DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 242 391 ps,e13 689

AUTHOR Keilty-Carpenter, MaureenTITLE Sensations: Multi-Sensory Learning for Children Ages

3-8. The Best of BES--Basic Educational SkillsMaterials. f

1$STITUTION Southern Ute Community Action Programs, Ignacio, CO.;Southwest Educational Development Lab., Austin,Tex.

SP,..1,; AGENCY Administratio for Children, Youth, and Families(DHHS), Washi gton, D.C.

PUB DATE 62NOTE 136p-.

PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Guides .(For Teachers) (052)

EDRS PRICE 141'01/PCQ6 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS $FAsic Skills; *Creative Activities; Early Childhood

Ed..c'ation; Ihstructional Materials; LearningActivities; *Multisenadry Learning; PreschoolEducation; Sensory Integration; *Sensory Trailding;Teacher Developed Materials

IDENTIFIERS k- Basic Educational Skills Project; *Calendars; Head

Start Supplementary Training Program; PF Project

ABSTRACTOne of a series of documents produced by a nationwide

network of early childhood education specialists, teachers, parents,and Head Start staff, the guide provides a year of multisensorylearning activities for children ages 3-8. In an easy-to-follow.calendar format, sensation activities are giveh with directions in anaccompanying teacher's handboci. Weekly themes-follow seasonalchanges and appropriate indoor aid outdoor activities are suggested.,(LH)

*********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made* from the original document.*******************************************************i***************-

r4 en5aiions.reN Mufti-Sjn;ory Ilarning for Children Ages 3. 8 .N U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION4 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER I ERICI

L7: This document has been reproduced asreceived from the persdn or organization

ILI mating itkiMinor changes have been made to improve

. .reproduction quality

7 a

-4'

Pants of view or options stated in this docu-ment do not necessarily represent official NIEposition or policy

11.!

A

- ' produced by

Basic Educational.Skills Project

''Ignacio, Colorado

1982

written and illustratedby Maureen Keilty

,-cover photos

by Maureeh Keilty

by Pat Zabriskie

typingby Tamianne Weage

layout

Carpenter

Carpenter

by0Pat Zabriskie and Tamianne Weage

c Contents

Sensations and Working.With Children 1-2

SEPTEMBER Values . 3

Flowers 4Trees 5-7Insects 8-9Birds 10-11

OCTOBER Leaves 12-14Insect and Animal Homes 14-16,Creek and Pond Life 17-18Weather 19-21

NOVEMBER Soil 22-23Seeds' 24-26 .

Sand, Pebbles And Rock. 26-28Winter Signs 28 -30Air 31

DECEMBER Sun 32-33Pets 33-36Small Winter Animals 36-38

JANUARY Snow. 39-42Ice 42-43Winter Weather 44-46Mixed Bag 47-49

FEBRUARY Snow 58-51'Plant Needs 51-53Aquarium, 54-56WinterFood 56-58

MARCH- Wind 59-61Birds 62-63Spring's Here 64-65Mixed Bag 66-67

-APRIL Rain

91-273Gardening.Insects 74-76Lawn 77-78

MAY Worms 79-81,Dandelions 71-83Creek and Pond Life 83-85Spring Sings 86-88

Key Experiences

Bibliographi 4

Why Can't Butterflies Sing?

What is inside dirt? Where does the snow go whenthe sun comes out? This flower smells likepeanut butter.

A child's natural curiosity makes him sensitiveto the world around him. Teachers and parents canutilize their environment inside and outside tostimulate children's awareness of their world. Bychallenging children's inquisitiveness toenvironmental discoveries, thinking and expressionabilities are enhanced.

This guide provides apar of learning activitiesin an easy,to-use calendar format. The multi-sensory approach is utilized. Key experiences,occur in .these active learning situations.

How to Use This Book and Calendar

Sensation activities are given with easy to followdirections for each school day of the year,September through May. The monthly calendar iscorrelated to the teacher's handbook. Simply lookup the sensation by its location on the calendar.Weekly themes follow seasonal changes. Appropriateindoor and outdoor activities are suggested. Thecurriculum is flexible. A sensation may be done ona different day than designated, and an activitymay be omitted or repeated without affecting theyear's program.

The curriculum may be used any year by rearrangingthe dates on the calendar.

Above each month's sensation calendar is a simpleline drawing depiCting the month's theme.Encourage the children to discuss the theme andhave them add to the picture in any way they desire.

5

Sensations and Working with Children

Allow children to experience and enjoy thesensations rather than simply learn the facts.Knowledge gained, __however, will form a firm_bdse__on which children build scientific expertise andenvironmental appreciation.

Child Centered - A learning experience that ischild centered it one in which children'svoices are heard. "Wow, there are eight legson that spider!" "Ooh, this mud feels like mycold oatmeal." These examples of children'simagination, expression, and attention todetail are, important to child development.Ask questions and allow ample time fordiscovery.

Curiosity od Creativity - Tap children'snatura: curiosity. Ask questions about theobvious, and pay attention to the way children,express themselves or examine a familiarobject.

Spontaneity - Take advantage of a child'sinterest or discovery to teach. If the day'srain dampens the plans for a shadow discovery,let the wet weather become the focus of asensation.

I Don't Know --- That's O.K. - Don't approachevery activity as one who has all the answers.This attitude inhibit; curiosity. Havechildren experience tLe joy of discovery asyou guide them to the answers to theirquestiods.

Respect for Life - This is the ultimate goalof environmental learniAg. Your example willbe the best demonstration of this value.

Eek, I Don't Like That - Children will voCetheir fears and dislikes. Acknowledge their"concerns. Don't force children to handlethings or take part in an activity. Otherchildren's react:ions will soon reassure him/herthat it is okay.

Indoor Rules = Outdoor Rules.- Establish withthe children appropriate dc,'; and don'ts beforeembarking on a sensation. Make sure theyunderstand that the,outdoors is often theirclassrooM and that similar rules exist in bothlearning situations.

Exit and Entrance - Make dressing up for theoutdoor sensations part of the fun.. Discusswith the children the need to dressappropriately for the weather every day. Singa familiar tune: This is the way we put onour boots, put on our boots, ... This willhelp keep them on task and hurry the dressing.period.

Litter Buglets - Collecting trash is anon-going part of every outdoor sensation.Conservatibn awareness develops as childrenlearn how everything prospers in its properplace.

2

September

Collect natural objects found around the schoolyard. Ask children to arrange their personalcollections in order of

to

thothosese theythey

like

likethe

thebest NEAT & Neu KK

least. Ask them toex Thin why they feelthe way they dc.

FINDING SAMEChildren compare natural objects

to seeif they are the same. Are leaves from thesame tree exactly. alike? Are to pine conesalike? Describe the differences. Flow are thechildren's hands the same? How are they different?On a broader scale, are friends the same?Different? In what ways?

INSIDE OUTSIDE

Collect a variety of indoor and outdoor objects(tree, leaves, indoor plants, weed, rock,, soil,fly, butterfly, etc.). Show them to the children.Set up three locations and ask a chid to chooseone object and place it in one of three categories:

1) objects found mostlyoutdoors, 2) /objects "found

mostly indoors, 3) objectsfound both indaors andoutdoors., Ask children toexplain why certain objectsare found in specific.locations.

ti

. 8

3

September

Hike outside and discover different kinds ofwildflowers. Discuss size, count flower petals,determine names of color, give flower its ownspecial name. "What is .the--plirpose of the flower?"'"Does it provide foodfar something?" "What?""Does it serve any other purpOse?" Find examplesof flower4after budding takes place. Look forseeds-. 'What is the purpose of seeds?"

k11443

,..FLOWER PARTS

sea . Have children examinesomw a large flower with a

magnifying glass.Look.for pistil, ovary,and stamen. Compare

with other flower types.Discuss what each part does.

FLOWER RUBS

Gather flower petals, plants, dirt and moss.Have children' experiment withcolor by rubbing petals on

40epaper to produce colors. PeeCreate a natural painting.Ask each child to name :940his/her art creation.

4

September

Give each child examples of colors.Hike to locations and discovernative plants, insects,flowers, and animals thatmatch the colors. Discusswhy color helps a plant. .

Name the color of a plant found.

ROOT-N-ALLLocate a flowering plant,

preferably a weed. Ask the children how theywould collect the entire plant - root and all.Allow each child to attempt to pull the weed.(If soil is very wet, .it may be removedfairly easily.) Use a shovel, if necessary,to obtlih the complete plant. Uiscuss thepurpose of roots. , Eat a root (a carrot).

RA I NBOW

RACE

24;

Children bring a collection of LEAF SHAPES -

leaves from their homes, glowingdifferences iii -si.ziE, shape and color.

Display all the leaves in one placeand have the childrenfind some that are the samesize or color. Find-some to match ashape. Discuss the many purposes ofleaVes ( hey proVide food for the

, for animals and insects, add tothe soil, and provide shade). Usedescriptive words and let the-children try to identify the leavesfrom your description. Let the

F-:2=-=-=-b children name the leaves

descriptively. Paste a leaf on paper and hive the'children add the parts of a'body. Let them makepictures of themselves around the leayes.

105

September

TREE RUBS IUsing light colored paper and soft,wide crayon (or colored chalk),

. children experiment with textures bycreating rubbings of tree trunks andleaves. Children exchange papers withone another and try to correctly matchrubbings with the trees.

Children recreate the BE 'Afeeling of being a tree=by "rooting" themselvesinto a field and holding

i)getheir arms outstretchedlike tree branches.

The teacher announces .types of wind:soft, gentle, brisk, wild and fierce:

Describe other weather conditions:snow, rain, lightning,...

Children pretending to be treesreact to each outside force as itis described, such as: the treeis begin uprooted; a woodpeckeris pecking the tree; someone istrimming its branches.

Ask the children to describe howthey, as trees, felt when each eventoccurred:

6

September

_cc )1 .4.1tK

R d The Giving_Tree by'She] Silverstein to the ,

children. On a-hikeoutdoors, ask childrento observe and count

trees, noting the ones that are. the same type or

size. Introduce the concept of the tree trunk,branches, roots, crown. Ask children to describehow Each part of the tree helps it to live and-.grow. Point out differences between pine needles

and leaves. Smell the difference'S. Have children

'locate a leaf tree and a pine tree.

Ask children to select a tree TREEthey would like to adopt. IONDiscuss why a certain tree.was selected Have thechildren give the tree aspecial name of their, own -

creation/imagination. Teacher may need to help

with this next activity: have children introduce.themselves to thetree. For example.: "Hello,,

Green Needlejr4b, I'm Billy and I live in ..."Ask children, "Who else needs the'treel (birds.

insects mammals) Measure ttietree's:trunksmell the tree and describe the scent. Does it

haVe a sound? Brothers and sisters? Special

coloring? Counts its branches. Ask children to

draw its shape and have them deicrIbe the shapel.,----

Have discussion about the changes they withe tree undergo throughout 'the year ildren

may try,to imitate the tree's .e:by lying on

their back with the fe t p against the trunk.

. From this.position cribe the tree. and watch

the branches----

September

Give childrep a butterfly,net to catch grasshoppers.,Suggest that two childrenwork together. One 'walks

into a tall grass area andflushes out hoppers', whilethe other wa.ilot with thenet to catch the fleeinginsects. Allow the ,childrento hold the grasshopper andthen watch it hop. Put theinsect in a covered glassjar with some grass so thatchildren can watch how iteats and moves on the` plants'.

