ECD 133 SCIENCE

LEARNING AREA PLAN

Mounia Belkasmi

SCIENCE CONCEPTS:

Shows an increasing awareness that animals and plants go through a lifecycle, consisting of birth or germination, growth and development, reproduction, and death

Identifies more detailed physical characteristics of a specific animal

Can compare observable similarities and differences among living things

Talks about baby animals , mommies and daddies and growing bigger with reference to self

Is aware that Metamorphosis describes a form of development in which there is a series of distinct stages from egg to adult

SCIENCE SKILLS:

Observes various plants and animals noticing similarities and differences in appearance

Uses hand lens to better see details of plants and animals

Makes simple drawings that may incorporate one characteristics of a plant or animal

Mentions various characteristics Connects observations and data from multiple

explorations, identifying patterns and relationships and stating conclusions

Describes parts of the life cycle of plants or animals

Makes very basic comparisons of animals and plants in different stages of life

VOCABULARY:

Metamorphosis : many growing stages where you notice big body changes

Marsupial : a mammal that has a pouch on its body Cubs: baby lions or bears or babies of some other kinds of

meat –eating animals Mammal: an animal that has hair or fur on its body and

drinks its mother’s milk when it is young Amphibian: an animal that lives under water when it is

young and lives on land as an adult Reptile: an animal hat has soft scaly skin that sheds as it

grows Hatch: to break out of an egg Fawn: a baby deer Molting: shedding skin Germinate: grow from seed caterpillar: a butterfly’s form early in its life

MATERIALS:

Various books about animal and plants life cycles :used to show the similarities and differences in the way animal grow

Animal Puzzles :is used as visual support to match baby and mommy animals

Produce plastic container (strawberry container): is used as a habitat for the snail to facilitate the observation and exploration

Gravel :used to layer the snail’s habitat

Soil: also used for a layer in the snail’s habitat

Rocks : used as a layer and also as an obstacle for the snail to climb on

MATERIALS(CONTINUED) climb on

Grass: is used to provide the natural feel within the snail’s habitat

Sticks or bark: is used as part of the natural habitat for the snail

Leaf: natural additions to the snail’s habitat and also as a soft cushion

Snail food: fresh green leaves, vegetable pieces, small plants with roots : used to provide the snail with the necessary nutrients for growth and reproduction

Crushed limestone and flour mixture : used to provide the snail with calcium

Distilled water: to moisten the soil, the paper towel and drinking water for the snail

MATERIALS(CONTINUED)

Spray bottles: to dampen the Ziplocs to germinate the beans and to moisten the soil for the snail

Dark paper: to provide the necessary coverage and darkness for the snail’s activities

Clear zip lock sandwich bags : used to germinate the beans

Dry beans : to explore the germination and planting experience

Paper towels: used to germinate the beans

Permanent marker: used to mark the Ziploc bags and keep up with the growth in a daily basis

MATERIALS(CONTINUED)

patterns of the life cycle of butterfly: used to teach the life cycle of the butterfly

Matching cards for animals and their babies: match the parents to the baby animals

Crayons: to draw the different representations from each activity

Paper: to draw the different representations from each activity

BOOK SUGGESTIONS

Title: Animal life Cycles Author: Kalman, Bobbie Summary: mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects

all go through a certain pattern and change from being a baby to growing into an adult

Potential: teach about the similarities and differences in lifecycles of animals

BOOK SUGGESTIONS:

Title: Metamorphosis : Changing BabiesAuthor: Kalman, BobbieSummary: change is the name of the game for some babies that look nothing like their parentsPotential: teach about the animals that go through a complete change and the ones that undergo a partial change , all while teaching about the stages themselves

BOOK SUGGESTIONS:

Title: Baby Animals Author: Published by Kingfisher Readers Summary: Starting with familiar baby animals like puppies and kittens and working through a wider range of species, this book takes a close look at all aspects of the lives of animals. Potential: Readers learn their own place in the animal world—human babies are baby animals too. Throughout

the book, new words are introduced—fawn, calf, chick—and a glossary at the end reinforces new words. That’s in addition to the visual connections between the baby and the adult stages.

BOOK SUGGESTIONS:

Title: From Seed o PlantAuthor: Gail GibbonsSummary: Explores the intricate relationship between seeds and the plants which they producePotential: teach the germination process and what kind of changes happen to the seed to make it into a plant as well as the different needs of the plants such as: water, sun, heat, and air to grow.

