets of
sources, page 24 1 ). water in a cloud.
The story opens
with the boy
daydreaming at the
window, as rain
4 After you feel students have had enough time to make these
dots (about five minutes), ask them to stand up, holding their
papers in their hands. Remind them of how the water
comes down.
While the king, the droplets in the rain experiment cooled and moved closer
queen, the prince, together (Activity 1, Part 2). Tell students that they are going
and a few other to act like these droplets, moving closer together. Invite one
royal characters table or row of students to move together so that their papers
attempt to visit, the can touch. Have them move together toward the blue display
rain eventually paper in the science area (see Science on Display, page 228),
clears up, and the
and then glue their pieces of paper onto the blue paper, so all
sun comes out.
the dotted papers are touching.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

5 Repeat with the remaining groups of students, always so that

the cloud papers on the board are touching one another.

6 When the dot cloud is complete, let the children go up for a

close look. How many droplets (dots) do they see in the
cloud? Too many to count! Share with them that each cloud
has billions of droplets, which is a lot more than the dots in
their cloud! But just like their cloud, the droplets in the air
move close together to make the cloud.

ACTIVIT Y 4

Where Do Puddles Go?

Students try to find out where puddles go, reinforcing their
understanding of the water cycle as introduced in Activity 2.

Materials (for each pair of students)

BOOK BREAK ✲ a clean foam meat tray
Read The Cloud ✲ water
Book by Tomie ✲ an eyedropper (or small paper cup)
dePaola. This book
describes different ✲ pencils
kinds of clouds
and the weather
associated with
them. You’ll
find folk sayings 1 Let each pair of students create a puddle on a foam tray. To
do this, each student should empty one eyedropper full of
water onto the tray.
about clouds and
weather, too, which
students will have
fun discussing.
Follow up by
2 One student then traces around the puddle with a pencil.

asking students
if they know of
any ways to predict
3 Students carefully place their trays on a windowsill and record
their predictions about what will happen to the puddles.
the weather. Does
someone have a
dog that crawls
under a bed
4 Have students check the trays every half hour to hour. (The
warmer the location is, the more frequently they need to
check.) Each time students check their trays, they should
when a storm is trace around the puddles in pencil.
approaching? Has
anyone ever heard
that cows lie down
if it’s going to rain?
5 Students will quickly discover that as the puddles dry , they
shrink. Ask students where they think the puddles are going.
(As the water molecules in the puddle warm up, they move

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

faster and further apart, turning into water vapor. Review with
students that these are the same results as in the rain
experiment in Activity 1.)

6 Your students can expand their understanding by setting

some puddles in sunny, warm locations and others in cool
places that are out of direct sunlight. Which puddles dry up
(evaporate) more quickly? They will discover that those
puddles in the warmer, sunnier locations dry up more quickly.

Note: This would also be a fun activity to take outdoors after a rain.
Let students trace around puddles on the playground with chalk. Are
all of the puddles the same size? Why do puddles form in different
sizes? Have students predict which puddles will dry up first. Revisit
the puddles several times to check their predictions. If the puddles are
on sidewalks or a paved play area, students can draw chalk circles
around the puddles every half hour or so and watch as they get smaller.

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Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS
Make a Rain Mobile Show students how to tie string
through the holes. (Make strings
Plan to make these different lengths.) Tape each string to
mobiles in three the unpainted side of a cloud cutout.
parts—Part 1 When all three are taped, glue the
following Activity 1, cloud sheets
and Parts 2 and 3 together,
following Activity 2. painted
Part 1: Let each sides out.
student trace and cut out three Punch holes
raindrops (provide a simple pattern) in the tops
out of light blue construction paper. of the
Ask students to write two words that clouds and
describe rain on each drop, one word sprinkle the
on each side, for a total of six words. room with
Laminate these drops to give them a showers.
wet and shiny appearance (or paint .
with white glue diluted with water).
Punch a hole in the top of each drop.
Part 2: Give each student two large
sheets of white construction paper. Ask
them to describe the color of clouds on
rainy days (mostly gray). To achieve a
rainy-day look, have students paint
water over both sheets of paper. Next,
they dip their brushes into the water,
then in black watercolor paint, and
brush across the paper. This allows the
paint to blend across the surface of the
paper. Set papers aside to dry
Part 3: When the papers are dry,
have students tape pages, painted sides
together, then draw a cloud shape.
(Clouds should fill the paper.) While
the sheets are still taped together, have
students cut out their cloud shapes.
They can now untape their clouds.

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

MATH ART
A Puddle Problem Mini Rain Sticks
Challenge your This cooperative activity
students to solve this gives students a chance
problem: Find a way to experience the sounds
to measure a of other cultures. Rain
puddle. Let children sticks originated with
work in small African and South
groups to devise and American cultures.
test solutions. Allow children time to People used natural objects to create
share their ideas. If no one has these instruments that imitated the
suggested it, show students how to sound of rain.
measure a puddle by taking a piece of Gather together paper, glue, tape,
string and laying it around the puddle. cardboard tubes (from paper towels
When the string is completely around and gift wrap) plus beans, rice, pebbles,
the puddle, cut the string. Pull the sand, and other noise-making materials.
piece of string out straight and measure Follow these directions to make mini-
it with a yardstick or meterstick. Let rain sticks with your students.
students try guessing the size of some ✲ Trace two
puddles, then use this technique to circles that
measure them. are a half inch
If the weather isn’t cooperating, larger around
make puddles indoors by cutting than the
puddlelike shapes from light blue diameter of
paper and laminating them. Place in a the cardboard
math or science center and let students tube. Make
half-inch cuts
measure the puddles using the string
around each
method, then lay them in a row from circle.
smallest to largest.
✲ Place one circle on one end of the
tube, folding down the edges. Tape
or glue down the edges to secure
this end of the tube.
✲ Add beans, rice, beads, even small
pebbles to the tube (a handful or
two total).
✲ Use the second cardboard circle to
cap the other end of the tube and
tape or glue in place.
✲ Decorate the rain stick, then seal it by
wrapping it in clear contact paper.
Let students share their rain sticks at
the science area, quietly exploring this
instrument’s relaxing sounds.

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C H A P T E R 1 0 : R A I N C O AT P AT T E R N S

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 C H A P T E R 1 0 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name ________________________________________________________________________________ Rain Comes
and Goes

April
1. How many days do you think it will rain in April? ______________

2. First fill in the dates in April. Each day it rains, cut out
a raindrop and glue it to that day.

3. When you complete the calendar, count how many days

it really did rain in April. Write that number here. ______________

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CHAPTER 10: RAINDROP SQUARES

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 C H A P T E R 1 0 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _______________________________________________________________________________ Rain Comes
and Goes

Build a Rain Gauge

Directions: Measure the rain in your rain gauge. Color in this
amount on the can. Be sure to record the date each time.

Date: _________________________ Date: _________________________

Date: _________________________ Date: _________________________

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

The Cloud Book by Tomie dePaola (Scholastic, Ask Dr. Universe
1975). Describes the different kinds of clouds Washington State University
and the weather associated with them. (http://druniverse.wsu.edu)
Includes folk sayings about clouds and Why? That’s the question Dr. Universe tackles
weather. Nonfiction. with this site that’s chockfull of tough science
Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola questions (and down-to-earth answers). For
(Putnam, 1983). A young girl sacrifices a most instance, if you search by the topic rain you’ll
treasured possession in order to bring rain to find dozens and dozens of interesting
her people. Fiction. questions and answers. Or, invite students to
come up with a few questions of their own and
One Monday Morning by Uri Shulevitz (Charles learn together with the help of Dr. Universe’s
Scribner’s Sons, 1967). A young boy is visited reply. After the questions are posted, Dr.
by a king, queen, prince, and the entire royal Universe’s answers remain on the site for
entourage while he sits daydreaming at a everyone else’s edification.
window on a rainy day.
Weston Woods: Rainy Day Stories (Scholastic, 2006).
Rain Rain Rivers by Uri Shulevitz (Farrar, Straus, This DVD library features two stories: Come
Giroux, 1969). A girl watching a rainstorm On, Rain! by Karen Hess and Noah’s Ark by Jon
travels to all the places that the rain touches, J. Muth. Both stories are illustrated by Jerry
via her imagination. Fiction. Pinkney. Use the on-screen learning guides
Water by Frank Asch (Gulliver Green, 1995). A or download study guides from Weston Woods
simple description of water’s forms and uses. at http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/
Nonfiction. westonwoods/index.htm.
The Water’s Journey by Eleonore Schmid (North-
South Books, 1995). Clear text and landscape
paintings explain the water cycle for young
readers. Nonfiction.