It spits out a brown tobacco .

juice.

GRASSHOPPER HUNT

a3

3UTTERFLY HUNT Children may locate butterfliesnear bright flowers and watersources. Capture one in abutterfly net. Examine itcarefully.-- the veins inthe wings, the anfelnaethoraxand abdonten. Count theThere are two sets of wings:

the forewing and hindwing. Ask children todescribe the colors of the butterfly wings. Givethem outlines of butterflywings and have childrendraw in the colors of

onsipJA Ihs -0AoRKI

their favorite butterfly.

Read The ButterfliesCome by Leo Polite

813

September

Use a magnifying glass to'examinea'dead grasshopper. .Have

CLOSER LOOK children note its'eyes (6 sided),hearing membranes (near rear of,

abdomen), antennae, and other body parts. Note'

the large, strong rear legs for jumping. Soundfrom the grasshopper comes from legs or wingsrubbing. See-if children can detect the "barbs"that make these sounds. ,mi.oNNA

Let children imitate // oMPOUA'D eYE

the grasshoppers byjumping like "hoppers".

4MN:ireft.

Children walk outdoors to observethe flight patterns of birds,

BP A BIRDbutterflies,.and moths. Let themimitate and describe the type ofpath the animal takes. -Note hdw the butterflylands with its wings up and erect, while themoth lapds with its wings out flat. Whenchildren imitate the flights, let the rest ofthe class guess the type of animal th0 isbeing copied.

INSECT STORY Children explore a specificarea to find the differentinsects that live there.

After gathering the insects, allow time for thechildren to:determine whether the ,creatures arecrawlers, flyers, or hoppers.. Name the insects.Guess how many insects live within-the area explored.

149

.eptember

Start early in the morning BIRDY0-IIKEto to listen and watch for

birds. Morning is the most _ f //'active time for birds. Set t,/aside a quiet time for children to sit on ALTthe lawn, amidst trees, to listen for birds/r/and watch them feeding. See if they can. fl

discover birds talking to,each other. Ask,"What do you think they are saying?" Determine aplace where only certain bird sounds are/heard.(Example: creek or swampy area.) Listen for thebird sounds there and try to sight the bird.Discuss why that type of bird lives there.' Letchildren imitate the bird calls they have heard.

EAT LIKE A BIRD

Using pictures of'local birds, children discoverhow birds are alike and how they are different./Introduce the beak, and point out the many typesof beaks - including shape, color, and size. Askchildren to describe (or act out) ways the beakis used: food collecting, eating, gatheringnesting materials, nest building, preening thebody, sometimes,as a weapon. Give childrensamples of bird seed to examine and ask childrenif their own mouths could chew seeds well. Ask,

"What other things do-birds eat? (insects,

grasses). Have children set seeds outdoors in anobvious, but untraffickedplace, and perhapsthey will see a italtiek

bird eat seeds.SEED

416

-MARI WG-

1510

Barrom FEEDING.

FLY FREE

September

Children sit quietly in abird-frequented area to watchbirds in flight. Ask themto pay particular attentionto how the wings movethroughout the flight, andthe type of flight pattern(zig-zaggy, smooth, fluttery).Discuss hbw the wind may helpof hinder flying. Letchildren imitate a'bird'sflying. Ask "Why can't wefly like a bird?" Havechildren discuss thedifference in body shape.Point out how our bones areheavier than birds', thus weare not capable of flying.Show examples of a beef boneand a chicken bone to pointout the differences in bonestructure.

Children watch a birdclean itself near a poolor puddle of water.Make sure they noticehow the bird uses itsbeak to gather water, thenclean'each feather and theskin area around its base.Give.e&h child a cup ofwater. Let children tryto clean themselvestotally (getting all bodyparts wet) and also discoverwater conservation.

16 11

October

Near creeks, there is often MOLE HOLEevidence of mole homes. Apile of dirt indicates thedigging activity of ananimal. Find-thethole's tunnel.

Examine it and thedirt which was dugout. Ask, "How bigwas the mole that dugthis hole?" Showpictures of moles andask, "Does thyole'sshape help it o make tunnels?""Does the mole need to have gooakiiision?"(No because it is very dark underground. However,thejr sense of smell is keen.) "What *do you think .

moles-eat?" (Insects and underground roots.)

LEAVES Ask children to describe what happensto leaves in the fall.. Explain that

.\ leaves charge colors because theingredient (chlorophyll)/ that makes them greenreacts to the cooler nights and shorter days.Using a collettion of fall leaves,have children arrange them incolor categories - yellows,

-parallelbrowns, reds, greens, mixed, /---;etc.; size and/or shape .2categories - long and thin, pinnatetear-shaped (oval), wideopen like a hand, tiny, big;or in categories accordingto their edge type - smooth,many little teeth, bigteeth. Read Mr. Tamarin's --

-Trees by Kathryn Ernst.palmate

veininganangethents

1 712

LEAF RUBS

October

Give each child a leaf that hasbeen pressed flat. To make arubbing or imprint design, pladtlightweight paper over the leaf

with its veined side up. Child

rubs a soft crayon or chalk overthe veining to bring Out thedesign. The child may alsopress the veining into soft clayand examine the imprint.

Give the children a variety of

leaf shapes. Have them arrangethe shapes to represent a humanbody, an animal, or .to form a

scene. 'Decorate with pencillines. Children may also makea leaf puzzle by selecting alarge leaf and tearing out oneor two sections. Another child

may put the leaf back togethercorrectly.

LEAF MATCH

LEAF PUZZLE

Give children a sample ofleaves flrom nearby trees.Allow them to matchtheleaves to the correcttrees, making a game out

of matching.

1813

uctober

Ask children, "What do leaves WHAT HAPPENSdo for people? For animals, TO LEAVES-insects,birds, the earth?"Let children imagine the manyuses of leaves for all lifeon earth. Ask, "What wouldhappen if there were no ledves?"Children examine a section of earth under aheavily leaved, uncleared tree or bush. Havethem determine the top surface of the soil.What does it contain? What happens to theleaves there over the winter?

SPIDER WEB

rU AWE L WE

Spider webs are found inshrubs, window panes, roomswhere windows are not often-opened, corners of roomsnear the ceilipg, (blackwidow spiders are only foundin dark places). Common webtypes include the round orb

of the garden spiddr, sheetlikecobwebs of the house spider,funnel shaped webs of the grass'

aTT, spider, and domed webs where the\''/6 dome spider lurks. Have children

watch a spider leave its home bymeans of a dragline. Observe howit makes it web. Examine the webunder a magnifying glass. Childrenshould feel the web and try to

F(Y;MLESS touch it without breaking it.vos*

Demonstrate how spiders collectfood. Let the children drop aninsect, such as:a dead fly, into aspider web. If there is a spiderpresent, it will soon wrap the preysecurely. It is stored for lateruse, just as people wrap and storefoods.

October

BEE HIVE On a sunny day, take children

1to a field of flowers, or near-

..0 a garden to watch bees feed onflowers. Explain how bees makehoney by gathering pollen (tinypowder bits on parts of aflower) and mix'it with thenectar from flowers. Obtain .a

honeycomb for children toexamine. Note the sii-sidedchambers. Let children tastethe honey and the comb.. Spread----honey on a cracker o oa withit. Ask chi to describethe taste of honey andcompare it to anotherfamiliar food. Visitan apiary if possible.

WASP NEST'-' Read Farewell to Shady Glade 13'y

Bill Peet, about how animals arerun out of their homes due toprogress'. Wasp-n6ts are foundattached under surfaces ofoverhanging roofs. To examine

such a nest, first make sure that it isempty. Wasps, like bees, collectinsects as food, in additdon to nectarand pollen. .But they do not store

honey like bees. Instead they feed the nectarand pollen to their young. Allow children toexamine the nest and determine how the waspentered the nest, and note how it resembles_paper. ,On the inside of the nest, children willsee six-sided brood cells, which can be priedout and examined. Nests are made of wood pulpcombined with wasp's saliva. Children-mayexamine a wasp in a closed jar. Observe the legs,wings, and stinger in rear.

20 15_

\ October

BIRD'S NEST FiiFind an abandoned nest (which isusually used a short period oftime during feeding of the young).

Make sure it has wintered over or let it restoutdoors on a sheet'of paper to see if it isinfested with mites., If mites are present, leaveit outdoors and don%handle it. Children mayexamine a nest and ch for man-made contents.Let them guess the size of the bird that made thenest, and the color of the eggs. Let them takeapart the nest carefully, and categorize itsingredients. Example: horse hair, root pieces,grass. Moisten the contentsand allow to sit in a. warmarea. Check to see if anyseeds sprout from theingredients.

Show the children a bird nest andNESTING,let them examine its shape and

contents, Children may feel theweight and firmness by..holding the nest in theirhands. Ask children to guess at the size of thebird that made the nest by using their hand as ameasuring tool. Discuss how the bird gathered the

materials and ways it may havewoven the pari5 of the nesttogether. Leekshildren gathernatural materials to make theirown nest. A nest form" shapedfrom clay or mud will helpchildren attach the grasses andweeds.

21

-16

October

CREEK BED HIKE Children walk beside acreek and listen for the'different sound (birds,water flowing,' crickets).

Discover the plant life along the creek, such ascattails and mosses. Ask children to find stynsof animal life in or near the water. Look forinsects in(the water and on the surface of thewater. Ask children,"Are plants greener andtaller near the creek?'! "Why ?" Let childrenlook for air bubbles percolating up from the mudin the creek or pond bottom..Feel and describe wet moss.Discuss how it helps. otherplants, insects, fish inthe creek (provides foodand air).

Frogs, are funfor children toexamine and can be found near -FROGwater sources. Study a frog'slarge, round eyes and smooth,slick skin. Observe how itsthroat is large and how ithelps the animal breathe.Look for ears, the flatsurfaces (membranes) on thetop of the head. Holding the frog, children"should compare its front and rear feet, count its

toes. Children watch ithop and try it themselves.

2217

BOAT RACE

October

Children make a small boat usingavailable natural substances,such as bark. A leaf may serve ias the sail. Ask them to usetheir boat to discover which waythe stream flows, how fast itmoves, and what makes a boat getstuck in the stream.

Hike to.a place where cattailsgrow. Let children get as'cline as possible to thecattails (watch out for muddyfeet). Have them feel thedowny fur of the cattailsand take one apart. Describe the texture, colors,and observe hot, lightweight it is (it will blow.away). The stems and many leaves are worth notingas well as the root, which can be dug up and eatenlike a potato. Bring back some cattail samplesfor use in art experience.

TURTLE Let children watch how the turtletucks in its neck and pulls in'its

. legs to protect itself. With itsfeet wet, or dipped in paint, letthe turtle walk across a piece ofpaper. Note the tail prints,examine prints. Compare mouth,feet and toes with our own.Examine its head and look for its

ears (not visible). It has noteeth, but a hornyrim instead. . D cribe markings on the shell.

chimeDesign a larg shell from heavy paper. Lpt fiveto six child- n crawl underneath it to be the legsof a turtle. Ask them to move together as oneturtle.

