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NSTA Press Book
A Head Start on Science, Second Edition: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder
Imagine what fun it could be for 3- to 7-year-olds to engage in a game of Prism Play or Magnetic Scavenger Hunt or Where Did the Shadows Go? Then imagine how convenient it would be for you if such activities came with the connections, standards, and ...
By William C. Ritz, William Straits
Book Chapter
This activity focuses on using magnifiers to look closely at objects. Encourage students to use them in any part of the classroom or outdoors to help in their investigation. Magnifiers should always be kept in the science center as a reminder that it...
Book Chapter
This activity focuses on students looking at their skin, fingernails, hair, and clothes through a magnifier. Give each student a magnifier and ask them to look at their hands through the lens. Listen to their comments to see what they are discovering...
Book Chapter
This activity is about discovering that sunlight shining through a prism produces rainbow colors. Prisms work best in natural light so ask students to place pieces of white paper on the ground and show them how to hold their prisms so that the sunlig...
Book Chapter
This Color Walk activity is to look for objects in the environment that are a particular color. Green is chosen here but other colors may work well too, depending on the season and your location. Pictures may be taken or ask students to draw what th...
Book Chapter
This Shape Walk activity is to look for objects in the environment that are a particular shape. It’s best to choose a shape that will be found often in your environment. A square is a good one to start with, as it is among the most common and one ...
Book Chapter
This activity is about discovering that our eyes need light to see and in order for something to be seen, we need light. The activity works best on a cloudy day when not much sunlight is lighting the room, but make your room as dimly lit as possible....
Book Chapter
This activity uses the sense of sight to find matching objects. Take the students outside and ask them to find some items that look the same as the ones you collected and put in their bags. Back in the classroom, ask them to look at their items with ...
Book Chapter
This activity is for observing and tasting foods that are salty, sour, sweet, or bitter. Give each student a piece of four different foods, such as tortilla chip, pineapple, pickle, and green apple. As children taste each one, encourage a conversatio...
Book Chapter
This activity is for using the sense of smell to observe and identify different scents. At the start, discuss with the students how our sense of smell is very important and can help us identify different objects. Then distribute one set of “smelly ...
Book Chapter
This activity is for sorting flowers based on their scents. Have children arrange their flowers in a Sorting Box with all the flowers that smell on one side and those that don’t on the other side. Ask them to talk more about the sense of smell, wha...
Book Chapter
Sound: Shake, Rattle, and Roll
This activity focuses on exploring, comparing, and identifying sounds. Ask children to close their eyes and focus on their sense of hearing while making different sounds and letting them guess the sound. Then give a set of clear sound containers to ...
Book Chapter
This activity takes the children on a sound walk around the school grounds or surrounding neighborhood to listen for different sounds. The children should walk without talking until they hear some sounds. Once back inside ask them to draw a picture o...
Book Chapter
This activity explores sound and vibrations using rulers. Children are asked to observe and describe how the ruler moves or “vibrates” as it makes sound. After noticing that different sounds are possible, children will change the position of thei...