FOR TEACHERS
Tiny Life in a Puddle (Rookie Read-About Science) by
Bobbi Early (Scholastic, 2006). Use the simple
text and colorful photographs to help
children learn about the types of organisms
that can live in puddles. Nonfiction.
Usborne Science Activities: Science With Water by
Helen Edom (Usborne, 2007). A collection of
hands-on science activities that teach about
characteristics and the states of water.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Seeds and
Soil
A s a natural follow-up to students’ exploration of rain and
the water cycle, your young scientists can now learn how those
April showers help seeds grow. At the same time, students will get
a chance to discover the other things that seeds need to grow.

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
germinate to start growing; the amount of time it takes a seed to germinate varies from
plant to plant; some seeds may germinate in hours, while others may need weeks, months,
or even years to germinate

seed the part of a plant that contains a tiny new

plant; the new plant, located inside the seed, is
called an embryo; there is also food inside the seed
to nourish the embryo; these are called cotyledons;
the seeds are surrounded and protected by the
plant’s fruit

soil the top layer of the Earth where plants can grow; there are four basic types of soil: clay,
silt, sand, and loam (a combination of clay, silt, and sand)

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will learn that plants need air, water,
and light to grow. They will also begin to
recognize that plants have a life cycle that
includes growing, reproducing, and dying.
Process Skills: observing, predicting, inferring, measuring,
collecting and recording data, communicating,
comparing, interpreting

Science on Display
Turn the bulletin board (or display space) in your science area
into a garden where students’ writing grows! Cover the bulletin
board with brown craft paper. This will be the soil in which stu-
dents can plant seed booklets they will be working on while
studying seeds.
Add to your science area by displaying a collection of seed
catalogs. Invite children to browse through these colorful cata-
logs, looking at the great variety of plants they can start from
seed. Then let kids start their own big seed catalog. Make a cat-
alog by stacking together 27 large sheets of construction paper
and using several O-rings to bind them together. Write a title,
like Our Big Seed Catalog, on the cover. Write a letter, from A
to Z, on the top right corner of each page (or make use of that
Ellison machine in the media center). As students visit the sci-
ence area, invite them to cut out pictures and names of plants
they like, then glue the picture and name to the appropriate
pages.
Another fun way to use the catalogs is to make a copy of a
generic looking order form. Use in conjunction with math
lessons to practice money and other math-related concepts as
children pretend to order from the catalogs.

SAFETY NOTE
If you bring in or order seeds for students to handle, please
make sure they have not been treated. (Look for this informa-
tion on seed packets at stores or ask when ordering from a cat-
alog.) Pea seeds, for example, are often dusted with a pinkish
colored chemical, and should not be handled by children.
Seeds of Change is one company that sells only organic seeds;
(888) 762-7333 or www.seedsofchange.com.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 1

Seeds and Where to Find Them

Students look inside a variety of fruits to discover the seeds.

Note: Before start- Materials

ing this activity,
write the name of ✲ a variety of fruits, such as cherry tomatoes, apples,
each fruit you have oranges, peppers, kiwi (provide one fruit per small
on the left side of group of students)
the chart paper. ✲ knife (for teacher use)
Make two more ✲ paper plates
columns, the first
✲ paper towels
for predicted num-
ber of seeds, and the ✲ craft sticks and toothpicks
second for the actu- ✲ chart paper
al number of seeds.

1 Show students each of the fruits. Remind them that a fruit is

the place that holds and protects the seeds of a plant (see
Science Dictionary, page 228). Ask each group to predict
which of the fruits will have the most seeds. As they give their
prediction, ask students to explain their reasoning.

2 Give each group a piece of fruit on a paper plate. Again, ask

them to predict the number of seeds that will be in this piece
of fruit and record this number on the chart.

3 Cut open the fruit for each group. Tell students that they can
use craft sticks or toothpicks to help pull seeds out of the fruit.

4 Have students count the number of seeds in the fruit and

record this number on the chart. Next to the name of each
fruit, have students in each group draw a picture of the fruit
and the seeds.

5 Bring students together to discuss the chart. Which fruit had

the most seeds? Did anyone predict that this fruit would have
the most seeds? Which fruit had the fewest seeds? Do all
(name one of the fruits used) have the same number of seeds?
How could we find out? (See Curriculum Connections, Count
and Compare, page 251, for more.) Save the seeds from this
activity for use with Shape Stories on page 251.

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

ACTIVIT Y 2

Inside a Seed
Students explore the inside of seeds to find out where new
plants, called embryos, come from.

Materials (for each student)

✲ 2 lima beans (one soaked overnight, one not)
✲ hand lens
✲ paper towel
✲ Lima Bean Book reproducibles (see pages 253 and 254)
✲ jar

Note: Before the activity, soak enough lima beans so that every stu-
dent will have one the next day. (Throw in a few extras just in case.)
Consider charting related science words for easy reference (see Science
Dictionary, page 242).

1 Give each student a lima bean that has not been soaked. How
does it feel? What does it look like?

2 Now give each student one of the soaked lima beans. Explain
that these are just like the first beans you handed out, but that
these beans have been soaking in water overnight. Ask them
to compare the two lima beans. How are they different? How
are they the same?

3 Show students how to peel off the seed coat of the soaked
lima bean. What do they think the seed’s coat is for? (Hint:
Think coat! It protects the seed until growing conditions are
good for the seed.)

4 Next, show students how to open the seed. (It should split
open easily.) Explain that inside this seed is a tiny new plant.
See if they can locate this new plant. Refer students to the
science word chart to find the word for this new plant
(embryo). Walk around the room as the students examine
their seeds, helping them locate the embryos.

5 Explain that to help the new plant get started, the bean has
food-storage areas (cotyledons). What part of the inside of the
seed do they think provides the food to the tiny, new plant?

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Listen to their ideas, then help them locate the cotyledons

(see illustration, previous page).

6 Let students begin their Lima Bean Books. On page 1 they

will be drawing and labeling the insides of their lima bean
seeds (an outline is provided). On page 2, they trace the dry
beans, then place them in a jar of water. You can use the same
jar you soaked the first batch of beans in. Just empty it out,
collect the dry beans, and add water. This will get the seeds
(and the students) ready for the next activity.

ACTIVIT Y 3

Soak and Sprout

Students discover the changes a seed makes as it grows—and
make connections to changes as they grow, too.

Materials
✲ jar of lima beans from Activity 2
✲ lima beans that have not been soaked
✲ resealable plastic sandwich bag (one per student)
✲ masking tape
✲ paper towels
✲ water
✲ Lima Bean Book reproducible from Activity 2
✲ Soak and Sprout Science Journal page (see page 255)

1 Begin the activity by having students observe the lima beans

they placed in water the day before. Ask them to describe the
differences they observe. How have the beans changed? What
has happened to the water in the jar? (Guide the students to
infer that the dried limas soaked up the water. This is why the
beans have swelled, causing the seed coats to begin to peel
off.) Let students complete page 2 of their journals.

2 For this next part, let students work in pairs. Give each pair
two bags, two pieces of masking tape, and two paper towels.
Have partners write their names on masking tape and stick

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

the tape to the bags. Next, they should fold the paper towels
so they fit inside the bags.

3 Hand out six lima beans per pair (three soaked, three dry).
Have students wet the paper towel in one bag, place three
soaked limas inside, and seal the bag. Next, have students
place the dry beans in the remaining bag (dry towel) and
seal. Have students use masking tape to label the bags: Water
and No Water.

4 Have students place their bags in a sunny location.

5 Ask students to predict what will happen to the seeds in each

bag. How will they know when the seeds are growing? Write
their definitions of growing (actually, germination) on a piece
of chart paper. Explain that for this activity they will need to
agree on one definition as a class. Help them decide which
BOOK BREAK definition they will use to determine when their seeds have
Lead into a class actually started growing. Write this definition on a chart and
planting activity by display in the science area.
sharing The Big
Seed by Ellen
Howard, a story
about a big seed
6 Students can complete page 3 of their Lima Bean Books now.
They should also check on their seeds daily, recording on
their Science Journal page whether or not the seeds in each
that teaches an
important lesson bag have started growing. Students can use pages 4, 5, and 6
about being just of their Lima Bean Books to record their observations.
the right size,
with engaging
watercolors by
Lillian Hoban. Your
7 After the seeds germinate, guide students in a discussion:
How do the seeds with moisture compare with the seeds
without moisture? From this experiment, what do seeds need
students will be
to grow? (Moisture.) What else will they need to continue to
just as curious as
the story’s Bess to grow into healthy plants? (Soil and sunlight.) Now is a good
see what grows time to make connections to what kids need to grow.
from the big seed Extend the experiment by testing other variables (one at a
she plants. time), such as light and temperature. Follow up with
Everyone Eats Seeds (see Curriculum Connection, page 251).

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 4

Sampling Soil
Students will be amazed at how much more there is to dirt than
meets the eye.

