The three learning areas in the Full-Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program that will be incorporated in this digital resource are Science, Math, and Language.
The overall expectation for Science is:
For the kindergarten students to "conduct simple investigations through free exploration, focused exploration, and guided activity, using inquiry skills (questioning, planning, predicting,observing, communicating)" (p.114, FDEL-K program).
The specific expectation for Science is:
For the kindergarten students to "ask questions about and describe some natural occurrences, using their own observations and representations" (p.115, FDEL-K program). The students will "predictions and observations before and during investigations" (p.118, FDEL-K program).
The overall expectation for Language is:
For the kindergarten students to "communicate by talking and by listening and speaking to others for a variety of purposes and in a variety of contexts" (p. 72, FDEL-K program)
The specific expectation of Language is to:
For the students to "use language to talk about their thinking, to reflect, and to solve problems" (p.76, FDEL-K program) and "ask questions for a variety of purposes." (p. 77, FDEL-K program)
The overall expectation for Math is:
For the students to "measure and compare length, mass, capacity, and temperature of
objects/materials, and the passage of time, using non-standard and standard units, through free exploration, focused exploration, and guided activity" (p. 97, FDEL-K program).
The specific expectation for Math is:
For the students to compare and order two or more objects according to an appropriate
measure (e.g., length, mass, area, temperature, capacity) and use measurement terms
(e.g., hot/cold for temperature, small/medium/large for capacity, longer/shorter or thicker/thinner for length), "(p.103, FDEL-K program)
Big Idea of Learning Areas:
Math: young children have conceptual understanding of mathematics and of mathematical thinking and reasoning.
Science: Children are curious prior knowledge to new contexts in order to understand the world around them.
Early Learning-Kindergarten team may begin with the "initial engagement" as discussed in the previous blog by taking students on a winter nature walk, ice of different sizes in the sensory table and water in little jars. By providing their students with "variety of materials and resources" during the provocation invites students to investigate, explore, communicate with the educator and their peers. The kindergarten student's investigation and exploration may develop into the "Big Idea" of measuring with reversible transformation (ice, snow, and water).
Materials For Potential Exploration and Investigation:
During the walk, one student may curiously say "I want to bring some snow inside." Early Learning-Kindergarten team may follow the children's cue and bring a bin full of snow inside the classroom and put in the sensory table for the students to continue their exploring inside the classroom.
When the student is provided with a plastic cups, they may fill it up with the snow from the bin. The educator can fill up 1/2 cup with warm water, 1/2 cup with room temperature water, 1/2 cup with cold water using a measuring cup and invite the children to dialogue about predicting what will happen when the water of different temperature is poured into the snow. One student can the pour warm water, one student can pour the room temperature water, and one student can pour the cold water in the cups filled with snow. The kindergartner may compare as they observe what happens.
Results:When the warm water was poured into the snow it turned into water. When the room temperature water was poured into the snow, it turned into water with snow slush floating on the top. When the cold water was poured into the snow, it turned into water with more snow slush floating on the top.
If students children are given measuring cup in the bin, children may use the measuring cup to fill up the plastic cup with snow. The kindergartner may also observe the snow melting inside the classroom at room temperature. Curiosity can lead to a kindergarten asking the educator to place 1 cup of snow in freezer and/or 1 cup in the refrigerator. Dialogue with the children about comparing what may happen to the snow that is placed on the table, in the freezer and refrigerator.
Result: After 3 hours, the snow that was left on the table has melt, the snow that was left in the refrigerator has decreased and turning to slush. The snow has left in the freezer remained at the same level, the snow is more icy.
Measurement: More or Less Water
When plastic cups are provided students are likely to fill it up with snow while exploring in the sensory. The educator may use the measuring cup fill one cup up with ice and another with water. The educator should take this opportunity to dialogue with the students about predicting which plastic cup will have more liquid after the ice and snow melts? Measure in milliliter (mL) using a measuring cup or bottle.
One Kindergarten Student may predict and say "the snow," another Kindergarten Student may predict and say "the ice."
Results: The cup with the snow has the least amount of liquid (below 50mL). Between ice and snow, ice had more liquid (below 150mL). The cup with the water there was no change, it has the most amount of liquid (below 200mL).
