Investigation Box

Gardening

Standard:

2-LS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

Props:

·       Shovel

·       Watering can

·       Seeds

·       Pots

·       Gloves

·       Dirt

·       Popsicle sticks

 

 

Directions:

Planting Your Seed

1.    Scoop out the soil with the shovel and put the soil into one of the pots.

2.  Take a few seeds out of one of the packets and place it in the pot. You can use the gloves for this if you would like.

3.  Barry the seeds into the soil.

4.  Label the plant by writing what the plant is on a popsicle stick. Place the popsicle stick inside the pot.

5.  Put water into the watering can and water the seeds.

6.  We will place our pots by the window and watch our plants grow during these next couple weeks. We will continue to water them each day.

 Recording Sheet:

Observations of your plant as it grows:

Type of plant:

Observation day:

Describe what you see:

 

 

 

Draw what you see:

 

 

 

Science Blogs and Websites

1. Kid's Activities Blog- This blog has lots of great science activities that you can do at home with children.

2. The Space Place- This is a NASA website that lets kids explore the solar system and so much more!

3. National Geographic for Kids- This website allows children to play games and get ideas to do at home.


4. Learning Games for Kids- This website allows children to learn about space through fun, educational games.

5. The Measured Mom- This blog is created by a former teacher who is now a mother. It has lots of different activities that you can do with children.

6. Kids Biology - This website has lots of activities and games to learn more about the study of life.

7. No Time For Flash Cards- This blog provides 15 easy science activities for kids.

8. KC Edventures - This blog has 20 science activities for kids that are inspired by books.

9. Growing a Jeweled Rose - This is another blog that fun science activities for kids.

10. Science for Kids- This blog is created by a pre-k through 4 teacher, and it has many different science activities that this teacher has used with her students.

Science Activities

1. Apple Volcano- This a great small science experiment that allows children to make apples erupt. All you need is apples, baking powder, vinegar, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and red or green food coloring.

2. Making Weather- Make clouds rain in a cup by adding water, shaving cream, and then food coloring as the rain.

 3. Sink of Float Sensory Sink- Explore different objects that sink or float by filling up a sink with water. Then children can see if different objects sink or float by putting them in the sink.

4. Make a Rock- Gather sand, pebbles, glue, and a disposable cup to get started. Alternate adding different layers of each item to make your rock. Then just wait until it dries, and you will have made a rock.

 

5. Build a Bridge- For this activity you need 2 paper cups, a large supply of pennies, 2 pieces of construction paper, tape, and scissors. The object of this activity is to try to build a bridge that holds the most amount of pennies.

6. Fizzy Ice- The materials needed for this activity are crushed ice, vinegar, food coloring, medicine dropper, baking soda, and test tubes which are optional. Mix the vinegar with the food coloring and put it in the droppers. Put the ice and baking soda into a bucket and drop the vinegar mixture onto the ice to see the reaction.

7. Oobleck- All you need is 2 cups of corn starch and 1 cup of water to make oobleck. This is a great recipe for fun! You can even add food coloring to see different colors.

 



8. Make a Hurricane- This activity allows you to make a hurricane using a bowl of water, food coloring, and a spoon.

9. Magic Milk- Make magic milk by using milk, dish soap, food coloring, glass plate, and a q-tip. Add food coloring to the milk and mix it around using the q-tip. Watch the colors spread around as you mix it in with the milk.

10. Magnetic Force- Create a magnetic force by using 1 container, pipe cleaners, scissors, and a magnet. Cut up the pipe cleaners into small pieces and place them inside the container. See how many pipe cleaners you can pick up with the magnet.

Good Reads in Science

1. Mission Control, This is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages to the Moon by Andrew Chaikin

    This book describes the history of space from the Mercury missions through Apollo 17.

 



 





2. The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins

    Everything you would want to know about these intriguing insects you can find out from this     

    book!

 



 

3. The Cloud Book by Tomie dePaola

     This book introduces the 10 most common types of clouds and what their shapes tell us about the

     weather.

 

4. The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons

    This book includes facts about the moon including their different phases and eclipses.

 

 

5. What's Out In Space? by Susan Mayes

    This is an introduction to aspects of science, nature, and technology for young children. This was

     inspired by questions that children ask about the world around them

 

 

 6.  The Skeleton Inside You by Philip Balestrino

      This is a book about all the bones inside you that make up your skeleton. Learn about what           

      your skeleton can do!



 

7. The Sky is Full of Stars by Franklyn Mansfield Branley

     This is a great book to learn about different stars and constellations. This book even teaches you

     how to locate major constellations and how to make mini planetariums.

 

8. Bones: Skeletons and How They Work by Steve Jenkins
    This is a Caldecott Honor winner about bones of the human body compared to bones of animals.

9. Lightning by Seymour Simon
    This is a great non fiction book that teaches children about lightning.

 

10. Air is All Around You by Franklin Mansfield Branley

      This book tells you how to discover the air that is around you, and air is everywhere.