Materials
Note: Before the ✲ soil samples (see Note)
activity, collect at ✲ alum (see Note)
least two different ✲ newspaper to cover the work areas
soil samples. The
✲ pitchers of water
best way to do this
is to dig down at ✲ 2 pint-size glass jars and lids that fit, two paper plates, a
least 6 inches. To tray to set the jars on, a teaspoon, hand lens (for each
get samples that small group of students)
will look different,
collect from differ-
ent kinds of places,
like a farm field
and a dry, roadside
area or somewhere
1 Divide the class into groups and ask them to cover their work
areas with newspaper. Ask: What is soil? Listen to and discuss
responses before going on to the next step.
close to a beach. It
would be fun to
include a sample
from the school
2 Give each group two soil samples, one on a paper plate
labeled 1 and the other on a paper plate labeled 2. Students
can use pictures and words to record observations: What does
yard, if possible. the soil look like? Smell like? Feel like? How are the samples
Alum can be found the same? Different?
in the spice section
of grocery stores. It’s
used as a separat-
ing agent in this
3 Place a pitcher (measuring cups work well, too) of water at
each table. Have students pour water to the line marked on
the jars.
experiment. You
only need a little
bit—so you’ll have
plenty for a few
4 Once they have put water in the jars, students should add five
teaspoons of soil sample 1 and add a pinch of alum to jar
number 1. They then put five teaspoons of soil sample 2 and a
years to come. It is pinch of alum in jar number 2.
okay for students to
handle alum, just
remind them not to
put their fingers in
5 Have students tighten the lids on the jars and take turns
shaking the jars for about 30 seconds. After all students take a
turn, the jars should be placed on the trays and left
their mouths after undisturbed. As students observe the soil and water mixtures,
touching it and to ask: What is happening inside the jars? (The soil will begin to
wash their hands separate into fairly distinct layers.) Let students describe and
after the activity. record in their science journals observations of different

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

layers. Are the layers in both jars the same? (If you are using
samples from different soil types, you should see some
differences in the depth of the layers.)

6 Explain that soil is made up of various materials. Some of

these materials were once living things (like plants and bugs)
that died and decomposed (broke down). This is the layer
that is floating at the very top of the jar. The layers at the
bottom of the jar are formed from nonliving materials (such
as clay, silt, and sand). Clay will be the top layer, silt the
middle, and sand the bottom.

7 The samples will continue to settle a little more overnight.

After taking another look at them the following day, you can
drain off the water and spread the soil on newspaper to dry.
Children will enjoy watching the soil that was layered return
to its mixed-up ways.

ACTIVIT Y 5

Grow a Mini-Garden
Tiny planters hold big surprises in this planting activity that
connects home and school.

Materials
Note: Invite stu- ✲ 1 egg carton per group
dents to help collect ✲ eggshells (halves)
the materials for ✲ soil
this activity by ask- sunflower seeds
✲
ing them to bring
in egg cartons and ✲ water
clean eggshell ✲ plastic wrap
halves. Plan on ✲ newspaper
several eggshell
halves per student.

1 Cover a work surface with newspaper and make planting

stations with materials for groups of three or four students.

2 Have students gently initial their eggshells, then fill them

two-thirds full of soil, plant a seed in each about a quarter
inch deep, lightly water, and carefully place their eggshells in

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

the cartons. Cover the cartons with plastic wrap.

3 Have students place their egg cartons in a dark spot and

check daily for signs of sprouting plants. They should be sure
to keep the soil moist, too. Ask students to record and date
daily observations.

4 When the seeds sprout, have students move the cartons to a

sunny windowsill and continue to observe.

5 When it’s time to transplant, plant eggshell and all in a school

garden (or in another approved spot). Ask: What do you
think will happen to the eggshell? (It will decompose.) Let
each student take an eggshell garden home, too, along with
suggestions for transplanting.

C S
Celebrate n writing a collaborative poem. Then eat some Dirt Cake.
soil by
Celebration
C n
Following are recipes for both.
Poem: Across the top of a piece of chart paper, use black or brown marker to write: What
is soil? Below this question, write: Soil is…. Invite students to fill in some words and
phrases that describe soil. You can help them along by asking them to think about this
theme’s soil activities or other experiences they’ve had with soil. List their ideas on the
chart paper, adding children’s names after their contributions. To complete the poem, add
a little water to your soil samples, just enough to make it stick to students’ hands. Let each
child press one hand into the mud paint and press it somewhere on the chart.
Dirt Cake
Ingredients:
✲ one 16-ounce package chocolate
sandwich cookies
✲ 2 cups cold milk
✲ one 4-ounce box instant chocolate
pudding mix
✲ one 8-ounce container whipped
topping (or the equivalent of whipped
cream)
Place cookies in a resealable plastic bag
and crush. Pour milk into a bowl, add
pudding mix. Beat for two minutes, then let
stand five minutes. Stir in the whipped
topping and most of the crushed cookies.
Place spoonfuls of dirt cake in small cups,
sprinkle with cookie crumbs, and serve.

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CHAPTER 10: APRIL

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS SOCIAL STUDIES
Shape Stories Everyone Eats Seeds
Use the seeds from Bring in a bag of
Activity 1 for this dried lima beans.
project. Give each Find out how many
student a piece of students have eaten
white paper. They lima beans before.
should fold it in half Ask students if they
and draw a picture know of other kinds
of one of the fruits on one side of the of beans. Then ask how they’ve eaten
paper. Next, have them cut out the fruit these beans. Explain that beans are a
shape, cutting through both layers of plentiful and popular food source
paper. Use one or two staples to hold throughout the world.
the two pages together. The top page Cook the lima beans in a pan using
can be colored to look just like the a hot plate. Encourage everyone to try
fruit. Inside, on the second page, at least one lima bean. Along with the
students should glue several of the limas, serve other edible seeds like
fruits’ seeds. (Let them dry first.) They peanuts, sesame, sunflower, and
can also write a descriptive sentence garbanzo. (Remember to always check
on this inside page about the fruit. For for food allergies first.) Let students
example: A kiwi is a round and fuzzy give their opinions of the lima beans
fruit. and other edible seeds on pages 7 and
8 of their Lima Bean Books.

MATH
Count and Compare
The last question
from Activity 1 is a
fun one to pursue as
a math lesson (see
step 5). Select just
one of the fruits and
have each group
count the seeds in a piece of this fruit.
For example, let each small group
count the number of seeds in an apple.
Using this information, students can
graph and compare the number of
seeds found in the individual apples.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

MATH DRAMA
Beans in a Bag Guided Garden Imagery
Use a bag of dried After children have
lima beans (or other had a chance to
dried seeds) to have sprout real seeds
students practice and watch them
skills like estimating, begin to grow, ask
counting by ones, them to tell you the
twos, or tens, and steps in the
measuring. Students can: planting/growing process. Record their
ideas on a large piece of chart paper.
✲ estimate how many beans they
Refer to the chart as a springboard for
think are in the bag,
a guided imagery session. Have
✲ empty and count the number of children close their eyes and imagine
beans in the bag, they are little seeds being planted in
the warm, brown soil. Include lots of
✲ find out how many cups of beans
sensory details and images in your
are in the bag,
description (warm brown soil; fresh
✲ find out how much all of the spring rain; creeping, crawling worms;
beans weigh and compare this etc.). Use your words to coax the little
weight with the weight written on seeds up through the soil until they
the bag, sprout and grow tall enough to be
picked or harvested.
✲ estimate and then calculate how
to divide the beans so that each
student has the same number of
beans, and
✲ mix several kinds of beans or
other kinds of seeds together in a
bowl, then sort and count the
number of each kind of seed.

Follow up by using assorted beans

to make mosaics. For a twist, have
students press their beans into slabs of
clay. Unlike gluing the seeds on paper,
this method enables students to change
their designs as often as they like.

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CHAPTER 10: ACTIVITIES 2 AND 3

5 4

_______________ no water

_______________ water

Which seeds sprouted first?

page 3. my seeds to start sprouting.

picture to your drawing on It took _____________ days for
look like. Compare this
what the growing seeds
Draw a picture to show

Draw a picture of your face

to show how you feel about LIMA BEAN BOOK
the taste of cooked lima
beans.

Draw the parts you found

8 inside the bean. 1

Cut out on dotted lines, fold on solid lines.

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 CHAPTER 10: ACTIVITIES 2 AND 3

3 6

when they begin to grow. to grow.

think the seeds will look like something seeds need
Draw a picture of what you Draw a picture of

Trace around the seed Draw a picture of each

here. seed you taste. Label each.

Now soak the seed

overnight. Draw a picture
to show how it looks.

2 7

Cut out on dotted lines, fold on solid lines.

