Fun for preschoolers and elementary students!
This “from home” activity is flexible enough to be fun for children of all ages. Older kids can help the younger ones. Download it today!
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Fun for preschoolers and elementary students!
This “from home” activity is flexible enough to be fun for children of all ages. Older kids can help the younger ones.
This activity can be repeated over multiple visits as natural spaces change with time especially in the spring and fall.
Before you go out: Get Ready!
Brainstorm about how the children define life.
Ask:
What do living things need? (air, food, water, shelter/protection …)
Name features of living things.
(eat, breathe, reproduce, grow/change with time …)
Record:
Use a whiteboard or sheet of paper on the wall to write down the ideas. For the younger kids have images of these features/needs (draw them, cut them out from magazines, download and print them – older kids can help with this).
Compare:
Compare the list to the characteristics of an animal, a plant, a rock, an ocean/river/lake, a glacier/ice pack.
Prompt/suggest: If the list
doesn’t include features or needs required by animals (including birds,
insects, etc.) and plants then offer suggestions or prompts.
Compare and Contrast: Discuss the
differences between animals and plants.
Key Concepts about Plants:
- Breathe in oxygen like animals and use sunlight
during the day for energy (photosynthesis) - Breathe in carbon dioxide at night and expel
oxygen (part of the global oxygen cycle that enables all life except for a few
types of bacteria that don’t require oxygen to live) - Use nutrients from soil and water as well as
sunlight to grow - Reproduce by seeds (sexual reproduction) and/or
by cuttings (pieces from one plant can grow into other mature plants that are
the same as the original plant – asexual reproduction) - Can “sequester” carbon dioxide to reduce
pollution (role of rain forests and thee boreal forests) - Many animals must eat plants to grow and
reproduce
Key Concepts for Scientific Observation:
- Good scientists look at the same thing over and
over to see if there are any changes - Good scientists record what they see: write or
draw or photograph or video; remember to record the date, time and place each
time you make a visit – if possible record the temperature and weather
conditions, phase of the moon, season of the year - Good scientists are respectful – allow everyone
the space to see/observe; use your eyes first treat plants/animals/natural
places with respect - Good scientists use their senses: look and
listen, practice gentle touch, careful smelling and taste only when an adult
says it’s okay to do so
Go into the yard, garden, neighbourhood or other natural space: Be a
scientist!
Encourage each child to choose their own space in the garden/park/natural
place in your neighbourhood that they can visit and observe each time you
visit.
Remember container/potted
gardens and balconies/decks may be natural spaces too!
More Activities:
For younger children: draw a picture, take a photo,
make a leaf rubbing (see below)
Leaf Rubbing: white paper and
crayons
- Position the leaf, underside up, under one layer
of paper – the leaf should be visible through the paper - Trace the outline of the leaf with a crayon,
then rub the broad side of the crayon across the leaf within the outline of the
leaf – you should see the leaf veining in the rubbing - Looks for different leaf shapes, patterns and
sizes
For older children: write descriptive paragraphs or
poems (see below); draw a map of the observation space and update it with each
visit
Poems Types: acrostic, haiku,
concrete, diamante
- Children can research different types of poems
and use their favourite format to create a poem based on their observations and
research – don’t forget to illustrate them!
Share:
Post Leaf Rubbings and/or Poems in your home or, with a parent’s permission, on social media or share with other family and friends via email.
Based upon content from Get Growing! Activities for Food and Garden Learning by J Mayer-Smith and L Peterat – Thank You! Provided as a free educational resource by Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation© Not for commercial use or resale.
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