18 23

. October

SHADOWS

41.0WIrsiq

451-11Z.INK.mq

Find a sunny:location inearly morning and letchildren outline eachother's shadows in chalk.Later in the morning,.measure shadows again.

The size will be different at different times .0the day. Give this demonstration: use two balls,one larger than the other, to represent the sunand the earth. Show how the earth moves awayfrom the sun as the day passes. Use a flashlight;and a pencil. Hold the flashlight at differentangles and distance tb show hOw the pencil'sshadow grow larger or shorter.

Children will understandhowwind moves thing onthe earth if they tiepaper streamers to theirwrists. Have the childrenstand still and observethe directions in whichthe streamers move. By

running in variousdirections, they willsee themselves as the

wind. Say, "A slow windis blowing; a gusty shortwind; a wild, mean wind."Let children react accordingly

2419

WINDY

DIRECTIONS

October

Observe how and where *rainRAINDROPS KEEPfalls outdoors andlet

children name the Many. FALLING :";;things that are affectedby rain: bicycle tires, I. 6car tops, flower petals, a a 0,0sidewalks, etc. Have each a

.child choose something tobe when it is raining anddescribe how it feels. If

it'is raining outdoors, go r.

'outside and experience itfirsthand with all thesenses!

CLOUDS

. .

children,:"Takd a deep

Read It Looked Like SpiltMilk by Charles G. Shaw.Find an open space outdoors.Children,lie down, nottouching anyone. Say to the

breath in and slowly letitall out, very quietly, so. no one hears. Try itagain - take a deep breath and let it out slowly.Start with your-toes. and let all parts of yourbody faWasleep. Keep your eyes open. Look upat the clouds. -Do you see any clouds that remindyou of something else? Pretend4ou can reach up'and grab one of-the clouds. Squish it up in'yourhand till it gets real small and will fit in yourtummy.' Let it get bigger and bigger until itfills your whole body. How does it feel? :Doesit make you feel big, little, heavy, light as 4-cloud? If you are floating in the .sky, whichway are you going? Let the wind blow you. WhenI say, "scrunch", scrunch up your body and blowthe cloud back to the sky."

2520

(

October

RRE1,7'*-COLLECT ION

Read Squirrel by Brian Wildsmith.Children gather outdoors neardeciduous"trees (trees thatZec.:le to change their colors inthe fall), and coniferous trees(those that bear cones). Havethe chilyiren'search for asquirrel's winter larder.Discuss the variety of foods asquirrel will collect: nuts,

seeds,roots, berries, and showexamples of each. Ask childrento be squirrels and gather theirfood for the winter (befo're the-snow falls). "Is it easy tofind the foods? What can thesquirrel do that we can't do,sothat he can find his food better?Where should we (the squirrels)hide the food?" Leave thecollection outdoors and check tosee if any food has been takenby other animals.

2621

November

Collect dirt of different DIRTYcolors and textures. Ask

COLLECT IONchildren to describe thelocation where the soilwas found (under trees, by a creek, near manyrocks, etc.). Allow children to feel the varioussoils and experiment with their textures byshaping them. Is the soil sticky, sandy, dry?Use a magnifying glass to discover if there areany insects, worm eggs, or leaf particles in thesoil. Ask children to find a crayon color thatmatches each soil sample. Draw & picture withthat color.

SOIL RECIPE Have children examinesoil they have scoopedfrom under a bush.Guide them to discover

ingredients in the soil that came from the bush.Discuss how soil is made from organic materials,weather and animal matter. Ask children todescribe the smell of the soil. Put the soilsinto glass jars, Leave three inches of space atthe top of the jar. Slowly pour water into thejar of soil. Bubbles will percolate up throughthe 'soil into the water. Ask, "What's inside abubble?" "Does this mean soil has air in it?",Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously(have children take turns on this task). Let the

. water/soil mixture settle and watch how layers ofsand, clay, pebbles, and humus form. Discuss andcompare contents of each layer. You can try thisexperiment with a variety of soils.

2722

November

I

WATER Put different types of soils in

INjars, half full. Cover eachsample tightly with a lid. Set

SOIL the jar in a warm area. Waterdroplets will soon form on theglass walls of the jar. Askchildren, "Where did the watercome from?" "Why is water neededin the soil?".(For plant andanimal life; soil conservation.)"How did the water get there?""What would happen if there wasno water in the soil?" Try thesame experiment with sand.

Show children a globe of the earthand point out where they live andwhere China is located. Discusswhat would happen if they dug toChina. Select a loose-soil areawhere children can dig a deephole (12 inches or more). Examine

the earth's changes. Discoverroots, categorize what is found,discuss color of soalayers, feeldifferences in temperature. Fill

in the hole again, and discuss whyall the dirt does not fit back inside.

2823

TO

CHINA

November

Scoop up a collection of moistsoil and place it in a jar. DUST

Have children add a leaf orplant section to a visiblearea. Cover the jar. Ask -

TO DUSTchildren to predict what wjllhappen to the leaf. Guess how long it will takefor mold to form on the leaf. Record how longit actually takes. Why is mold needed? (Moldbreaks down plants which form the soil.)

SEEDY FOOD _ Bring a collection of foodthat is primarily seed to theclassroom: peanut butter,

raspberry jam, peanuts, sesame seeds, peppy seeds,sunflower sleds, pinto beans, corn, almonds,pepper, popcorn, coffee beans, etc. Discuss whatneeds to be done to them (if anything) to makethem edible. Compare theirsizes and textures, And havethe children arrange them invarious categories - taste,size, color, texture, ready to eat, etc. Tasteeach seed or prepare an entire meal using onlyseed food-.

SEED SPROUTING Sprout a variety of seed's indamp places (set seeds betweenwet paper towels). Askchildren to discuss what isneeded to make seeds sprout.

Examine the different types of growth from eachkind of seed. What happens to the seed tocontinue its growth: soil, sun', warmth, water.Serve alfalfa and mung bean sprouts for a snack.

24 Ark

Novembe r

PINE CONE Each child finds his/her own pine

SHAKE cone. Discuss what tree the pinecone comes from and what the seed'spurpose is (needed to reproduce other

trees, food for animals). Examine the individualpine cone petals. Children will find seeds inside.Ask, "Do all the seeds make pine trees?" Whatwould happen if they did?" Shake the pine conesto gdt the seeds out. Ask, "How does nature getthe seeds out of the cone?" (Wind, animals, andinsects help.pull out the seeds, some just don'tleave the cone.) Discover what elseseeds do besid0 reproduction (foodfor animal's and insects, add to soil,possibly help make an animal nest).Plant a tree in a clay pot in theclassroom psing some of the pinecone seeds.

SEED SEARCH Have children hike to findseeds under bushes, onflowers, within fruitedlop 4

Yplant parts or floating inthe air. Examine them backin the classroom. Askchildren to describe whereeach seed was found, how itgot there and possibly its

name. Allow children to categorize themaccording to the seed's mode of transportation,i.e., floaters (airborne), clingers (stick to furand clothing), :Toppers (drop from plant directlyto soil). Discuss other ways seeds get moved (byanimals, rain, creek flow, wind). Have childrenexperiment with each seed and its method oftransportation.

30 25

a

November

Discuss with children the NUTTY HIKE .

types of wild animals thatlive in the area throughout -

the winter. Read, Where Does EveryoneGo? byAileen Fischer. On a hike outdoors, childrenlisten and look for evidence of animals thatstay all winter (squirrels, gophers, birds).Allow children some time to go gather what they

think these animals may need allwinter. Discuss why'animals dothis, and where they keep their food.Also ask if it was an easy task.

ROCK H I KE As a roup, have childrencollet ks and pebbles ofall sizes, dren describe

each rock: size, c6:10r, texture, and where itwas found. Ask childrpn how the rock got to theplace where it was fourid% "What's the purposeof rocks?" (Rocks provide homes for insects, add .

mineral's to the soil, and help control erosion.)"Do rocks float? Get rusty? Moldy? Dissolve inwater?" Experiment to find the answer to eachquestion. "Are rocksalive?". "What do rocks dofor animals? For man?"

Display rock coll ions

in a line on the floo .

Announce a rock descriptr nFor example, and adult says,"Find a round rock with pinkand gray.spots". Ask eachchild-to find a specificrock. Allow time for 11

to participae at their wnspeed. Each rock is the set in, a special

location for its category color, texture).Combine de.scriptions: gray and smooth, orsharp and dark.

ROCK TALK

26 31 .

November

IFTING Let children sift sand

L,) AND through several kinds ofstrainers. Discuss themany sizes of the grains

of sand. With a magnifying lens, examine thesand shapes using words like sharp, angular,smooth. Put sand in a jar. Add water andcover. Children then shake the jar and will seefloaters (bits of organic material) in the water.Ask, "DSes the sand float?" Observe the settlingpatterns. Drain off excess water. Children mayform balls with the wet sand. Watch it dry andask children to predict what will happen to theball when it dries.

Locate a large rock (one foot ROCK HOMEcircumference or more), makingcertain the,rock has been inone location outdoors forsome time. Ask children tolift up the rock carefully.Under the rock, the surface of the earth is amicro-community where only certain animals,insects, and plants exist. Children willdiscover a variety of these. Ask, "What colorare the plants?" "Why?" (Most plants will bewhitish in color due to lack of sunlight.)Feel the temperature of the rock surface, feelthe ground under the rock and beside it.Discuss why it is cooler under the rock. Setthe rock back in place.

3'27

November

Children hike along the creek edgeto collect rocks of varying sizesnear andoin the water. Find asmooth, rounded rock in the creekbed. Ask, "Why is it smooth?"Find a rough rock alongside thecreek edge. Ask, "What will makeit smooth?" "What do rocks do forthe creek?" (Help prevent erosion,provide a survace for plant lifeor animal eggs.) "What does.waterdo for the rocks?" ''How dotrocks

help the animals in and around thecreek?" (Rocks can be homes foranimals and insects, add mineralsto the water, and provide asurface on whiCh animals mywalk.)

WINTER. SIGNS

WATER-

ROCK

Walk outdoors to discoversigns of winter. Childrenshould be encouraged tonotethings they can and can'tsee and hear or smell:birds and their sounds, noleaves, grass is now brown,colder temperature.Measure children's shadowsand ask, "Are shadows longernow, or in the summer?"Examine a lawn or tree trunkclose up to look for insects.Why aren't there°any bugs?

November

Post pictures on a bulletinboard of local animals and

FE their foods (includegrasses, insects, water),Hang long strands of yarnfrom animal pictures.

Children then use the yarnsto connect the animals to

their food. When complete, ask,"What food is the most important in this chain?""What would happen if one food or animaldisappeared?" "Why dowe have hunting laws?"

LITTLE RED ROUND HOUSE

Tell this story, usingthe brief idea given here: One day a

little boy who was bored, asked his motherwhat he could do. The mother sent her boy

outdoors to search for a "little red housewithout windows or doors, 4nd a star inside".