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CHAPTER 10: S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Seeds and
Soil

Soak and Sprout

Seed Name _________________________________________________________________________
Use this seed chart to keep track of when your seeds start to grow.
Each day, write Yes or No to tell if the seeds are growing or not.

Water No Water

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

The Big Seed by Ellen Howard (Simon & Schuster, Singing in Our Garden by the Banana Slug Band
1993). Bess is the smallest child in her class (Let’s Get Growing; [800] 408-1868). This
and is always being shoved out of the way. tape features songs like “Dirt Made My
When it’s time to plant seeds, she picks one Lunch,” “Decomposition,” and Ecology.”
big seed—from a package that pictures flowers There is also a songbook to go along with the
that are small, like her—and watches with tape. For a nominal fee you can download
hope as it grows. Lillian Hoban’s charming MP3s of individual songs (e.g., “Water Cycle
watercolors add to this story about being just Boogie” and “Give Plants a Chance”).
the right size. Nonfiction. Visit: www.amazon.com/Singing-In-Our-
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart (Farrar, Straus & Garden/dp/B000R01OX0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF
Giroux, 1997). Carefully rendered text and 8&s=dmusic&qid=1201719074&sr=1-1
illustrations tell of a girl’s efforts to share her Plant Power
optimism with her uncle. This is a touching National Geographic Explorer
story that will enchant gardeners of any age. A (http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/
Caldecott Honor Award winner. Fiction. ngexplorer/0604/games/game_intro.html)
The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller (Grosset Reinforce what students are learning about
and Dunlap, 1983). Written in rhyme with the role plants play in the lives of animals and
colorful illustrations, this book introduces people with this online game.
concepts related to seeds and plant life cycles.
Fiction. SOURCES OF SEEDS
Our Community Garden by Barbara Pollack (Beyond W. Atlee Burpee & Co., 300 Park Avenue,
Words, 2004). A young girl and her friends Warminster, PA 18974, (800) 333-5808;
work collaboratively to raise vegetables . . . and www.burpee.com.
end up celebrating diversity and the joys of Seed Savers Exchange, 3094 North Winn Road,
gardening. Decorah, IA 52101, (563) 382-5990;
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle (Picture Book Studio, www.seedsavers.org.
1987). Many seeds are released from a single Seeds of Change, PO Box 152, Spicer, MN, 56288,
plant and begin their journey. Which seed will (888) 762-7333; www.seedsofchange.com.
survive to germinate and grow into a new Native Seeds/SEARCH, 526 North Fourth
plant? Fiction. Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85705, (866) 622-5561;
www.nativeseeds.org.
FOR TEACHERS
Nature in a Nutshell for Kids by Jean Potter (Jossey-
Bass, 1995). Includes directions for 100 hands-
on science activities that help children learn
about the natural word in which we live.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (HarperCollins,
1964). Use this classic and contemplative story
to prompt discussions about giving and
stewardship. Fiction.

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CHAPTER 11

May
Animals at Home
page 26 0

Sun Power
page 271

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Highlights of the Month

Mark these dates, events, and activities on your calendar to help plan and
supplement upcoming activities for this month’s themes.
✲ May’s full moon is called the Flower Moon.

✲ Be Kind to Animals Week is the first week of May.

✲ Hold a pet food drive for a local animal shelter.

✲ Mother’s Day: What are names for mother animals? (Beaver, sow;
reindeer, doe; sheep, ewe.)
✲ Memorial Day: Talk about tips for sun safety.

Plan Ahead
Start collecting pet care books for Theme 1, Activity 1. Check with
veterinarians and local pet shelters.

Begin arranging a visit from an animal expert.

Activity 4 in Theme 1 features a classroom

tadpole habitat. If you don’t have an aquarium,
you might want to send a note home to see if
any families have one they’re not using.

Your students will be able to catch some

rainbows during this month’s second theme,
Sun Power. Collect pocket-size mirrors for
Activity 2: Catch a Rainbow. Prisms are also great for catching and
making rainbows. Sources include Delta Education, (800) 258-1302,
www.delta-education.com; and Edmund Scientific, (800) 728-6999,
http://scientificsonline.com.

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C H A P T E R 11

S C I E NC E AT HOM E
Date _______________________________________________________

This month we are starting two new science themes.

1. Animals at Home
Always a favorite, this month we’re taking a
closer look at animals. If you have a pet at home,
talk about the ways your family helps meet that
animal’s needs. Or think about other animals
around your neighborhood, such as birds and bugs. Where do they live?

2. Sun Power
This month we celebrate the sun, observing how it
appears to move across the sky (and learning more
about what is really happening), as well as investigating
how this star warms the Earth. Each child in the class
will be keeping a weather calendar, noting sunny days.
You can help your child complete the calendar by noting weekend weather
together.

Wish List
Do you have materials you can donate for our science explorations? For
this month’s activities, we need:

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reminders ____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Animals at
Home
B ears and bugs. Whales and wolves. If you ask your stu-
dents to name the things they most like to learn about, you’ll
find that animals top their lists. As students set off on a class-
room safari with this month’s activities, they’ll meet up with
their favorite animals and begin to understand their needs and
how different habitats meet those needs.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: As a result of these activities, students will
recognize that the world has many different
animals and that each of these animals lives in
an environment that meets its needs.
Process Skills: observing, predicting, communicating,
comparing, collecting and recording data,
classifying, interpreting

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C H A P T E R 11 : M AY

S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
adaptation a characteristic that has habitat the natural home of an animal (or
developed in an animal (or a plant) that plant), where it finds food, water, and
helps it to survive space to survive

amphibian a cold-blooded animal that insect a small animal that has a hard
has a backbone and spends part of its covering (exoskeleton), six legs, and three
life on land and part in water; frogs are body parts
amphibians
mammal a warm-blooded animal that
animal any living creature that can move has a backbone, is covered with hair,
about by itself, has sense organs, and and can nurse its young
does not produce its own food
reptile a cold-blooded animal with a
bird a warm-blooded animal that has a backbone and scales; reptiles either have
backbone, two legs, feathers, and wings four legs or slide along on their bellies

Science on Display
Transform the science area into an interactive mural that stu-
dents create. Begin by covering the walls with craft paper. Dis-
play the title: Who Am I? Gather plenty of books about animals
and where they live, along with magazines containing pictures
of animals for inspiration and ideas. Invite students to browse
the books and magazines for pictures of favorite animals. Ask
them to use the pictures as reference to help draw their own pic-
tures of these animals (checking with you first to avoid duplica-
tion). Because they are going to be creating animal riddles,
explain that students need to keep their animal identities secret.
Students can use manila folders as screens while they work.
Provide assorted materials for students’ pictures, including
markers, colored pencils, crayons, paints, fabric scraps, yarn,
etc. Encourage children to draw their animals in their habitats.
Next, have them write riddles about their animals, including
information about where they live and what they eat. For exam-
ple: I am green. I eat flies and I live in a pond. Who am I?
When they are finished with both pictures and riddles, give
each child two pieces of colored construction paper that have
been stapled together along the top. Show students how to glue
the picture to the bottom sheet and the riddle to the top, so the
riddle covers the picture. Riddles are now ready to add to the
mural. Students can visit the display and try to guess which ani-
mal is hiding behind each riddle.

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ACTIVIT Y 1

Our Pets
Young children are just beginning to understand the ways ani-
mals depend on their environment. At this age, when they
think of animals, they often think of pets or animals in a zoo.
This makes pets an appropriate introduction to a lesson on
how habitats help meet animals’ needs. Students can then
apply what they know to an investigation of animals they are
less familiar with—broadening their understanding of habitats
as they explore and learn.
This is a perfect opportunity to revisit the concept of habi-
tats developed in Chapter 3: Discover Butterflies (see page 28.)
Remind students of the butterfly homes they built. Ask: What
did your butterflies need to live? Follow up by asking children
to describe ways people help meet the needs of animals such as
dogs or cats.

Materials
✲ chart paper
✲ reproducible Our Pet Survey (see page 269)

BOOK BREAK
1 Begin this activity by talking with students about pets.
Questions to focus the discussion include: What is a pet? What
are some examples of pets? What kind of care does a pet
Introduce children
to the needs of
need? Help students to recognize the parts of a pet’s habitat:
animals and how place (house, yard), food, and water.
people sometimes
help provide those
needs by sharing a
book about pets,
2 Divide the class into groups for a school survey. (They can use
the survey form included on page 269 or create their own.)
Have each group survey a different segment of the school
such as The House population: people who work in the main office or in the
of a Million Pets by cafeteria; teachers (by grade); etc. What kinds of pets do
Ann Hodgman (see
people have? How do they care for them? (Encourage
Resources, page 27 0 ).
Explain that pets are students to get specific information on shelter and food.)
animals that we What special needs do pets have? How are these needs met?
care for by giving
them food and
shelter. Ask
children to
3 Bring students together and compile and graph information.
Graphs the information will generate include: Kinds of Pets
(and number of each), Kinds of Food (dry/wet or by favorite
describe their own brand), Indoor/Outdoor Shelters.
pets’ habitats.