Measurement: Water to Ice
Invite a students to pour 1/2 cup of water in the plastic cups using a measuring cup. Draw a line with the marker and write water next to it. Ask the students to place their cups in the freezer. The educator can dialogue about predicting what will happen to the water level? Will it increase or decrease when it turns into ice.
Results:
After 3 hours, it is frozen. The educator can ask students to mark another line to show whether it has increased or decreased. As shown in the picture it has increased.
There are more two ways to display the transformation of water to ice and the expansion of water when it is frozen in a fun and colourful way.
Provide the kindergarten students with a balloon and ask them if they would like to fill it up with water and add food colouring inside the balloon? Give each student a balloon, food colouring of different colour and access to a water tap.
Measurement: How many drop of food colouring?
One child may add one drop of red, one child may add four drops of blue, one child may add no drops.
The educator can ask each student to place their balloon in the freezer. The next day during recess, the educator can take the students out and cut off the balloon to reveal the ice coloured marbles. The students and educator can dialogue with the children about their water balloons turning into ice colourful marbles, and that the water expands when it freeze.
The educator can place ice cube trays, muffin tins, plastic cups, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and water in the sensory table. Invite the students to fill up the containers, plastic cups, ice cube trays, muffin tins, and plastic containers with water and food colouring.
Measurement: The children may use the measuring spoon and cup to fill trays, tins, and containers with water. They may add drops of food colouring or use the measuring spoon to add the food colouring to water.
Once the student are done filling up their trays, tins, cups and/or containers with water, place it all in the freezer until completely frozen. Take the children out and encourage them to make sculptures with them. This idea was borrowed from the Ice Block blog.
The following activity is just for fun but incorporates transformation and measurement. The materials that are required individual white hot chocolate packets, hot water, whipped cream, food colouring, colour sugar, powder sugar, vanilla extract, white sprinkles, coloured sprinkles, white chocolate chips, plastic spoon and measuring spoons. The educator can set up 4 to 5 table with materials except for the white hot chocolate packets and hot water. Present each child with a cup of whipped cream and ask them to mix their whipped cream with items of their choice. Once the students are done, "take the whipped cream and spoon individual servings onto parchment lined baking sheet" This idea was also borrowed from Frozen Whipped Cream blog. Place the whipped cream it in the freezer until the whipped creams are frozen. Prepare hot white chocolate for each student and ask them if they would like to place their frozen whipped cream on top.
Measurement: children may use the measuring spoon to add the sugars, chocolate chip, food colouring etc.
Reversible Transformation: The whipped cream will freeze when placed in the freezer; however it when it is placed in the hot beverage it will start to melt.
Note: They are links throughout this blog that can be clicked on. The links will direct you to other blogs that I have used to borrow creativity.
In the winter, the kindergartens are likely to experience
their first snowfall. The educator should take this opportunity educator to
invite the children to explore with snow by taking them on a winter nature
walk. The winter nature walk is unstructured therefore it will encourage
kindergarten children to "make their own discoveries and develop their
ideas" Many children might curiously pick up the snow from the ground and
observe it melt on their hands. The educator may include measuring cups and spoons while the children are exploring with snow. The educator may dialogue with the children about
"what make the snow melt?"
Children are fascinated by the mystery of what is in the sensory
table, therefore the educator can place ice cubes and ice block of different sizes. One of the ice ice blocksplaced in the sensory table can be frozen with small toys. The
educator should also place spoons, cups, plastic tools, plastic shovels in the sensory table. The
role of educator is to provide their students with the materials, step back and observe their students explore. The
students may try the following "stir, pour, stack, rub, and break off the
ice" The educator may chose to dialogue with the children about "what makes the
ice melt, why does it turn into water?"
Exploring with Water
Hand out small jars filled with water to the children and dialogue with the children about what form the water is in at room temperature (liquid or solid). Afterwards
have the explore the water through taste, touch and smell. Note: The following links will direct you to blogs and pictures related to this post: Beyond the Classroom, The Preschool Science Experiment, and Kindergarten Water