The boy searched everywhere, and asked differentpeople where he might find such a little roundred house, but found no clues.. As he walkedhome through an orchard, he asked the wind tohelp him. Just then, the wind shook the tree hewas under and an apple fell at his feet. Theboy quickly picked upythe apple, thinking thewind had given him the answer. The appleWas little, red, and round. With his pocketknife, the boy carefully cut the apple inhalf.. Sure enough, there was a "star".

inside (formed by the seed/corearrangement). The boy ran home to

show his mother. While tellingthe story, show the apple andthe star in the center.

Discuss halves andquarters. Taste.

3'4

November

Arrange to visit a liveturkey. Point out thewattle - fleshy foldshanging from the throat,and the carruncle - thenob on the beak, Ask,"Can this bird fly well?""Do you think its dullcolors help it in anyway?" "Where are itsears?" (Membranes on its head.) Examine eachpart of the turkey and point out the coloringof its feathers and face. (Turkeys perform a"sun dance" at dawn while the sun is faint inthe sky. The birds gather and begin highstepping, flip-flop motions. They jump up anddown with wings lifted out, making a "quit-quit"sound. The dance ends as the sun shows abovethe horlion.) Have children imitate this turkey

sun dance.

GOBBLER

DISAPPEARING Ask, children to describethe colors they see oacuringnaturally outdoors. Give

each child a sample of a color seenoutdoors totake home. Have them dress in a matchingcamouflage color. Play hide-n-seek. Childrenwill experience how animals hide from predators.Ask, "Why is it necessary for animals-and insectsto be the same color as their surroundings?"Introduce the word "camouflage"? Do colors of

'insects or animals change with the seasons? Why?

Example: rabbit.

36

WATER IN AIR

liovembe r

Fill several glasses withice water dyed blue. Soonwater droplets will formon the exterior surface-ofthe glass. Ask, "Did thedroplets come from the icewater?" "Why aren't the'droplets blue?" The wateron the glass actually camefrom the air around us asit came in contact withthe cold surface. Rain isformed by water vapor

condensing on dust particles.Show how frost on thewindow is formed in the.same way.

Children place an emptyballoon between twowooden blocks. Blowup the balloon while STRONG LAIR .

it's in positionbetween the woodblocks. They will seethe "strength" of theair force block tomove up. Think of otherexamples of it (wind) energy.

Mi

December

COLORFUL

SUNLIGHT

On a sunny day, give children glass prisms toexperiment with sunlight. Prior to thisinvestigation, give simple-safety instructionsregarding the use of sharp objects. When achild sees the rainbow of colors within a beamof sunlight, explain that the clear light isactually made up of many colors put together.Ask, "When do we see,this kind of colorcollection in nature?" (Rainbow.)' Label thecolors and ask the children to match each suncolor with one of their crayons. Draw apicture with these colors.

MINI LIGHT On a sunny day, childrenfind examples of light rayscoming between things:cracks, holes, windows.Discuss shapes of the lightrays and him they wereformed. Name a shape andask children to create thatform using availablesunlight and whatevermaterials they can find inthe classroom.

32 37

December'

Children find sunlightindoors and outdoors.Shut doors, turn offlights and close theblinds. "Can sunlightstill get'in?" "Vow?""Are there any plantsor animals that don'twant to be nearsunlight?" What would

the earth'be like if no sun appeared. in themorning?" Using.a very large ball to

. represent the sun and a smaller one to bethe-earth, show how the earth's movement,causes night and day. Ask why it isimportant to have night.

PARAKEET

Children examine a parakeetand discuss its siz4, colorand sounds. Ask, "Can thisbird be found outside -or.-

nearby ?" "How does this birdfly?" "Why can't we fly?" "Is our body shapethe same as birds'?" Compare a beef bone(similar to iumap bone) with a lightweightchicken bone. Discuss how lightweight wings,light body weight, and shape help createflight. Give children opportunities.to feedthe bird and discuss its needs. Let the

'-children help clean the cage.

December

Before allowing the children tohandle the rabbit, instruct themin the correct way to hold theanimal. Let them feel its soft))fur. Ask, "Does the rabbit lil(eto be held?" Feel the whiskers.Compare the whiskers' texture tothat of the fur. Watch the, nose wiggle. Ask,'"Why can the rabbit smell well?" Have thechildren compare the size of the rabbit's earto their own (use their hands to measure). Notehow the rabbit's ear lifts and turns to capturesounds. Have the children count the toes. on therabbit's front paw.

RABBIT

Select a mature cat that isaccustomed to many 'people.Allow time.for the childrento pet and feel the cat.Watch it drink milk from asaucer. Ask, "Can we drink .

that way?" Try it. Havechildren feel their own tongues(wash hands first), then feel the cat'Describe the difference. A cat uses ito hold its prey. Fluids held in theits .fur. The cat's whiskers are longgive him information when crawling inNote cat's sharp teeth. Are they simishare to ours? The cat's ears stand up and movefor better hearing. A cat also communicates withits tail. A lashing tail means anger. A cat's .

puris enjoyable for children to hear and feel.It indicates contentment. The children will alsosee the cat's claws move in and out. What's thepurpose of claws? Make cat prints with paint on

CAT

s.

is tonguetongue cleanenough totight areas.

lar in

34 n..

December

A Select a mature dog that DOGis accustomed to people.Initially let the childrenplay with the dog, strokingits fur. Ask the children what a wagging tailmeans (friendly, happy, excited). What a still

tail means (anger), tail between its legs(ashamed or sad). Children may feel the dog'swet nose which indicates good health. Ask ifa dog,-is a good smeller. Watch the nose'smovement for picking up smells. The dog's ears,which are large, are also very sensitive. Let

children compare the difference between theirown and the dog's ears. Watch the dog's earsmove. The dog's legs are designed for running.The cat's legs bend for stalking. Dog printscan be made by allowing the dog to step intempera paint. Claw prints show up because adog's claws do not go in like a cat's Carefully

examine a dog's teeth and note their size.Discuss.how the teeth are used differentlythan the children's own. Dog language canalso be discussed; a whine indicates fear, yelpmeans pain, growls are for anger, barks showexcitement. Let children -..mitate.. Discuss the

proper care of a pet dog. Ask children tosharea story of .their own about a dog.

40'35

December

Let children choose .to bethe pet they desife.cdogcat, bird, rabbit: Lettwo different pets be inthe middle of a circle ofchildren. Have them behavelike the two pets would innormal circumstances -chasing, fighting, playing.

Add'another pet, andanother. Regain order.

I I Discuss why the pets fought,how did it feel to fight,what can be done to preventthe battles. Also discusslaws concerning ownership ofa pet, includinginnoculation and otheehealthprecautions.

SQUIRREL Children watch for squirrelsoutdoors. Discuss the colors ofsquirrels and why they have along tail (for warmth, balance,communication). Asko"Do squirrelshave a 'good memory?" "Do youremember where we left the nuts wefound in the fall for squirrels?""Should we pet a squirrel?" (no,might bite). Pin a blanket or

coat on a child's back at the waist and let himimitate how a squirrel uses its tail.

36

HAMSTER

Decethbe r

Children may pick up ahamster by holding theloose skin at the neck.Children may note itscolor, large ears anddark brown eyes. Counttoes on fore and hindfeet. "Is it similarto a squirrel orrabbit?" "In what ways?"Make prints by havingthe animal walk onpaint and then on paper.Children will enjoywatching a hamster eat.He packs fbod into hischeek pouches. "Ca wedo that?" "What does thehamtter do with the foodin his cheek?" Imitatehow the hamster moves."Can it hop like arabbit?" "Look at itsrear legs. Why can't ithop?"

Allow children to nestle micein their cupped hands. Describeits size, shape, and body parts.Compare it to a hamster. Note

mouse's whiskers and how theywiggle. Discuss value of micein a natural environment.Children may make a clay modelof a mouse.

4237

December

HRISTIIAS

TREE

FOREST

4111 04 Collect samples of -/

various kinds of evergreenbranches. Compare needleshapes by having thechildren roll the needlesbetween their fingers.Smell the branches andcompare the different odors.Count needle clusters.Children may paint with apine needle set as thebrush.

Collect pine cones ofdifferent sizes. Havechildren pack peanutbutter between thepine cone bracts andthen sprinkle withseeds. Attach a lengthof red yarn to top ofthe_pine cone and hangoutdoors as food forthe birds and rodents.

38

CHRISTMAS F0R

BIRDS

AND SQUIRRELS

43

WINTER

WONDERS

January

Children hike outdoors anddiscover the elements ofwinter: smell snow, iceand tree trunk, taste Oesnowflakes. Listen to thequiet and the noisesassociated with walking inthe snow. Ask them toexperiment with differentstyles of movement throughthe snow: hopping,skipping, running. Lookfor signs of animal lifeand count how many theyfind.

44.39,

-January

SNOWFLAKES

9

On a snowy day, give children-the opportunity toimagine they are snowflakes. Begin by havingthem watch and describe the movement of snow as

it descends. When they are ready torelax, ask them to lie onthe floor and watch thesnow through the Window.It is not necessary to have

snow falling in order to role play 0

snowflakes. Softly suggest: "Youare a snowflake, beautifullywhite and delicately light,floating, gracefullydancing quietly in theair, touching othersnowflakes driftingcarelessly in the air.Now you are resting on a big tree branch. Sayhello to the tree by introducing yourself, ina quiet snowflake voice. Listen to the tree saygoodbye to you as you float to the ground. Nowyou have just landed softly on a rabbit's ear.

Again, in a snowflake voice, tell therabbit who and what you are.Remember what he says to you. Thesun is now shining bright and warm.you have melted into a raindrop and

you are now the water that feeds thedandelion's roots. Rest." When the childrenhave awakened from their snowflake fantasy, beginby asking, "How did it feel to be a snowflake?What did the tree say to you? The rabbit? Didyou like being a snowflake? How did it feel tofeed a dandelion plant? Whyis snow good for our earth ?"

40 45

January

SAI°14/ MELTGive children theopportunity to feelsnowflakes on their skinoutside, or bring bucket

of loose, fresh snow inside. Children e'perienceand describe how snow feels on various parts oftheir bodies: arm, little finger, big toe nail, ,

eyelid, belly button, etc. Ask, "Why did thesnow turn into water when it was on your skin?"Divide the remaining snow into eqUal parts andplace in similar sized jars. Setcontainers in various placestheoughout the room and someoutside. Ask children topredict which ones willmelt first? Why? Discusswith children ways ofstaying warm in thewinter: extra warmclothing, lots of bodymovement, and stayingclose to other bodies.Ask each child todescribe when he/shewas coldest and why.

W INTER PA INT I G Add tempera paint to anempty squirt can to beused as a winter paintbrush. The canvas to useis a field of snow.Children can pretend theyare winter artists.

4641

January

SNOW

ICE

This snowy treat is created by CREAMmixing 1 cup whipping cream,

. 4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoonvanilla. Whip all this together,then fold together with 2 quartsfresh fluffy snow, quickly andgently.. Children will em!oymeasiming.the ingredients for thisrecipe. A real maple syrup toppingis ideal.

,ICICLE Select an icicle to bring insidefor this lesson. While childrenhold it (as if it were hangingfrom the roof edge), ask then toobserve how the ice melts andflows along the icicle's edge.Ask children to describe how theicicle becomes longer, fatter."Can an icicle be made indoors,"Can an icicle ever hurt us?""Do icicles ever form on tree. ?"Taste and feel the fcicle.