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C H A P T E R 11 : M AY

ACTIVIT Y 2

Who Lives Here?

In Activity 1, students learn how people provide habitats for
pets. Pets are easy to care for in our homes. But not all animals
would be. Most other animals have their own special habitats,
places that provide the kind of food and shelter they need. In
this activity, students look at the needs of these animals, and dis-
cover how different habitats meet those needs.

Materials
✲ book-making materials (paper, pens, pencils, markers,
etc.)
✲ scissors
✲ O-rings or other bookbinding materials

Note: This activity is a good opportunity to introduce basic research

skills. As students select animals to investigate, help them narrow
their search by providing assorted reference materials, such as Golden
Book encyclopedias, nonfiction books about animals, information
they request from local animal experts, and online reference tools (see
Resources, page 270).

1 Brainstorm animals that are close to students’ home, such as

various bugs, birds, small mammals, deer, rabbits, mice, and
squirrels. If students live near a zoo, they might want to add
zoo animals to the list. (Then follow up the activity with a visit
to the zoo, if possible.)

2 Divide the class into pairs and have each pair select an
animal. Explain that students will be researching their
animals’ habitats. You might want to guide their selections to
avoid duplication. Help them focus their research by listing
key information they need to find out:
✲ What does this animal eat?
✲ What kind of shelter does this animal need?
✲ Where does this animal make its home?
✲ How does its habitat provide for the animal’s needs?

3 Have children gather information, using index cards to

organize their notes.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Here’s a tip for your young researchers: Have them color-code

their index cards by coloring a strip across the top—a different
color for each topic. For example, green for food, blue for shel-
BOOK BREAK ter, red for special needs. Students will have fun using this tech-
As your students
nique and will have an easier time organizing information on
work on their
pages, they will their book pages.
enjoy listening to
The Salamander
Room by Anne
Mazer (see
4 When they are ready, ask each team to use their notes to
create a page about the animal’s habitat for a class flap book.
See illustrated steps for one way to construct the pages.
Resources, page Be sure that students write the information about their ani-
27 0 ). Many children mals’ habitats on the outside of the page (without naming the
will identify with
animals) and draw and label a picture of the animal in its habi-
the young boy in
this story who
tat on the paper under the flap.
brings home a
salamander. What
changes will the
boy need to make
5 Bind students’ pages into a book. Display the book at the
science area for students to read. Set up a schedule for
students to take the book home and share with families.
in his room to
meet the
salamander’s
needs?

ACTIVIT Y 3

Square by Square
After sharing the book One Small Square: Backyard by Donald M.
Silver (Freeman, 1993), discuss the idea of “one small square”
being a home to all kinds of creatures. Ask students: What ani-
mals do you think you’d meet in one small square of your back-
yard (or school play area)? Follow up with a trip outside, and
explore the earth one square at a time.

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C H A P T E R 11 : M AY

Materials
✲ yardstick or meterstick
✲ twigs or string
✲ shovel
✲ magnifiers
✲ Science Journals
✲ field books

1 Start by having students use twigs or string to mark off a

square of earth, about a yard long on each side.

2 Have students take turns digging down into the square to a

depth of about 12 to 18 inches. Remind students to be gentle
to minimize the disturbance to living creatures. Set any grass
aside (to replace later).

3 As they work, encourage students to record detailed

observations using both pictures and words: What animals live
here? What are they doing? What are they eating? (Do
nibbled leaves indicate plant eaters? Are they nearby?) What
sounds can you hear? What plants do you see? What is the soil
like? (Rocky, sandy, etc.)

4 Have students use magnifiers to take a close look at some soil,

keeping an eye out for fungus (mushrooms, molds, etc.),
small creatures (mites, ants, isopods), and small green plants.
Discuss the role soil plays in the lives of living things. (Soil
provides habitats for little creatures, minerals and nutrients
for plants). How is soil important in our lives?

5 As they work, have children map what they see, using field
books to help identify plants and animals and draw them.

6 Revisit the square at the same time on another day and at

different times. Compare observations. Remind students to
record the date and time of each visit.

7 Be sure to have students replace the soil and replant the grass
when finished.

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ACTIVIT Y 4

A Tadpole Nursery
Note: If you live in It is not uncommon this time of
an urban area and year for students to show up in the
will not be able to classroom with a jarful of frog eggs
find tadpoles or or tadpoles. And their natural fasci-
frog eggs for your nation multiplies if they can
nursery, consider observe the eggs hatching into tad-
picking up guppies poles. Here are some suggestions
at a pet store or for creating a classroom habitat for
building a bug box amphibians. Depending on the
instead. You can time of year and the amphibian
follow the directions species, students may even get to see the tadpoles fully trans-
in Chapter 3, on form into the adult stage, as they gain valuable experience in
page 30, to build a providing for the needs of animals.
butterfly home like
the one pictured Materials
here, or try this:
✲ an aquarium
✲ Place clay around
the entire inside ✲ pond water
bottom edge of a ✲ one or two rocks (large enough so that part of the rock
clean tuna can. sits above water)
✲ Roll a piece of ✲ small container of pond mud
metal mesh screen
(about 6 by 12
inches) into a
tube shape and SETTING UP
secure with
several twist ties.
Press the screen
tube into the clay.
1 Have students use a thermometer to scout out a location for
the aquarium—someplace that can be kept around room
temperature (about 62˚ to 72˚F) and is out of direct sunlight.
✲ Use the second Depending on the kind of thermometer you have, keep it
tuna can as a lid somewhere in, on, or near the tank to check the temperature.
for your bug box.
Magnifier bug boxes
are available from 2 Fill the aquarium one third to one half full of pond water.
Add mud and rocks. (The mud helps provide nutrients to the
water for the tadpoles. It will settle to the bottom.)
science supply
companies such as
Delta Education,
(800) 258-1302, 3 Add eggs or tadpoles to the aquarium. A couple dozen eggs
should be just about right.
www.delta-
education.com; and
Edmund Scientific,
(800) 728-6999,
4 After the eggs hatch (or if you already have tadpoles), you will
need to supply food. This is best done by adding more pond
water (with a little pond muck thrown in).
scientificsonline.com.

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THINGS TO DO AT THE AQUARIUM

BOOK BREAK
Revisit the concept
1 Ask students if they have ever seen a frog. What kinds of
things did they see in the frog’s habitat? (Students who
haven’t seen frogs can use information from Wendy Pfeffer’s
of metamorphosis From Tadpole to Frog (see Book Break, this page).
with From Tadpole
to Frog by Wendy
Pfeffer. Remind
students of the
changes they saw
2 Keep several hand lenses near the aquarium. Invite students
to take a close look at developing eggs and tadpoles, and to
record changes they see in their science journals.
in their butterflies
(see Chapter 3,
page 28). If
possible, look back
3 When the tadpoles have grown legs and lost their tails, they
are adult frogs and will spend time out of the water (on the
rocks). Encourage students to use field guides to identify their
together at
frogs. (It is possible that what you thought were frog eggs and
students’ earlier
journal entries. tadpoles may turn out to be toads or newts!)
How long did it
take their
caterpillars to turn
into butterflies?
4 You may wish to keep the frogs for a couple of days, so be
prepared to feed them mealworms or flies. After a couple of
days, let students decide where to release the frogs.
How long do they
think it takes
tadpoles to turn
into frogs? After
5 If the school year ends before the tadpoles become adult
frogs, try to bring in a live frog so the students can observe
the differences between the tadpole part of the life cycle and
reading the story,
compare the life the adult stage. If you can’t get a live frog, use color
cycles of these two photographs. Discuss how the life cycle of the frog compares
creatures. to that of a butterfly. Then, like you did with the butterflies,
release your wildlife into its natural habitat.