BOOK SUGGESTIONS:

Title: From Egg to Butterfly (Start to Finish, Second) Author: Shannon Zemlicka Summary: How does an egg become a butterfly? Follow each step in nature's cycle—from egg to brightly colored insect Potential: Can be used to teach about the life cycle of the butterfly and the complete change it goes through until it reaches adulthood, the similarities and differences

within the butterflies and also can be used as a starter for scientific conversations about other animals, and insects that go through the same process

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES:Activity title: Make a Snail Home

What you need: Are you a Snail? book, Produce plastic container (strawberry container) Gravel , Soil , Rocks , Grass , Sticks or bark, Leaf Snail food: fresh green leaves, vegetable pieces, small plants with roots Crushed limestone and flour mixture (for snail calcium) , Distilled water , Spray bottles , Dark paper What you do: To start read the book for the children and work with them in identifying the physical characteristics of the snail

in comparison to other animals, then discuss ways of making a home for the snail to be able to observe even further and be able to see the snail’s various stages of life cycle. To prepare the snail home, layer the bottom of the other aquarium with gravel. Place two inches or more of moist soil on top of the gravel. Place food for the snails on top of the soil and add rocks, sticks, and grass to give the home a natural look. Sprinkle a bit of the crushed limestone and flour mixture in container as well. Add a leaf for shade. Keep the container covered with a piece of dark paper when not being used by children for observation. Add snails to the temporary homes. Place the container on a table in a cool area of the room where children can sit and observe the activities of the snails. Include pencils, magnifying glasses, and spray bottles filled with distilled water. Encourage children to record daily observations of the snails in science journals with words and drawings. Keep the soil in the container moist with the spray bottles. Show children how to mist the soil so that it becomes damp but not waterlogged. Release the animals back into the wild when the unit is complete.

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES:

Activity Title: Garden in a Bag What You Need Clear zip lock sandwich bags , Dry beans, Paper towels , Permanent marker What to do: Start by reading this book on how plants grow, From Seed to Plant (Rookie Read-About Science) and ask the children questions such as : What happens to a seed when you plant it in the soil?

Explain that When we plant seeds they first sprout or “germinate.” When planted in the soil, are we able to see the first sprout push out of the seed coat or see the root system? In this activity, you will be able to observe germination and the plant’s roots. 1. Distribute a zip lock bag to each child and write their name in the top corner with a permanent marker. 2. Dampen a paper towel per child and have them place the folded towel in the bag. Paper towels should be damp enough to provide moisture for the bean, but not dripping (which could cause mold). 3. Have children place a dry bean on top of the damp paper towel and seal the bag. There does not need to be any air in bag. 4. Tape each bag to a window or a wall which gets some sunlight. The seed mostly needs warmth at this stage, not light – so prioritize for warmth. A window helps for viewing the seed as it germinates. 5. The seeds should begin to germinate in 3-5 days. Moisten the paper towels if they are drying out. 6. Have children observe the growth of the sprouts. You can have older children (age 4 and older) record the growth on a piece of paper, to the best of their ability. For example, the first sketch should be on Day 1, showing the bean in the bag. The second sketch could be the first sprout, etc. 7. After 1 ½ to 2 weeks – either in a garden or indoors – transplant the sprouted seeds if soil is available. When the seeds are planted they will have their “seed leaves” and maybe even their “true leaves” (the second leaves after the “seed leaves”). These should be above the soil so the seed can continue to grow. Beans require a fair amount of warmth so may not grow well outside in the winter. However, in a sunny Classroom spot with good soil and water, they may grow enough to give an idea of what they look like as a full grown plant.

INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS:

Activity Title: Who’s your mommy? What you need: The mommies and their babies’ book, two sets animal pictures, babies and moms puzzle. What to do: Start by reading this book about Mommies and Their Babies by Guido Van Genechten, then let your students work on individual basis. On paper stock, make two sets of animal matching cards, the first with pictures of the mommy animals and vocabulary to describe them and

the second with the babies’ pictures and names as well. Have the children match the babies to their corresponding moms either by using the puzzle or by using the printouts. Take this activity even further; include paper and crayons for the students draw pictures of the mommas and babies making use of the already put together puzzle. Then cut the pictures out, glue them onto construction paper, write the names of the adults and babies, and the next thing you know, you have a student-created memory game!

INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS:

Activity Title: What came first? What you need: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, patterns of the life cycle of butterfly What to do: After you read the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, review the changes that the caterpillar undergoes. Then ask if children can think of other things that change. Ask: Do pets change? How? Do trees

change? Have you changed? Help children recognize that all living things grow and change. Use patterns of the life cycle of a butterfly and have students practice sequencing them on a flannel board numbered to match each stage. (little egg on leaf, little caterpillar on leaf, larger caterpillar on ground, very large caterpillar on big leaf, other leaves nearby have been eaten, caterpillar building a cocoon, caterpillar inside of a cocoon, butterfly emerging from a cocoon, and butterfly flying away).

GOOD CONVERSATION STARTERS& RESOURCES:http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/animals/animal-life-cycles.htm

 http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/plants/plant-with-seeds.htm

 http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2014/04/10-ready-go-resources-teaching-life-cycles