.42

47

Januaryif

HOT ICE CUBES Ask children to be "scientists".Assign them to discover which

freezes first - hot or cold water. Let them predictwhich will freeze faster. Have them outline theprocedure and.materials to be used in this experimentMake sure the same amounts of hot and cold water areUsed in equal conditions. When they have discoveredthat hot water freezes first, ask why. Explain thathot water consists of tiny droplets that are movingapart very fast. Because these droplets are movingand not-held tightly together, they are easilycaught by the cold air and thus frozen. To re-enactthis theory, let the children be colglwater droplett-hovering close together. One childill be the cold'air trying to move in to catch the

cold air capture the entire strongcold water droplets. But can one 4030cold water bunch? To be hot waterdroplets, children skip about the room while one coldair child catches each hot water drop individually.

. As each drop is caught, it freezes.

GROWING ICE On a cold day during the eveningwhen temperatures drop below

zero, children may experiment witn the propertiesof water when it freezes. Fill equal amounts of rwater in two glass jars, one covered, the otheruncovered. Set outdoors during a cold night

-(below zero) or in freezer. Children guess whatwill happen to each jar of water. when the contentsare frozen, the uncovered jar will appear as if iceis growing from it. The other jar will have cracked

burst as the ice grew. (Children must not touchthis jar.) Explain that when ice forms,- the waterdroplets mix with cold air droplets, making a largerfmaen mass. ChAdren may re-enact this theory ina manner similar to "hot ice cubes".

48

43

January

Children will enjoy making this ediblesnowman. Prior to shaping the snowinto body parts, ask the children todescribe the snowman'sfeatures and hisclothing. EAT A SNOWMAN

Also, have them think of the'kinds of food winter ,

animals might like. Create the snowman's eyes'by using peanut butter in bottle caps, appleslices for the mouth, raisin toast for buttons,a string of popcorn for a necklace, sunflower seedsfor hair, and'of course, a carrot for-the nose.

When the snowman-is being made, make sure thechildren relate the snowballs to body parts.After decorating, check later to see which food`decorations were best liked by the animals.

FROZEN

WATERWAYSChildren hike along the creek bed(or pond) to observe winter'seffect on the waterway. They maylook for signs of life, describethe colors they see, examine iceformations and its variations.

Ask children to locate the fish."Where do the fish go in the,winter?" "Do they all die?"Explain that most fish hibernateall winter, migrate, or die beforethe season ends.

444Q

January .

EVAPORATION Wet fo r equal sized, thincloths. Place one cloth in the

sun indoors, one in the sun outdoors, one in theshade indoors, and one in the shade outdoors. Askchildren what will happen to each cloth. Predictwhich cloth will dry first. Explain evaporation. -when water evaporates, its droplets join with theair. Water never goes away completely, but changesfrom visible drops to a'wet feeling in the air(vapor). Check the dryness or dampness of eachpiece of cloth.

GROWING

TEMPERATURE

Use an outdoor thermometer with visiblemercury for the children to experimentwith temperature changes. Taketemperature outside in the morningin the shade and in the sun. Makesure that children understand thatthe higher the mercury line, thewarmer the temperature. Let childrenpredict temperature in several differentlocations. Measure the temperature ofwater indoors. Use hot and told water.Take the children's temperatures witha clinical thermometer. Ask, "What isa fever?" Explain that high

temperatures mean that the body'smolecules are moving faster to fightinfection or sickness in the body(relate. to "hot ice cubes" - January). Let childrenfeel each other's temperature by touching theforehead. Let them describe how they felt when theyhad a fever.

50 45

January

Have children watch the clouds.Ask them to describe their shapes,colors, and direction of movement.Let them imagine a specialsomething they see in a cloud.It may help to suggest several:"Does anyone see a furry animalin the clouds?" "A hamburgeror hot dog shape?" "A tree?"Discuss the purpose of clouds. Do they alwayssignal rain? Paint cloud pictures using whitepaint on construction paper.

CLOUD

DREAMS

BARE TWIGS

On a hike outdoors, collect avariety of small bare branchesfrom bushes and trees. Askchildren to.examine and comparethe twigs, noting the positionof buds, distance between eachnode, the size and form of eachbud. With a magnifying glass,have children look at a cutsection of bud to see the smallleaves folded away, "hibernating"for the winter. Children canuse the budded end of a twig asa paint brush, or can glue thetwig on paper and create theirown fully opened, flowered budwhich they paint near each realbud.

46 ,51.

HURRY UP

SPRING

January

\\4,1

er a bunch of twigs from1 flowering bushes. Placeirk ater indoors. Soon thebu will swell and flowersand ayes will appear.

Childr will enjoy watc g the bare twigs'rapid h nges and look fo rd to the dailycha,.-s. .Ask, "Why aren' e

ds blooMIng outside now ? ",

hat have )we done to the \igs inside to make them bud7

T W Oin N

E Choose a white carnation or talk ofcelery. Split it down the ce ter, keepingthe top intact and attached. et eachhalf of stalk or stem in a sep ate glassof water, one with plain water n it, theother water dyed red or blue. C ildrenmay predict how the plant will re ct. . Thecolor of.the flower will indicate to thechildren that plants take in water throgghtheir tubes. Examine the tubes of plantwith a magnifying glass.

5247

Jan,uary

FEEL THINGSNGS Gather an assortment of items,some manmade, some natural.

Place all the items in a cloth bag and tie shut.Have children feel the items in the bag and try.to determine whether what they feel is naturalor has been made bypan. After the children have'felt the bag, remove the items.Identify and categorize them.Suggested items for thepine cones, pebbles, balls,real, and plastic leaves, hardboiled eggs, cotton balls.

Have children pretend to besnakes.' Let one child pe asnake,''then have another childattach himself to the first.Continue to add children untilthe osnake. is 'king. Have thesnake move up a mountain, -

climb a tree.

On a quiet hike, children walk SOUND NAMES

softly to listen to sounds.Listen for birds, wind.rustl.ing the leaves, motorsrunning, water dripping, snow crunching, ... Bygiving them opposite sound descriptions, childrencan choose the appropriate category of.'sound, e.g.,high or low, loud or softy-crackly or smooth,, tinyor big. Let them describe the sound they, hearusing their own-descriptive words and comparisons.

53 4

48

4

SMELL MEMORY

January

Children gather up a collecttonof-natural smells from itemslike bark, leaf rubbings, wetsoil, cinnamon sticks, apple:slices, lemon wedges, rocks:flower petals, garlic, onion,etc. Let children-smell,and,identify theM.. -Then, usingblindfolds while .children aresmellitig, check their smellmemory by asking them toidentify the smell_jellow.opwith a taste of any ediblesamples. :

.,NO .

0. TWO

aildren, walk' outdoorsduring a snowfall: 'Ha

them examine one individual-snowflake as it falls4mt.the.ddrk surface of theirjacket sleeve. . Ask "What do

the snowflakes look like?""Count all the points of.the ,flake." "Do you seeany two flakes exdr.tlyalike?" When indoors,

. give children white Chalk z.and construction Wer on

,which to dravi large snowflakes. ,like the ones they saw.

49ow A

February

SEEDS IN Ask the children, "What

SNOW animals do you see inwinter?" "What kinds of.food do you think they eatin winter?" Gather a

variety of seeds, crumbs, dry fruit, and cornas food for the animals. Children maydetermine the best location to put the food.Make certain it is in a quiet,non-trafficked spot where animalstravel (an open spot betweentrees and bushes). Sprinklethe food-on_tbe_sngw.__Later,check which food was liked themost and what animalsfrequented the feed area(`check animal tracks).

9

Children create a SNOW PAINTsnowstorm on paper, usingfinger paint and real snow.

SNOW BLANKET

Have ildrendiscoverow the earth appears

under its blanket ofsnow. Dig into thesnow. to the ground.

"How does the earthfeel?" "Are there-anygreen plants growingthere? Why not?" "Do you seeany-insects?" Discuss how the snow gives plants,animals, and insects a chance to take a nap.Follow up in the classroom with a nap'as childrenimagine the snot/ blanket being pulled out.

6

a

5550

Febniary

Collect snow from variousPURE AS places, making sure some is

SNOW from heavily traffickedareas. Allow the differentsEaples to melt end lookfor impurities. Discuss

what the imrrities are, where they came from,why some locations had more than 'hers.Introduce poliLtion and how it ailects the-earthand all that lives on it.

PLANTS Choose two plants of thesame variety that show

NEED results of not having

WATERwater. (Plant may be limpor withered.) Petun4as,impatiens, or coleus aregood to use for this.

Ask children to tell how they know theplant is thirsty. Water each plant adifferent way. Liberally water oneplant through the soil surface and tothe roots. Spray the leaves of theother plant until they are very wet,thus watering the plant through itsleaves. Ask the children to predicthow the plants will react. (The rootwatered plant will pick up and fillout, while the other one will remainwilted.) Explain that plants need

water through their roots.Children can experiencethis by putting water onthe skin of a thirstychild. Does this quenchthe thirst?

5651

February

PLANTS Soak alfalfa seedsovernight, then allow

NEED them to sprout. Rinse

AIR and drain the seeds onceeach day for the next twoor three days. Keep in a

warm, dark place until the sprouts are anedible size. Cover one jar of sprouts tightly.Leave another jar open:The sprouts in the closedjar will wither in oneday. Let the childrenexamine sprouts from eachjar and compare appearanceand taste.

Select a branch about toPLANTS bud from a flowering bush.

NEED Put the branch in water

FOODindoors. It will budwithin a short time. Ask

csik children why the branchbudded after it was brought

) ((V

indoors. After budding hasoccurred, no further growthwill take place because theplant has used all the foodstored in its stem. Tocontinue growing, the branchwould need food from theroots and soil it has been

separated from. Compare this experiment to theneeds of people: warmth, sunlight, air and waterprovide most of the necessities', but food isessential. Ask children to consider how theywould endure a similar situation.

525'7

February

PLANTSSet sprouted alfalfa seedsNEED i in a glass jar. (Choose

SUN white sprouts from a home-grown, non-refrigeratedbatch. Place covered jaron its side in thesunlight. Within the day,green leaves will appearon the sprouts giving thema green cast. Let chidrenexamine and taste thedifference between thegreenedsmuts and thosestill white. Explain thatthe green comes fromchlorophyll, a special

plant food made with help from the sun. Ask,"What do you think is better for you to eat,green or white sprouts?" The green plantsprovide more nutrients.

Choose an appropriate,fast-growing floral bulbat the florist shop. Anamaryllis is an idealchoice for thisexperiment. When giventhe necessary ingredientsfor growth - air, food(from soil), water,sunlight, and warmth, thebulb will begin showing rapid growth. Havechildren measure and record growth (A largechart is useful here). When the plant hasbloomed, examine its parts and describe eachpart and function.

5853-

February

Have children examine AQUAR I Uila complete aquarium.Ask them to name the / INVEST I GAT IONshape of the tank, toguess the number offish, the different

_=kinds of plants, andsnails. Feel the temperature of the water. "Is

it warm or cold?" "How do the fish breath-underwater?" Fish get air from the water as itpasses through the gills. Ask children todescribe how fish move, and what body parts they

`use. Watch the snails moveon the surface of the glass.Ask, "How does the glassstay clean?" Snails And.fish clean-the water andglass surface by eating the

'debris. Examine a snail,noting its hard shell and

soft fleshy head. Children can watch a fish'sreaction when a hand is placed on the glass

'surfa'ce. Discuss why the fish reacts as it does.