C O M M U N I T Y H E L P E R S
Animal Experts

A s students learn about different animals and

their needs, they are sure to have lots of
questions. This would be a good time to invite several
visitors to the classroom to share their expertise in
caring for different animals. Good choices include a
humane society worker, a veterinarian, or a farmer.
Also invite pet owners, including your students and
their parents. Let these guests know ahead of time that your class is learning
about the needs of animals. Another good idea is to provide guests with a list of
student questions before they arrive in your classroom. Take photographs of
each visitor. After the visit, have students dictate a story about the visit and what
they learned. Compile these visits into a class book or album.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS MATH
Interactive Animal Dictionary Look Again
Make an interactive Follow up on Activi-
animal dictionary ty 3 by inviting stu-
that will help dents to take anoth-
students learn about er look at the habi-
animals and tats they discovered
reinforce reference in one small square
skills, too. Make of earth. Working in
copies of a page divided into three pairs or small groups, have students
parts, as shown. Have each student create picture graphs of their findings.
choose an animal to research. (You can You might offer a structure for this (for
have them check with you to avoid example, graphing mammals, birds,
duplication or write names of animals amphibians, insects, fungi, plants,
on slips of paper and let students rocks, etc.) or leave it up to students to
choose at random.) Have each child decide on a plan.
write the name of the animal across
the top, draw a picture of the animal in
the bottom left, and describe the
animal in the bottom right.
Cut off the top third of each child’s
paper, mix up the order, and staple
across the top. Put the bottom sections
together and staple along the left side.
Let students play with the book in
pairs, trying to match the bottom
section with the top section.

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C H A P T E R 11 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:

Our Pet Survey Animals

at Home

Group Members __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Name of Type of Type of Where the

Owner Pet Food Pet Lives

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C H A P T E R 11 : M AY

RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

And So They Build by Bert Kitchen (Candlewick Xpeditions
Press, 1993). Discover the fascinating nests and National Geographic
homes different animals construct. Nonfiction. (www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons
From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer (Let’s-Read- /gk2.html)
and-Find-Out Science/HarperCollins, 1994). The lessons on this site are searchable by
A pond wakes up when the winter ice melts, grade level as well as by the geography
giving young readers a look at metamorphosis. standard you’re trying to address. Among
Back pages profile five different kinds of frogs. other topics, you’ll find dozens of activities on
A map shows where bullfrogs live in the animals and where they live.
United States. Nonfiction. e.encyclopedia: Animal (Dorling Kindersley, 2005).
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry (Harcourt This resource is the result of a collaborative
Brace Jovanovich, 1990). As a tree-cutting effort between Dorling Kindersley and
laborer sleeps under the kapok tree, animals Google. It combines online learning with the
from the rain forest visit him and tell him of breadth of an encyclopedia. Want to know
the need to preserve the trees. Fiction. more about a particular animal? Begin your
research with the book and then visit the Web
The House of a Million Pets by Ann Hodgman (Holt,
site that supports it (and keeps the URLs
2007). This memoir delights readers with
current). Students will find cross-referencing
entertaining anecdotes about raising and
throughout the text, spectacular photographs,
caring for ordinary and extraordinary pets.
and oodles of information.
Fiction.
One Small Square: Backyard and One Small Square:
Pond by Donald M. Silver (Freeman, 1993 and
1995). Like others in the acclaimed One Small
Square series, these books introduce children
to the richness of life in different habitats.
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer (Knopf,
1991). A young boy brings a salamander
home, then begins thinking about the changes
that would need to happen in his own room
to meet the needs of the salamander. Fiction.

FOR TEACHERS
mammalabilia by Douglas Florian (Voyager, 2004).
A collection of playful animal poems
accompanied by the poet’s own illustrations.
Share these poems aloud.
Story Stretchers for the Primary Grades by Shirley C.
Raines and Robert J. Canady (Gryphon
House, 1992). Several chapters highlight
books and activities to help students learn
more about animals and their habitats.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

Sun
Power
I t is responsible for lighting and heating the Earth, the
appearance of day and night, the seasons, the wind, the food
we eat, even rainbows! It’s easy to see why people for centuries
have celebrated the sun. Your students will probably have their
own reasons for celebrating the sun, namely warm weather to
play outside! Take advantage of these sunny days to introduce
your students to the powers of the sun.

Science Concepts and Skills

Concepts: Students will observe that the sun appears to
move across the sky in the same way every
day. They will also observe that the sun
provides the light and heat necessary to warm
the Earth.
Process Skills: observing, inferring, predicting, measuring,
collecting and recording data, comparing,
classifying, interpreting

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S c i e n c e D i c t i o n a r y
heat a form of energy that makes colors of a rainbow are always in this
something feel warm or hot order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
indigo, violet
light energy that allows us to see
sun the star that is closest to Earth; it is a
rainbow a band of colors created by the medium-sized star; the sun provides our
sun’s light passing through water; the planet with heat and light

Science on Display
Cut out a large sun from yellow craft paper. Outline the sun
with orange marker. Ask students to think of words that
describe the sun, listing them on the sun shape. Display the sun
in the science area in a spot where students can easily read or
add to the words.
Now cut out rays of yellow and orange paper. Ask students
to name some things they can do because of the sun. (For
example: “I can go swimming on sunny days” and “The sun
helps dry our wet clothes.”) Write a few of their ideas on the
rays (one per ray) and attach them to the sun display. Place
extra rays at the display and invite students to add to the sun as
they discover new ways the sun works for them.
Set up a calendar for the month at the science area where
students will record sunny days. They can write in the dates and
take turns observing the weather each day and drawing a pic-
ture of the sun on the days it is shining.
Students revisit the concept of weather this month as they
track sunny days and record their observations. Use the May
Science Journal page (see page 282) to have students record
the number of sunny days this month. This page is similar to
the reproducible journal page for April, when students tracked
rainy days. For each sunny day, have students cut out a sun and
paste it on the calendar in the appropriate space. Questions on
the calendar page invite students to analyze the data.

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 1

Sunlight and Heat

This experiment gives you an opportunity to revisit the concept
of evaporation and how the sun aids in the evaporation process.

PART 1

Materials
✲ thermometers (for each student or pair)
✲ Sunlight and Heat: Part 1 Science Journal page
(see page 281)

1 Take students outside on a sunny day, equipped with

reproducible charts and pencils. Ask everyone to find a sunny
place to sit. After several minutes ask: Can you feel the sun?
How does it feel? (Warm on skin and clothing.)

2 Hand out thermometers. Ask students to read the

temperatures on their thermometers and record this
information on their charts (under 0 Minutes in Sun).

3 Ask students to set their thermometers in their sunny spots,

wait five minutes, then read and record the temperature again
(under 5 Minutes in Sun). While they are waiting, students
can record predictions and scout out a shady spot.

4 Gather at the shady spot. Again, have students set down their
thermometers and wait five minutes before reading and
recording the temperature (under 5 Minutes in Shade).
While waiting, ask them how they think the shady spot
temperatures will compare with the sunny spot temperatures
(higher, lower, no change). They can record these predictions
on the chart under Prediction: 5 Minutes in Shade.

5 Discuss students’ data. What can they learn from their charts?
Where were the temperatures the warmest? Coolest? Why
were the temperatures different? How did the results compare
with their predictions?

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C H A P T E R 11 : M AY

PART 2

Materials
✲ thermometers
✲ cups of cold water
✲ Sunlight and Heat: Part 2 Science Journal page
(see page 282)

1 Have students review their temperature charts from Part 1.

Ask them to predict and record what they think will happen if
they set a cup of cold water in a sunny spot.

2 Give each student or pair of students a thermometer and a

cup of cold water. Have them measure the temperature of the
cold water and record this temperature on the worksheet.

3 Have students place the cups in a sunny location, leaving their

thermometers in the cups. What do they think the
temperature will be in 30 minutes? Again they should record
predictions, check the thermometer after a half hour, and
record the temperature on the worksheet.

4 Gather students together to discuss their observations. What

happened to the cup of cold water? Besides measuring the
temperature, were there other ways they could tell the
temperature of the water had changed? (By touching it.)

5 A fun way to finish up this activity is to have students make

sun tea. Fill a large, clean jar with water. Add herbal tea bags.
(Most boxes will recommend a number of bags per amount of
water. Try strawberry!) Have students describe what they see
happening as the water warms in the sun.

Note: As students wait for their tea to brew, ask: What do you think
would happen to a cup of water left in a sunny spot? They may
remember from Chapter 10 that the water will eventually disappear.
Would water left in a shady spot disappear, too? Place one cup of
water in a sunny spot and one cup in a spot that does not receive
direct sunlight. Draw lines on both cups indicating the water level.
Let students check on the cups every few days and record observations
on chart paper. They will discover that the cup in the sunnier location
evaporates more quickly, thanks to the sun’s heat!

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 2

Catch a Rainbow
Capture the sun’s light to find and investigate rainbows.

Materials
✲ glass of water (large enough to hold a small mirror)
✲ small mirror
✲ piece of white paper
✲ prism (optional)
Note: You’ll need
to do this activity
on a clear, sunny
day.
1 Ask students to share stories about rainbows they’ve seen (in
real life or books). What does a rainbow look like? What
colors do we see in rainbows?

2 Place the mirror at an angle in the glass of water. Turn the

glass so that the mirror is facing the sun. Hold the piece of
white paper in front of the glass so that students can better
see the colors produced as the sun’s light bounces off of the
mirror and passes back through the water.

