Activities Week 6

Visit to the park

 What can we find?
• Mark out a circle using a
hoop. Use the magnifying
glasses and carefully hunt
around the circle.
• List all the things they can
observe (see, hear and touch)
in the circle within a minute.
• If possible take photos of
some of the things they see.
 Scavenger hunt
Find the following items;
• 5 leaves of different shapes and colours
• 4 pieces of grass that are each different
• 3 sticks that are not straight
• 2 hard things that are natural (i.e. not man
made)
• 1 photo of a bird
 What is it???
• Using the simple
microscope, plug it into a
laptop (easiest on a mac
using Photobooth)
Grass
• Find a variety of things to
observe and magnify
• Take photos and then play a
guessing game later to try
and work out what the
photos are.
Bark
 Teacher Notes: What is it???
Microscopes can be the most amazing
way to explore beyond the child’s visible
world. The simple Easi-scope is
affordable and robust enough for use in
the early years. (Purchase details here:
http://www.edtechs.com.au/product_p/el00015.htm )
Grass
You can also pick up some cheap ones on
eBay just search for ‘USB microscope’.

Bark
 Sorting and classifying
• Using the scavenger hunt items sort them into
categories.
• Discuss various categories and the reasons for
the categories.
 Teacher Page: Sorting and classifying
Sorting and classifying are important science skills that use observations and
language skills to describe and sort materials. Children use a wide range of
categories to sort and it is important we ask them to describe their reasons
and encourage them to then reclassify the materials using different criteria. It
encourages diversity of thoughts and acceptance of ideas beyond the ‘one
right answer’.
Try these classifying ideas:
http://inspirationlaboratories.com/ideas-to-practice-classification-for-kids/
 Cloud watching
Take 5 min to watch the clouds. See if you can
spot the different types of clouds and identify
them from the following pictures.
 Teacher Notes: Cloud watching
Clouds change and move quite rapidly in different weather conditions. This can trigger
some great discussions about the rotation of the earth, positions of the sun, moon, etc.

The following are some great cloud activities for young students.

http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/03/clouds-in-jars-and-on-the-table-top-too/