F I SH COUNT

too

An accurate fish countcan be made withouttaking the fish out ofthe tank. Count the .

yellow fish, oval ones,etc.

5954

FISH

PARTS

February

Children may examine afish while it remains inthe tank. (Holding fishdisturbs their protectivemucous membrane.)

Using a fish from the market, children can moreclosely examine body parts. The scales may beobserved under a magnifying glass. Growth ringscan be seen on the scales,-similar to tree rings. ,

The age of the fish can be established bycounting the rings. Thegill can be opened andexamined. Have the children open the fish'smouth to see what kind of teeth it may or maynot have. By .spreading open the fins, thechildren see how fins aid the fish in swimming.Children may make fish using modeling clay.

Do a fish dance, recreatingthe movements of fishswimming. Pretend to swimamong the plants in thepond, or down to the bottom.Read Fish is Fish, by Leo Lionni.

6 (f

FISH DANCE.

February

Cleaning a fish tank can be CLEANa fun group learning project.

TANKPrior to cleaning the tank,a similar quantity of watershould be set aside so itwill warm to room temperature.Use a dipper net to transfer the fish from thetank. Next, remove any plants from the gravelbottom and rinse them. Eliminate any dead ordying plants. Scoop up the gravel and place ina fine strainer. Rinse the gravel with a waterspray to clean it. Wash the tank walls and anyother tank parts, Replace gravel and plantS.

Add water and place fish in tank.Children may then feed the fish.

GROCERY STORE Have children volunteer the

VISIT names of foods they eat'especially during the summermonths (watermelon, grapes,peaches, etc.) Then askthem to name fresh Nodsthat are common during.the

winter time (potatoes, apples, carrots, onions,squash, grapefruit, oranges). It would behelpful to bring samples of these fresh foods tothe class. Follow this discussion with a trip tothe produce section of a grocery store to showchildren the fresh food that is available now.Use a map to show where non-local vegetables andfruit came from and how they got here. Ask,"Were people in our town always able to eatoranges in February?" "Why can't we eat freshpeaches'in January?" Taste a variety of not-so-common winter food items.

6156

February

WINTER .

Prepare a snack,using food commonly

FOOD associated withyour area and theseason. Example:

pinto bean dip. Explain whereand when the food was grown anddiscuss why it can stay fresh during the wintermonths. Show samples of the product before it'sprepared for cooking, and discuss how it isstored until use. Perhaps a sample of elk ordeer meet would be available to taste. Discusswith the children why and how this meat wasobtained and the rules governing hunting.Children will enjoy taking part in snackpreparation.

Children create a sunshine SUN MEALsalad using many fresh fruitsavailable during the winter

months, e.g., apples, bananas, pineapple,grapefruit, oranges. Point out how each fruithas a protective out coating - the skin thathelps it withstand the rigors of travel. Ask,"How do you feel after you've traveled for alongtime in a car?" "Oranges and bananas haveprotective skins so they can trave for a while:"Use a map and discuss with the children where

these fruits are grown.Have children locate wherethey live on a map and askwhere Florida is, orHawaii. Ask children todescribe how the fruits gothere. Enjoy the salad,

describe the Laste and colors. How are they likethe sun?

6257

February

DRYING FOOD Collect fresh fruits andvegetables appropriate fordrying, such as bananas,apples, thin pumpkin slices,.spinach, onions. Have

children slice foods thin and set in a dehydratoror warm oven for a period of time long enough to ,

dry. Sample dried food and compare their tastesand textures with the same items fresh. Askchildren to bring to class other examples of waysour food is preserved for the winter - commercial

and home,canning, freezing. Compare human food 0habits for the winter with animals' winter foodmethods.

Read The Winter Picnic by SNOWY P I CN I CRobert Wilber, about alittle boy whose play inthe snow coovinces hismother that winter can betime for a picnic. Plan a picnic at a snowyspot. Children discuss what they need to wear,things to bring,, and the foods they would like tohave at their picnic. -During the picnic, some

children may shape a plateor bowl out of snow. Makesure a sunny location ispicked and all litter ispicked up.

6358

February

PINWHEELS

Children construct colorful pinwheelsusing a ten-inch square of constructionpaper.

6459

Let children run withtheir pinwheels tosee how the windcatches the wings ofthe pinwheel. Setpinwheels upright inthe ground so thatthe children will seehow wind continues orstops, or moves atdifferent speeds.

Harch \\

On a fairly windy day, take DANCEchildren outdoors to createtheir own wind. Place alarge piece of lightweightpaper in front of children. Have th run,

forcing the paper to stay in place. Also, tie'paper streamers or thin strips of cloth to theirwrists as they re-enact wind forces. Askchildren to describe what is happening to thepaper when they run. What direction is the windcoming from? Tell children to find a way tocapture the wind. Ask them to explain why theycan, or can't, catch it.

INDOOR WIND Children will see that airindoors moves slowly, if astream of sunlight with dustparticles moving within itis pointed out. Givechildren a balloon orfeather to keep aloft in theroom by blowing. Discuss:what wind is, the purpose ofwind (helps clean up dust,carries seeds, helps birdsfly, moves clouds). ReadFollow the Wind by AlvinTresselt. Ask children todraw a picture of the wind.

60

6p

March

WINDWatching from the window, seeing'

MOVES smoke from a chimney and treesswaying, children can determine

which direction the wind is moving. Ask them tolook at the clouds overhead and compare thedirection of travel. Blindfold childrenoutdoors and have them point in the directionthe wind is moving. Read Gilberto and the Windby Marie Hill Ets.

WINDY DIRECTIONS Explain that directionsoutdoors are often calledNorth, South, East, or West.Show how a compass worksand then move the groupoutdoors. In a clear, openlocation, use the compassto.find North. Point out afamiliar spot to mark thedirection. Do the same

with each direction. Ask children to point tothe direction from which the wind is coming.Does the wind seem to always come from thatdirection? Name the wind after the directionfrom which it comes. Ask children to.describethe wind as mild, gusty, brisk, gentle. Findother examples of outdoormovement due to the wind.Show pictures of otherwind items: kites, .

sailboats, windmills.

6661

March

\\ Introduce children to a robin by\showing a picture. Have themname the colors of a robin. Usea map to show where birds migratefor the winter months. 1Robinsgenerally head south, althougha few brave ones stay in coldclimates throughout the winter.

Explain that when robins return, it means °springis near. Have a contest for children to spotthe first robin to arrive in your immediate area.Have him/her describe when and where-it was seen.Children draw pictures of robins.

Children walk outdoors to listen SPRING BIRDand look for signs of birds.Have them describe when the bird HIKE tr

was seen and what it was doing.Include size, color and actions, likehopping, walking, zig-zag flight,_40Vposture on tree as part of the description.

-Children then give each bird its own desalptivename. Let children imitate bird movement.Others try to name the specific bird beingimitated. Watch for birds feeding.

NESTING Read It's Nesting Time by RomaGans. Prior to walking outdoors,

)\

discuss where nests should belocated for protection againstweather, people, and animals.Ask, "What is used to make nests?"Children look for places outdoors

to put their own nests, while collecting materialsto build one themselves. Try building a nestoutdoors. A mud or clay nest form provides asticky surface for the twigs and grass.

G762

BIRD USES

!larch

Children discuss the uses ofbirds joa natural environmentand in the home. Ask childrento tell what birds do outdoorstnat helps plants and animals.(They eat insects, carry seeds.Some birds are food for otheranimals, such as the coyoteand large rodents.) Discusshow birds are used by people:.(People eat their meat andeggs and use their feathersfor decorative purposes.)Obtain fertile eggs so the .

children may observe thehatching process.

Bring a collection of down DOWN FEATHERinSulated clothing: jackets,vests, and sleeping bags, tothe classroom. Have the children put them on tofeel the warmth of the down. Examine individual

feathers. Note how the barbs of each featherstick together. Observe how light a feather is.Show pictures of geese and explain that they are ,

the main source of down feathers,. Down feathersare generally located on the underside of wings,close to the body. Most birds nave some form ofdown feather. Ask children to share camping

stories about sleeping outdoors. Askifthey used a down sleeping bag.

63

GREEN

TOUR

March

Children examine places outdoorswhere green is showing thepromise of spring. Collectvarious samples of green plantsand arrange them in seo.uences oflight to dark, or small to big.Find examples of spring's firstflowers.

Locate a flower in the budstage. Make sure no otheropen floweh are near it.Children examine the bud.Leaving it in its naturalhabitat, encourage childrento imagine what the flowerwill look like when it isopen - its color and size. .

Note the shape of its leaf., .

Return to the classroom todraw a picture of the floweras they imagine it when open.

BUDDING

SPRING

SPRING Return to see the flower bud

IS HERE completely open. Children cancompare it with other flowersnearby, noting its color, size,

leaf shape, and distribution. Children count--petals and examine stamen, anther, and-pistil.

Discuss where bees may find the-nectar on theflower.

i:Jrch

TEE ARTChildren tind lo trees near eachother, '-ut of different sKapes.From a distan._e, have the

children trace in the air the shape of each tree.Start from the ground up. Describe the shape ofthe tree. Ask, "How do the branches out fromthe tree - up, out, down?" Have them demonstratebranches with their hands. Get close to thetrees and have children examine its buc.;. Ask,"How long until a full size leaf will be seen?".Examine the trunk of the tree."Any insects crawling on UV!Have children sit in acomfortable spot on thegrass. With paper and crayonthey draw the shape of thetree. Add color to the treeby rubbing green grass onpaper. Repeat exercise withthe other tree.

QPRING COLORSuhil'ir,:n find simple;,

outdoirs, of spring colors -yellow, green, pink, white,etc., and samples ofwinter's remaining colors -gray, brown, tan. Discusswhat happens to the wirtrcooritems,-444--the--spring color examples touse in an art project.

70

arch

Hike around the school LITTER TOURyard looking for signsof spring and bits oflitter. Each child should carry .a collection

bag to keep the litter that is found. Discusswhere the trash is found and why it is there.Examine how it has weathered the winter. When

all litter is collected, have children decideon the largest and the smallest pieces of"sitter. Ask children to explain how they feel

about litter and what they think canbe done to prevent it.

R60

2001.4Children create a rhythmband using natural objectsthey collect outdoors. Sticksand a variety of surfaces(rough, smooth, large rocks,thick and hollow sticks) canbe_a_part of the_thythm____section, while seeds andpebbles can be placed in a"shaker" can to create anothersound. Conduct rhythm to afavorite class song.

_

66

March

NATURE DETECTIVE Collect samples of plants.Give one to each child andhave the child search fora plant that matches thissample. Ask the child to

illihtlabel his/her plant (if threal name has beendiscussed in class) orto give it his/her owndescriptive name.