3 Have students identify the colors they see. Explain that these
colors always occur in the same sequence in rainbows. An easy
way to remember the sequence is to introduce students to
ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).

BOOK BREAK
Before beginning
4 Explain how a rainbow in the sky is produced in the same
way: As the sun’s light passes through raindrops, the light is
broken into colors that we see as a rainbow.
Activity 3, invite
students to share
All the Colors of
the Rainbow by
5 If you have a prism, set it out as well, so students can see the
resulting rainbow.
Allan Fowler. (See
Resources, page
283.) This story is 6 Let students make rainbows of their own using watercolor
paints. (If you have any rainwater saved from Chapter 10, use
this instead of tap water.)
rich in images and
will inspire your
students’ own
language as they
discuss their
observations in the
following activity.

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ACTIVIT Y 3

Does the Sun Move?

Students observe the apparent movement of the sun during the
school day.

Note: Before this Materials

activity, determine
which way is north ✲ chart paper
if you are standing ✲ yellow or orange marker
in the school yard. ✲ black marker
As with Activity 2,
it’s best if you do
this activity on a
clear day.
1 Take students outside early in the school day. Have them
stand facing north with their arms out to their sides. Which of
their arms is pointing toward the sun? This is east. Explain
that the sun rises in the east every day.
CAUTION
Remind students
that they are not
to look directly
2 Return to the classroom and, on chart paper, draw a picture
of a person standing. (You can do this step outside, too, if you
prefer.) Have students help you determine where they should
at the sun, as add the sun to this chart. Draw the sun on the chart in the
this can harm proper location. Write the time of day under the sun and
their eyes. label this side of the chart “east.”

3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 several times throughout the course of

the school day. Each time, have students determine where the
sun is in relation to their own bodies (for example, at noon
the sun will be directly overhead). Record their observations
of the sun’s location on the chart, indicating the time of day
each time. Explain that, by the end of the day, their arms will
be pointing west, because the sun sets in the west every day.

Note: Young chil-

dren may believe
that the sun moves
4 Encourage students to go home and make the following
observations over a period of a few days:
✲ When they get up in the morning, on which side of their
across the sky each house is the sun shining?
day. The next two
activities (3 and 4) ✲ When they are getting ready to go to bed, on which side
will help them begin of their house is the sun shining?
to understand that
it is Earth’s move- Help students recognize that the pattern is always the same.
ment that gives us Encourage children to notice a similar pattern with the moon.
night and day. (Like the sun, the moon rises in the east and sets in the west.)

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 A YEAR OF HANDS-ON SCIENCE

ACTIVIT Y 4

Day and Night

From the time they can talk, children wonder about day and
night. Where does the sun go? Why do we have dark? This activ-
ity helps children to answer some of their questions and to bet-
ter understand this part of their daily lives.

Materials
✲ lamp or flashlight
✲ What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn Branley (see
Resources, page 283)

BOOK BREAK
Read Why the Sun
and the Moon Live
in the Sky by
Elphinstone
1 Ask: Why do we have day and night? Listen carefully to
students’ responses. (Write down their answers so that all of
you can later examine any changes in their understanding.)
Dayrell. (See re-
sources, page 283.)
This retelling
of an African
2 Begin reading the book aloud. When you get to the experiment
on pages 22 and 23, let students do the activity themselves:
legend describes ✲ Begin by having one student be the sun (the light
how the sun and source) and another the Earth.
the moon once
✲ Turn on the lamp or flashlight and have the sun hold it.
lived on Earth, until
water pays a visit Have Earth stand, left side facing the sun. Explain that
and forces them this is like sunrise, when the sun comes up in the
out with floods. morning.
Where do they go? ✲ Ask Earth to slowly turn until he or she is completely
The sky, naturally. facing the sun. This is the middle of the day.
✲ Now have Earth make another quarter turn, so that his
or her right arm is pointing toward the sun. This is
sunset.
✲ Finally, ask Earth to make another quarter turn until his
or her back is toward the sun. This is nighttime.

3 Let each student have an opportunity to act out this routine.

4 Finish reading the book. Guide students in making

connections between Activity 3, where the sun seems to move
across the sky, and this activity, where the Earth actually turns
to create day and night.

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C H A P T E R 11 : M AY

Curriculum Connections
LANGUAGE ARTS Remind them to press hard with the
Day and Night crayons. (The heavier the crayon
application, the better the results.) Set
Have students
pictures in a sunny spot and watch
brainstorm a list of
what happens. After a while, the heat
things they do and
from the sun will begin to melt the
see during the day
crayon wax. When pictures are heated
and the night. Use
up and the colors are sticky, have
two separate pieces
students press plain white paper over
of chart paper to list
the top of the sandpaper pictures and
their ideas. Let students use the list as a
gently rub without moving the paper.
reference to make a day-and-night book.
When students peel off the paper,
First, give each student two pieces
they’ll have prints of their sun designs.
of white paper, cut to about 6-inch
Display in the room with a sign that
squares. On one piece, students
announces your students’ sun art.
illustrate and describe something that
they do or see during the day. On the
second piece, they illustrate and ART
describe something that they do or see Sun Tambourines
at night. Have students center and glue
their daytime pictures to yellow Provide each child with
construction paper and their night two white paper plates
pictures to black construction paper. and some dried beans.
Students can add sun designs to the Have each child place a
yellow border and sticky stars to the few dried beans on one
black border. Glue yellow and black plate, cover with the
sheets back-to-back, then stack all other, then staple around
pages so that yellow is facing up. Bind the rim. Pass out yellow crepe-paper
with O-rings. streamers and have children staple
them around the rim, then paint the
plates yellow. When the plates are dry,
ART children can glue on glitter accents, if
Sun and Sandpaper Pictures desired. Students can use their sun
Students can use old tambourines to
crayons for this sunny art keep time to
project. Cut up sheets of sunny-sounding
sandpaper into four music
equal pieces. Have selections
students use the crayons (especially
to color pictures of the appreciated on
sun or other designs on the sandpaper. cloudy days).

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 C H A P T E R 11 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L P A G E

THEME:
Name _________________________________________________________________________________ Sun
Power

May
Write in the dates on this calendar for May.
How many sunny days do you think there will be this month?
Write your prediction here. ___________________________________

Each sunny day, cut out a sun and glue it to that day. How
many days were sunny in May? ______________________
How does this compare with your prediction?
_________________________________________________________________

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C H A P T E R 11 : M AY

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 C H A P T E R 11 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L P A G E

THEME:
Name ___________________________________________________ Sun
Power

Sunlight and Heat: Part 1

DATA COLLECTION CHART

O Minutes in Sun 5 Minutes in Sun 5 Minutes in Shade

My Prediction

Actual Temp.

Where were the temperatures the warmest? ________________________

Where were the temperatures the coolest? __________________________

Why were the temperatures different? _________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

How did your results compare with your predictions? ____________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

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C H A P T E R 11 : S C I E N C E J O U R N A L PA G E

THEME:
Name ___________________________________________________ Sun
Power

Sunlight and Heat: Part 2

Make a prediction. The temperature of the water in the sunny
spot will be: the same ________ higher ________ lower ________

Before you place the After 30 minutes in

cup in the sun: Color the sun: Color in the
in the thermometer thermometer to show
to show the the temperature
temperature of of the water.
the water.

Write a sentence about what happened to the water in

the sun.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

On the back of this paper, draw a picture that shows you

doing a favorite sunny-day activity.

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RESOURCES

FOR CHILDREN TECHNOLOGY CONNECTIONS

All the Colors of the Rainbow (Rookie Read-About Welcome to the Universe (Virtual Exhibit)
Science) by Allan Fowler (Grolier, 1999). A Museum of Science, Boston, MA
book that helps answer some of the many (www.mos.org/educators/student_resources/
science questions children have about virtual_exhibits)
rainbows. Nonfiction. Want to see what the moon looked like the
The Sun: Our Nearest Star by Franklyn Branley day you were born? That’s just one of the
(HarperCollins, 1988). The importance of the exciting things you can do when you visit this
sun to our everyday existence is described. site that offers a compendium of links for
Nonfiction. learning about the cosmos.
Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons (Harcourt Exploratorium
Brace Jovanovich, 1983). Just about everything (www.exploratorium.edu/educate/index.html)
a child needs to know about the sun is here. Visit Tools for Teaching—offered through
Nonfiction. Exploratorium, a museum of science, art, and
human perception based in San Francisco.
What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn Branley
Since 1993 this Web site has been providing
(HarperCollins, 1986). An excellent
exciting online opportunities for visitors to
explanation for young children as to why we
explore diverse science topics. Resources
have day and night. Nonfiction.
include access to Exploratorium’s digital
Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by library (check out the eclipse photos!),
Elphinstone Dayrell (Houghton Mifflin, science experiment how-to’s, Webcasts, online
1987). This retelling of an African legend exhibits, and much more.
describes how the sun and the moon once
lived on Earth, but were forced by visiting
water’s floods to move to the sky. A Caldecott
Honor book. Fiction.

