Just the mentioning of the word science sparks our kiddos excitement and ours as teachers…I mean what better way to elicit higher order thinking than to perform experiments! Although experimenting is a HUGE part of science, we wanted our students to have an understanding of what it really means to be a scientist. Therefore, we have created a mini unit consisting of rules, terms, and tools. Our students absolutely LOVED the tools matching game (a.k.a. memory). You can see a sneak peek below.
In addition to the basics, we also felt it was essential as “scientists” to understand and USE the scientific method. After students learned the method by reading the steps on the kid friendly posters, they got to experiment. What better way to truly understand the scientific method than to utilize it in action! Some of the experiments consisted of using candy (their favorites of course). Others in the pack are titled “Salt Art,” “Balloon Rockets,” and “Homemade Bouncy Balls.” Honestly by the end of unit, our students could not only recite the steps of the scientific method, but they could tell us when and how they used each step while conducting their experiments…this was a slam dunk moment for us!
At the end of the packet are several assessments on tools, terms, and the scientific method. Students also will be awarded a certificate congratulating them on their hard work and informing them they are now ready to be “real scientists.” This gave our kiddos the extra confidence to tackle any science experiment in the future! Click on the picture below to check it out at our TPT store!
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