OWL'S

EARS

This listening game can be played indoors or out,One person, blindfolded, stands in the middle ofa circle of children. A pointer chooses someoneto make a "hoot hoot" sound. The person in themiddle, the owl, listens and tries to point tothe noise maker. If he is wrong, he is thepointer; if he is right, he does it again.Discuss owls and their keen ability to hear.Note how owls can turn their heads completelyaround i_nresponse to sounds._

72

67

BALANCE

SCALE

(for a naturalbalance scale)

April

Use a rock as & fulcrum, anda wide stick for the armAllow children-to contri)utevarious natural objects tocompare weights. Make surethey understand that whenthe arm is level, the objectsmeasured are equal in weight.

.Look out the window on acloudy day and ask childrento describe the kinds ofclouds they see. Ask ifthey can predict rain fromthe clouds today. A flatlayer of clouds (stratus)usually indicates rain.High, wispy, hairlikeclouds (cirrus), or puffycumulus clouds (great foiimagination play) are seenon clear days.

RAIN CLOUDS

0 I 0 0

0 0

Point out how shade is formed whan a cloud goesin front of the sun. Demonstrate how rain isformed by boiling water in a pot. The water44mishesduetoeveporalicmWhen -a lid is put--on the pot (similar to the dust particles withina cloud), condensation occurs, forming raindropson the under surface-of the lid. Shake the potlid to demonstrate rain. Children can make arain and cloud picture by gluing cottonballclouds and small silver sequin raindrops onpaper.

7368

April

RAINDROP RINGS Children observe raindropsoutside as they hit asurface. Notice whereeach drop makes thebiggest splash: onpavement, soil, grass.

Watch the rings in a puddle as they are formedby raindrops. Indoors, this observation can becarried out by children shaking a very wet brushover various surfaces: box of soil, a plant,linoleum. Children may simulate the feel ofrain on their skin by wetting their hands andshaking water on their classmates. Let thechildren smell the air outdoors-after the rain.Describe it.

Children will understand CREEKhow rainfall and earth MAKINGcontours help formwaterways by the followingexperiment. Fill a sprinkling can with water(several cans, if available). Have childrenshake their rainfalls over various surfacessimilar to the earth: a level cement block(street), a slanted block (street on a hill),a dry level sponge, and a wet slanted sponge(all representing various conditions of theearth's surface). Place all surfaces on atable top. Children vigorously shake water oneach surface on a table top, noting how eachsurface reacts to the "rain". Ask children-which type of earth contributes-the most Wthe

creek formation. Are thereany other ways creeks areformed? (Underground springs,running from ponds or lakes.)How did rocks get into thacreek? Read Where the BrookBe" "s by Mary F. Bartlett.

74 6'

(April

Show children example's ofrainbows in photographs. Ask

'When do we see a rainbow?""Does the rainbow last a longtime?" "What are the colors ofthe rainbow?" Give childrensamples of each rainbow colorand have them collect naturalexamples of the color outdoors.Let the.chedren arrange thenature col amples they foundin the usual sequence'of rainbowcolors: red on.top, yellow, green,blue, with related shades in between.

RAINBOW

RACE

RAIN

Read When the Wind Stops byCharlotte Zolotow. Create a1

dance having childrendemonstrate rain, wind, snow,sun, etc.

SEEDLING

STARTING

April

Collect a variety of.seeds planted in a home

'garden, such as radish,lettuce, peas, zucchini.Have on hand the fullgrown vegetables of eachseed. Have the childrenfind the seeds in thefull grown vegetables.Compare fresh seeds withplanting seeds. -Discussdifferences in color,shape and texture.Taste each vegetable andcompare flavor, size andcolor of each.

Select a sunny lccation forGARDENyour preschool garden. Plan

portions, of.' several days for BEGINNINGthe children to prepare thesoil for planting. Usesmall size garden tools thatchildren can handle, and teach proper use oftools. Have the children dig up the area to beused. Turn 'ver shovelfulls of soil to loosenearth. Rem, weeds. Help children note andidentify weeds, so they will know them when thegarden needs weeding later. Rake the area untilit is smooth.

76

71

Apr i 1

Allow children to determinewhere to plant each vegetable.Mark off each row by attachinga string to two sticks, one at

each end of row. Smooth theground with hoe or rake afterplacing the row markers.

VEGETABLE

ROWS

Children return to theclast.room and draw a

ll

/ picture of each vegetable

,I'

di, .' to be planted. Use these

.

, .. drawings to identify the

1 ?Y" attachingby

V V attaching the drawings tothe sticks at the end ofrows.

PLANTING Introduce each child to anindividual seed. Show what. it

will produce and where in thegarden it is 10 be planted.'Using children't hands andfingers as measuring devices,show the distance apart the seed.is to be planted. Give eachchild a turn to plant and coverthe seeds with the appropriateamount of soil. Repeat procedurewith other types of seeds. Ask,

"The seeds are planted now. What

needs to be done to make themgrow?" Children take turns

watering using sprinkling0:ns.

'7772

April

Children will pretend to be sprouts and createtheir own dance:

"I Am A Sprout"

Wet groundWarm sunMy life as a tree

or radishHas just begun.

I'm so sure, I haveno doubts becausemy shell is crackedand I have a sprout.

It's growing upand growing outand growing upand growing out.

Upsee hoorayI.am a sprout!

Actions

Tell children to makethemselves as small aspossible. Feel theground with one handwhile maintaining thesquat position.

Maintain seed position,'lift head up.

Become an even smallersprout.

Suddenly, break theseed position,slowly rise.Suddenly risecompletely, spread arms.Open and extend armswidely.

from Billy B. Sings About Trees, Do DreamsMusic, 1978. Used with permission.

7873

April

BUG COUNT Children carry a wide-topcontainer with a screen lid anda fine mesh net to captureinsects. Locations to find many

insects will be in shrubs, cracksof tree trunks, on lawns, along'walls outdoors, add in gardens.When children have collectedtheir 'finds' ask themto count the insects,their legs anJ bodyparts. Name theinsects accordingto their appearanceor sound. Decideif the insect isa flyer, hopper,or crawler. Describethe colors and the soundsof each insect. Follow up witha role play where.childipen imitatea particular insect. Other childrentry to guess which one it is.

SPIDER Spiders can be -found in cornersnear the ceiling, in darklocations and also outdoors nearwalls and in gardens. Keep

spiders in a large glass container with a screenlid. A bit of water and a few insects willprovide food for the spider if confined over aperiod of time. Have children count the legs ofa spider andits body parts. IEau OFInkak

0112 AbbomWTry to find theplace where silk MFRS

J

PARISis emitted for SPAM :ETSthe web.

747i

April

SPIDER WEBSpider- webs, whenfound, are not-easily moved, but

try using a large piece of paperset'behind the web to hold it together as it isremoved. If a spider in a web is available for'watching close up, have the children look at thespider as it leaves its web carrying a draglinefor a quick return. Watch the spider make itsweb. Examine a web with a magnifying glass andask the children to describe the feel of the weband its purpose (home, place to snare food). IAllow children, to be a spider makinga web Usea roll of yarn and have children it in variouslocations in the room. One spider, a child withthe yarn, crawls from child to child, trailingthe yarn behind him, creating a web.

Ants will be found crawling in the ANTSlawns or trees, or enticed with abit of sweet, moist food set on theground surface. An anthill (usually near dry,loose soil) is a good location where childrencan observe the work of ants. Watch how thework is often shared with other ants. Notethe size of the carried item and compare it tothe size of the ants. Place an ant on a child'sarm to have him experience the feel of an antcrawling and observe how the ant doesn'r seemto be affected by the angle in which_to arm is.held. Examine and count the ant's body parts.Ask, "What do ants do to help the earth?" "AreOey food for other animals?" "Which ones?"

Children may then create very largeants with clay.

Su

April

FLY Along window wells is the most likelyplace to find flies: Collect a varietyof dead flies and place on a display.surface for children to examine. Ask

questions regarding size, color, number of wings:Examine flies.with a magnifying glass, payingspetial attention to the large compoundlygs_----Ask, "What do flies eat?" (plant and-ahimalfluids). "What animals eat flies?" (lizards,birds, fish, spiders). "Are fliesgood for our environment?" (providefood for 'animals, insects)..

MINIZOO Ask children to describe a zoo;its animals and plants, and howthey are kept at the,zoo. By

placing a plastic hoop (abouthoola -1ioop size) on the lawn

surface, each child has a "mini-um" of her own. Make sure eachhoop is in a different location:under a bush, in the shade, in the

' sun,. near a tree. Ask children tocount the live animals in their"zoo" and describe the place whereeach animal lives.. Also watch foranimals in the air above the "zoo".Ask each child to gather threedifferent samples of plants at hiszoo.--Collect all the samples andthen ask children to match plantsfrom different zoos. Discuss howand why plants and animals from .

various locations are differentand how they are similar.

76 81

YARD SHAPES

April

The school yard .is a goodlocation to discover thedifferences of size and shape .

in living plants. Show thechildren a circle shape andask them to locate a verylarge plant that has thatshape (a big, full, roundtree trunk), and a smallexample of that shape (asection of a clover leaf).Try finding medium sizedexamples "of that shape.Repeat this process withvarious shapes.

Explain to the childrenthat the purpose of thehike is to find a

a nap. Children stop .

LAWN BEScomfortable place for D

be try various placesfor a soothing sleep.When they have found their favorite spot, ask

them to describe it and howit feels. Write down these

it;f.

I

1/ descriptions and sha-e-them--,Th WI M

ON° .- child try his sleep spot forwith the-class. Let each

a nap.

8277

Agri 1

Shovel up a cross section oflawn (about 12" in diameterand 12" deep). Show it tothe children and ask them tofollow the roots of individualgrass blades. Encourage anunderstanding of the lawn's

'once by asking a child toa grass plant. Ask,

would happen to theL,Ith, other plants, insects,and animals if there was nograss?" "What happens to thegrass that is cut?" '"Wheredoes it go?" "Where is itnow?" "Does it help the soil?"Return the earth/lawn sampleto its original location.Children water it and laterwatch to see it continue growing.

LAWN LQQK

GREENF I ELDS Children gather as manydifferent shades of greenplants as they can find in

the yard around school. Collect the samples.Children can thenarrange them incolor sequences -light to dark green;size sequences - thinto thick; or texturesequences smooth to.rough.

78 83

May

WORM DIG Ask children to describe thebest place where worms mightbe found (steer responses toinclude moist areas near

decomposing plant materials). Using shovels,allow children to dig for their worms. Whiledigging, the children can be asked to talkabout the location where the worms are,'thetemperature of the soil (is it warm, cool?),and if the ground feels very wet. Set all theworms and soil in a wide, open box lined withan oilcloth or plastic, for children

observe and handle the worms.Keep the soil damp.

EYEING A WORM

Children examine anearthworm under amagnifying lens andidentify its mouth, and

clitellum (where fertilization takes place andmucus-producing glands are located), and thesetae (hairlike structures on the underside toaid its movement). Note the

____absence -of eyes. Watch it MOUTHmove on various surfaces,including one sghtly oiled,a smoo...h surface,-and a roughtextured surface. Havechildren try to move like a

worm, not using their handsand feet.

