FINDING TIME TO INCORPORATE SCIENCE INTO

YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE – INEXPENSIVELY!

PRESENTED BY: KRISTEN POINDEXTER

KINDERGARTEN TEACHERSPRING MILL ELEMENTARY

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

Science!  

Do you have this problem?

You don’t have enough time in your day to include Science?

Do you want to include some science, but feel like you don’t have enough materials?

You want to “do” science, but you’re not sure how to include it without breaking the bank?

You’re in the right place!

Today we’re going to…

Represent the lifecycle of the Monarch Butterfly in two ways and help The Very Hungry Caterpillar turn into a butterfly!

Make Beanie Baby necklaces to learn about plant growth

Grow Jack’s Beanstalk!Make a Garden Monster!We’re also going to look at other inexpensive

science ideas and take a tour of my classroom blog!

Mouse Paint

Mouse Paint

Mouse Paint

Mouse Paint

We explored mixing colors in several ways: Shampoo and food coloring in plastic baggies Melting different color ice cubes Exploring with markers and crayons Painting with watercolors Plastic color paddles Color mixing tubes

Monarch Butterflies

Here are some great books that along with Monarch Butterflies:

Squishy Bags

Squishy bags are a fun way to incorporate science and sensory!

egg

caterpillarchrysalis

butterfly

You will need…

One snack size baggieOne clear beadOne pipe cleaner partOne leafOne butterfly beadAbout 2 tablespoons of hair gel

READY, SET, GO!

Why do we want to learn about Monarch Butterflies?

There are fewer and fewer of them migratingScientists cannot figure out how they know to

migrate to Mexico every yearTie in cultural celebrations You can send symbolic butterflies to Mexico

each year through JourneyNorth.org

Monarch Bracelets

You will need:One clear bead (egg)One black bead (head) Three yellow beads (body of caterpillar)Three green beads (chrysalis)One butterfly bead (butterfly—can use orange

beads)

Monarch Lifecycle Bracelets

Monarch Butterfly Song

To the tune of “Up on the Housetop”

First comes a butterfly and lays an egg,Out comes a caterpillar with many legs,Oh see the caterpillar spin and spin A little chrysalis to sleep inOh, oh, oh wait and see, Oh, oh, oh wait and seeOut of the chrysalis my oh my!Out comes a Monarch Butterfly!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Using a coffee filter (the more triangular shaped ones), you can turn The Very Hungry Caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly!

Ice

We are usually studying weather at this time or have had a winter storm

Ice

Ice

Jack and the Beanstalk

Seeds

Seeds

Seeds

Seeds

Seeds

Seeds

Seeds

Seeds

Let’s make Garden Monsters

To make a Garden Monster…

You will need: One 6x6 square of tulle One cup/scoop of dirt or potting soil A small handful of grass seed Zip ties Glue dots Wiggly eyes Roofing nails Small cups or lids water

Garden Monsters…

Take your 6x6 square of tulle and lay it flat on the table. Pour your grass seed into the middle of the square and then cover with all your dirt.

Gather up all the corners of your tulle into a very tight ball (making sure all the dirt and grass seed is inside).

Zip tie the bottom shut. Get two roofing nails and apply ½ of a glue dot to the flat part of each nail. Attach a wiggly eye to each glue dot and insert them into your Garden Monster

Set onto cup and water lightly…watch them grow!You can also plant herbs or flower seeds in their heads

and can put the grass seed in different designs!

Books about Seeds

Seeds by Ken Robbins The Tiny Seed (World of Eric Carle) by Eric

Carle Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! by Nancy Elizabeth

WallaceFrom Seed to Plant (Rookie Read-About Science)

by Allan Fowler From Seed to Plant (Rookie Read-About Science)

by Allan Fowler What Kinds of Seeds Are These? by Heidi

Roemer

Sponge Gardens

You can also use kitchen sponges and grass seed to make sponge gardens.

The kids can “mow” them and watch how grass grows!

Each child can have their own yard, or you can put them together to have a bigger yard.

Seeds

Other ideas about seeds:Explore the differences between seeds and

bulbsAsk children to match seeds with seed

packetsChallenge children to make a “Seed Book”

where they glue on the seeds and then write the names in

Planting Magic Beans!

You will need one cd case for each student or one case for each pair of students.

The hinges of the CD case should be at the top. That way you can stand them up and dirt won’t fall out. Also this leaves a nice hole at the top for watering the plants with droppers.

Plant your bean high in the soil. If you plant it toward the bottom the roots will grow out the bottom! You can also use a paper towel!!

Tape the bottom shut. This will keep roots from growing out the bottom, and curious fingers from opening the case.

Use masking tape and permanent markers to label whose plant is whose. Around day 5 or so I un-taped the cases overnight so that they could have a

little bit of space to grow. I taped them back in the morning. By day 7 or so, you will be ready to label your plants. We used paint pens.

Plant your bean with the concave side down. It should resemble the letter “n,” not the letter “u.” I didn’t tell my kids this. I just let them discover it… which was a nice learning experience. Just depends on which way you’d rather teach it.

Planting Magic Beans

Planting Magic Beans

Planting Magic Beans

Planting Magic Beans

cotyledon

Planting Magic Beans

You will need:One CD case2-3 magic beansOne paper towelMarker (to write your name on the outside)

Fold your paper towel in ¼’s, then in ½ again. Dampen the paper towel. Place in the bottom of your CD case. Place beans on paper towel, close, label with your name.

Beanie Babies

This is a great activity to help children learn to grow and care for a plant

The children will wear them as necklaces and their body heat will help them grow and germinate.

They are called Beanie Babies because they are soybeans!

Beanie Babies

209.235.214.238/pdf/meetthebean.pdf

Beanie Babies

You will need:One small zip bagOne hole punch2-3 soybeans1 cotton ballStringWater

Punch a hole in the top of your zip bag and put the string through. Place one damp cotton ball in the bottom of the bag. Place 2-3 soybeans on top of the cotton ball. Seal the bag and place around your neck, under your shirt (you need the heat to help it germinate).

Compost

Compost

Compost

Compost

Compost

Compost

Other ideas about compost:Children supply the food and record when

and what they addedChildren measure the worms once a month to

chart growthWrite our own Diary of a Worm storiesWe use the compost to plant milkweed in our

nature center and to help our mother’s day plants grow

Questions??

E-mail: kpoindexter@msdwt.k12.in.us

Blog: www.kpoindexter.wordpress.com

Thanks for coming!