FOR TEACHERS
How Come by Kathy Wollard (Workman, 1993). If
you’re looking for a handy resource to help
you find answers to your students’ questions,
you’ll appreciate this book. It has easy-to-
understand (and entertaining) answers to
questions about everyday, science-related
phenomena.
Stars by Herbert Zim (Golden Press, 1985). A
simple, pocket-size field guide to the stars,
including the sun.

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GLOSSARY

adaptation a characteristic that has developed in an animal (or plant)

that helps it to survive

amphibian a cold-blooded animal that has a backbone and spends

part of its life on land and part in water; frogs are
amphibians

animal any living creature that can move about by itself, has sense
organs, and does not produce its own food

bear a large mammal; three kinds of bears live in North America:

the black bear, the grizzly bear, and the polar bear; all go
into a winter sleep; black and grizzly bears enter their period
of winter sleep when food is scarce, usually during winter
months; but polar bears can enter into winter sleep at any
time of the year if food is scarce

Beaufort scale a measure of how strong the wind is blowing; wind speed is
often estimated using this scale

bird a warm-blooded animal that has a backbone, feathers,

wings, two legs, and breathes through lungs; there are more
than 9,000 species of birds in the world

butterfly the adult stage of this colorful, winged insect

caterpillar the larval or wormlike stage of a butterfly or moth

chrysalis the hard shell covering the pupa

clouds billions of tiny water drops or ice crystals; as water vapor rises
into the atmosphere, it cools; as it cools it condenses and
turns into water drops or ice crystals; the droplets or the ice
crystals combine with particles of dust or dirt to form a cloud;
the shape, size, and color of a cloud can help us forecast
the weather

condensation the process by which water vapor cools and turns into drops
of water

conifer trees, such as evergreens, that have needles and cones

constellation a pattern of stars that forms an imaginary picture; there are

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 GLOSSARY

88 recognized constellations, but only a few of these can be

seen year-round; constellations that can be viewed all year
are called circumpolar constellations, because they are
found in the area of the night sky located around the poles
of the Earth; Ursa Major (contains the Big Dipper) and Ursa
Minor (contains the Little Dipper) are circumpolar
constellations in the Northern Hemisphere

crater a bowl-shaped dent or hole made when something like a

meteoroid crashes into a surface

deciduous trees that shed all of their leaves during autumn; leaves on
these trees are usually broadleaf, unlike the needle-like
leaves found on conifers (evergreens); oaks, maples, and
birches are examples of deciduous trees

den a cave or shelter for an animal; bears go to dens for the

winter, where they sleep until spring comes again

dormancy the way some animals cope with winter by “sleeping” for
(or winter sleep) part of the winter; a dormant bear’s body temperature
drops a little below normal (from about 100˚F to 88˚F) and its
heart rate drops to almost 8 beats per minute (from 50 to 80
beats per minute when active); during winter sleep a bear
lives entirely off its stored body fat

drag the air resistance that happens to aircraft as they move

forward; opposite of thrust

evaporation the process by which water (a liquid) turns into water vapor
(a gas); heat speeds up evaporation because as water
molecules warm up they move faster, and evaporate more
quickly

freezing when it is cold enough for ice to form

frost frozen water vapor

fruit the part of the plant that forms around the seeds; fruits are
usually wet and fleshy (like peaches and berries) or dry and
hard (like walnuts and pea pods); there are some fruits that
people often think of as vegetables (like tomatoes)

germinate to start growing; the amount of time it takes a seed to

germinate varies from plant to plant; some seeds may
germinate in hours, while others may need weeks, months,
even years to germinate

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gravity a downward pulling force

habitat the natural home of an animal (or plant) where it finds food,
water, and space to survive

heart a muscular organ that pumps blood through the body

heart rate number of beats per minute; in adults the heart contracts or
pumps blood about 70 times each minute; for children ages
six to eight the average beats per minute is 65 to 130
(resting)

heat a form of energy that makes something feel warm or hot

hibernation a deep sleep that animals go into during winter; true

hibernators (such as bats, chipmunks, and many rodents)
experience a drop in body temperature that is just above
freezing; the breathing rates of animals that hibernate slow
down; if disturbed, true hibernators take several hours to
rouse, whereas bears remain relatively alert and can get up
right away if they need to

ice water that has become solid; pure water freezes at 32˚F

insect a small animal that has a hard covering (exoskeleton), six

legs, and three body parts

larva the second stage of metamorphosis, when the insect is

wormlike and wingless

leaf the part of the plant where food for the plant is made

magnet an object made from iron and ore that can push or pull
objects made of iron or steel

lift a force that helps keep flying things aloft, or in the air

light energy that allows us to see

mammal a warm-blooded animal that has a backbone, is covered

with hair, and can nurse its young

metamorphosis the changes that happen during a lifetime

migration the movement of some animals from one place to another

to find food and shelter

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moon a huge ball of rock; the closest planetary body to our planet

moon phases new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full
moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, waning crescent (every
28 days the moon passes through all its phases); the phase or
appearance of the moon depends on how much of the
sunlit half of the moon we are able to see from Earth; if you
look closely at the moon during the various phases
(excluding full moon), you will probably see the part of the
moon that is in Earth’s shadow

nutrition the kinds of foods we need to stay healthy, including

proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and some
fiber; examples of these nutrients are found in the food
pyramid

opaque something that you can’t see through, like a notebook

penguin a mostly black-and-white bird that lives near the oceans in

the Southern Hemisphere; there are 18 species of penguins

photosynthesis the way plants use sunlight to make food

precipitation the solid (snow, hail, frost) and liquid (rain) states of water
that fall from the sky

pulse the way arteries throb when the heart contracts

pupa the third stage of metamorphosis, when the larva is changing

into the adult insect inside a hard shell or cocoon; also
called a chrysalis

push and pull forces that cause motion

rainbow a band of colors created by the sun’s light passing through

water; the colors of a rainbow are always in this order: red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet

rain gauge the instrument used to measure rainfall

relief the changes or ups and downs in a surface

reptile a cold-blooded animal with a backbone and scales; reptiles

either have four legs or slide along on their bellies

seed the part of a plant that contains a tiny new plant; the new
plant, located inside the seed, is called an embryo; there is

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also food inside the seed to nourish the embryo; these are
called cotyledons; the seeds are surrounded and protected
by the plant’s fruit

shadow a dark shape that is made when an object blocks out the
light

shooting stars these are not stars at all; they are meteors, or glowing
chunks of rock moving through space at great speed; a
“shooting star” may be spotted on any night, but there are
times of the year when there are meteor showers and many
meteors per hour can be seen; the most productive meteor
shower of the year happens to fall during the first days of
January (see Highlights of the Month, page 137)

snow tiny six-sided ice crystals; each crystal is different, but every
crystal is hexagonal (six-sided)

soil the top layer of the Earth where plants can grow; there are
four basic types of soil: clay, silt, sand, and loam

star a ball of gas that can be seen in the night sky as a small
point of light; stars come in different sizes and colors; the star
nearest to our planet is the sun; stars differ from the planets
and our moon in that they give off their own light (Planets
and the moon shine because they reflect light from the sun.)

storm a very strong wind that usually includes rain, snow, or hail
and sometimes thunder and lightning

sun the star that is closest to Earth; it is a medium-sized star; the

sun provides our planet with heat and light
temperature a measure of how hot or cold something is; we measure
temperature with a thermometer
thermometer an instrument for measuring how hot or cold something is;
when the liquid inside a thermometer is heated, the liquid
expands and moves up the tube; when the liquid cools, it
contracts and moves down the tube

thrust the force that pushes an aircraft forward

translucent something that you can see through, but not clearly, like a
piece of wax paper

transparent something you can see through clearly, like window glass

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water cycle the movement of water from clouds to the Earth and back
to the clouds again; the rain falling today is the made up of
the same water that fell on Earth as rain millions of years ago

weather a description of the conditions outside, including

temperature, precipitation, and wind

wind moving air; as air is warmed by the sun, it rises, and colder,
denser air moves in to replace it; the direction and strength
of the wind is influenced by geographical features like
mountains, deserts, and bodies of water; the direction of the
wind, determined by where the wind is blowing from, often
affects our weather

wind vane instrument used to show wind direction

winter the time of year when, in the Northern Hemisphere, the

Earth’s axis is pointing away from the sun; as a result, the
sun’s rays are hitting this part of the Earth at more of an
angle and are scattered over a larger area, so they do not
heat the Earth as much as the more direct rays of summer

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