84

79

flay

Set a worm in a narro:., jar WORM TUNNELSthat is filled with fourinches of moist soil.thoLis topped with one inch Ofsand. Set a worm on thesurface of the sand. Overa period of time, the wormwill,roik its way throughthe sand to the soil whereit can process food, leaving a trail of sand bitsin the soil. Explain that the worm gets its foodby eating the soil as it tunnels through soil,expelling it out as it moves. Go. outside after a

rain to find "mud castings" (expelled mud fromthe worm as it digests food from the soil) on thesoil surface. Ask children to describe how wormsare necessary for soil as well as for animals.

NEW WORMS

Cut a worm in half and place both sectionsin separate_dirt-filled containers. In

time, the children will see that one halfof the worm has continued to grow andlive - called "reggneration", and theother half has died. Ask them to findthe ,clitellum on-the-live one. Thensee if the dead.one has the clitellum.

8580

tlaY

ROBIN FOOD During morning hours, robinswill most likely be seen onthe lawns feeding. Havechildren sit very quietly to

watch a robin find its food. They will noticehow it stands motionless (freezing) while tryingto locate a worm. It is believed that rObinssee the grass move as the worm crawls among itsroots or that birds can hear worms moving. Thenwhen a robin spots a worm he quickly lunges forit and flies off. Introduce the idea ofinterdependence of living things by askingchildren to explain how the soil needed theearthworm, how the earthwormneeded the soil, and how thebird needed the earthworm tosurvive. Let childrenimitate the robin and wormduring a, bird's feeding/hunting time.

In the morning shade, childrenfind unopened dandelion flowerbuds. Have them carefully tearthese apart to examine how theflorets are folded inside. In

a sunny spot, open flowers willbe found. Ask-the children tofold up a flower like the bud.Point out that each floret is aflower. The dandelion .s reallymany flowers. in one. Can theflorets be counted?

83

81

NADEL I ON

OPEN I NCS

May

Children find examples of fourstages of dandelion development:1) the enclosed bud; 2) theopened flower; 3) the white,downy seed head; 4) the bareflower base. Explain that eachis a part of the life of oneplant. Ask children to name theanimals that eat or rely. on eachpart of the dandelion's lifecycle: 1) rodents, rabbits;2) bees for nectar; 3) birds forseed. Allow children to blow onthe head of a seeded dandelion.Watch how and where the seedsland - examine and individualseed closely. Discuss how moredandelions are formed. Plantdandelion seeds on a spot ofbare soil.

LEAVES AND STEM

DANDY SEEDS

Children collect dandelionstems and leaves. Placing

leaves over one another,children try to matchleaves of the same shape.

Using 4 large dandelionleaf glued on paper,children trace around the

shape and then create a body from that form. Tearthe leaf stems to examine the milky fluid and notehow it turns brown on their skin. Children maythen peel off thin sections of the stem and watchthem curl up.

8287

WILD SALAD

May

Using the young tender leaves ofdandelions, create a wild salad,adding fresh parsley and spinach

(it is not suggested that children collect thegre-!ns, due to safety precautions.) Ask childrento describe the taste of dandelion leaves, and tocompare to the taste of lettuce.

Ask children to pull up aROOT-N-AROUNDdandelion plant, root and

all. This is a difficulttask unless soil is verymoist and loose. Uprocta dandelion with a shovel and allow children toexamine the rcit and its hairs. Slice the rootand loa at its profile. Discuss how thedandelion's "stubbornness" helps it to grow.

jlildren create a dandelion dance withtheir feet firmly planted, armsoutstretched waving back and forth.Children may then imagine their feet andlegs as the roots when they sit on thefloor and their classmates attempt to"uproot" them.

:=RING CREEK Children hike alorcille water'sedge listening to the sounds ofthe creek. Ask them to identify

the sourre of the sound and then imitate what theyheard.. Children decide if the sound is onlyheard near a creek. Discover plant life foundalong the creek and have children give eachvariety a characteristic or descriptive name.

8683

I

Take child(en to a creek.Carry along nets, twobuckets, and shovel.Fill one bucket with mudand plants. Top withwater from the creek.Children gather tadpolesusing the nets. Holdtadpoles carefully intheir hands. Letchildren exam le anti tell how it breathes,describe its tail arid mouth. Compare itsappearance and swimhding style with those ofa fish. Collect tadpoles in various stagesof metamorphsis. ?rior to tadpole inspection,explain the frog' life cycle of egg to tadpoleto adult. Ask children to differentiatebetween tadpolln.

TADPOLES

BOAT PACE

CREEK FOOD

Using natural materialsavailable (tree bark,leaves, moss, etc.),children create their ownboat to float in the creek.Create situations in thecreek in which the boatsbecome lodged. Discuss whysome natural materials donot work well in boatconstruction.

Springtime cattails produce a tender asparagus-like treat which can be eaten. Peel back theouter stem of a young cattail and cut outsectims of the inner stem. This can be eaten .

raw or fried. Allow the children to taste anddescribe this delicacy.

84 89

HOY

MESSY MOSS

Moss can be found nearly any place along,and in, a creek, on stones, treebark, oron the ground. Children collect samplesof different kinds of moss, describingthe place where it was found. Use amagnifying glass to examine and compare.

CATERPILLAR

HUNTIn the spring, caterpillars will befound crawling along stems and twigsand in the grass. Children carry amilk container with a few leaves tohold the caterpillars they find.Showing pictures of caterpillarsbefore the hunt may be helpful tothe children. Children will naturallyenjoy the caterpillar if it is allowedto crawl on their hands. Examinecaterpillars with a magnifying lenslooking for sharp spines or tree legswhich are used for holding objectsand clinging. Look for legs, falselegs, mouth and anntennae.. Discusshow caterpillars are the, larvae(babies) of moths and butterflies.Caterpillars will soon make cocoons(moth) or chrysalis (butterfly) usingthe silk they make, or a leaf. Duringthis period the adult moth orbutterfly forms. Let children observeand imitate how a caterpillar moves.Children can draw imaginary picturesto show how a caterpillare will lookwhen it becomes a butterfly or moth.

85

COLORFUL

DAYS

May

Children explore a nearby area inan effort to match colors innature with colored clothing theyare wearing.

Collect various nature samples such as flowerpetals, leaves, moss and dirt. Bring theseindoors and have the chidren create a naturedrawing by rubbing the colorsfrom these items on whitepaper.

LADYBUG

This beetle got its name in England wherelegend says it was a gift from the VirginMary. Because this bug eats the aphids whichdestroy the farmer's plants, the ladybug is .

welcome in most gardens. The beetle goesthrough a metamorphosis (change): egg, larvaeand adult. In winter it hibernates. Childrenmay gather ladybugs around shrubs infestedwith aphids (tiny white insects), and.onunsprayed rosebushes. Keep ladybugs in acovered jar with leaves and a few aphids.Have children count the dots on the back of aladybug, or see how it "plays dead" when puton its back. Use a magnifying glass toexamine the shape of the mouth(used for piercing and sucking).Watch the ladybug fly. She hastwo sets of wings. Have thechildren draw ladybugs.

86 91

May

TREE

DOCTORUse a stethoscope to listen to a tree'sheartbeat (the sound of fluid flowingin the tree). Choose a young tree,about six inches in diameter, with thinbark. Place stethoscope on tree trunkin various places until sound is heard.Allow children to hear and compare withthe sounds of theieown heartbeat.Explain to childrenthe source of thetree's heartbeatsound and ask if thetree is alive. "Areall plants alive?"

.54

SPRING SINGS

A morning listening hikeintroduces children to the newsounds of spring. Let childrenidentify the sound sovrce andask children to guess what theanimal or insect may be "saying".Do any sounds come from plants?Locate other signs of spring bysmelling and feeling.

I

9287

Maya.

-BELLY HIKE

Children lie on their stomachsto investigate a small section

of the lawn or yard. Ask themto describe all the living things

they see (name, color, shape, size).Then all the non-living things.Leave the area. Ask the children

to describe what they remember.

PICTURE

FEELChoose a large, simple drawingand lay'it flat on a table. Havethe children gather tiny objectsof varying textures, such as grass,sand, pebbles, weed tops, ...

Arrange the objects within thelines of the drawing and securewith glue. Let dry and havethe children feel the differenttextures.

93Bps

.Key Experiences

The daily sensations are keyed to z cognitivelyoriented curriculum. These particular abilitiesare focused in each sensation.

Active LearningSensory exploration, involving the use of

uncommonly used_senses for learningBody awareness and movement using large muscles,

tools and equipment; recognizing and comparingbody parts

Choosing materials, activities and purposes

LanguageVisual skills - memory and discriminationAuditory skills memory and discriminationExpression - feelings, values, beliefs concerningoneself

Describing events, materials

Representation of Ideas and FeelingsRole playing - imaginative acting of an idea,

object, materialArtistic expression using a variety of art .--

forms to express oneself

Logical ReasoningClassification noting same and different,

sorting, labeling attributesSeriation - comparison, arranging items in orderNumber concepts counting, comparing amountsColor concepts - labeling colors, comparingsimilar colors

Understanding Time and Space.Spatial relations.- fitting together and takingapart, observing from different viewpoints,experiencing and describing in relation toposition and movement

Time - describing past events, anticipatingfuture events, noting the order of things byusing concepts like today, morning, yesterday,etc.

94 89

Children's Books to Accompany Sensations

Bartlett, Margaret F., When the Brook Begins, T.Y.Crowell, Scranton, PA, 1961

Ernst, Kathryn, Mr. Tamarin's Trees, Crown, NY,1976

Ets, Marie H., Gilberto and the Wind, VikingPress, 'New York, 1976

Fischer, Aileen, Where Does Everyone Go?, T.Y.Crowell, Scranton, PA, 1980

Fresselt, Alvin, Follow the WindGans, Roma, It's Nesting Time, T.Y. Crowell,

Scranton, PA, 1961

Lionni, Leo, Fish is Fish, Pantheon, Westminster,MD, 1970

Peet, Bill, Farewell to Shady Glade, Houghton-Mifflin, Boston, 1978

Politi, Leo, Butterflies Come, Scribner, Totowa,. NJ, 1957Shaw, Charles G., It Looked Like Spilt Milk,Harper-Row, Scranton, PA, 1979

Silverstein, Shel, The Giving Tree, Harper-Row,Scranton, PA, 1964

Wildsmith, Brian, Squirrel, Watts, New York, 1975Zolotow, Charlotte, When the Wind Stops, Harper-

Row, Scranton, PA, 1975

Adult Reiources

Forte, Imogene and MacKenzie, J.. CreativeScientific Experiences for the Young Child

Harlan, Jean D, Science experiences for the You4 Child

Holt, Bess-Gene, Science with Young Children,NAEYC, Washington, D.C., 1977

Iowa Assist Science Education Center, Eco PacVol. 4, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

Kress, Dr. Stephen. W., Natural ScienceInvestigations, Instructor *CurriculumPublications, 1.976

Ideas for Teaching With Nature,- NAEYC, WashingtoD.C. -

Nicke;sburg, Janet; Nature Activities for EarlyChildhood, Menlo Park, CA, Addison WesleyPublishing, 1976

Shuttlesworth, Dorothy Edwards, Exploring NatureWith Your Child, New York, Greystone Press, 19

Vivian, V, Eugene, SlGrcebook for Environmental'education, St. Louis, C.V. Mosby Co., 1977-7-

t

4.-

Publication made poesible by Ballantine FoundatioA.

97.

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