Science - Week 1

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Point to your eyes and ask: "What do we use these for?" (To see!) Say: "Today we're going to be scientists. Scientists observe the world around them. Observe means to look very carefully and notice things."

Hold up an apple (or any colorful object). Say: "When I look at this apple, what do I notice? I see that it's red. I see that it's round. I see that it's about this big." (Show size with hands.) "My eyes tell me so many things!"

Say: "Today we're going to practice using our sense of sight to observe objects like scientists do."

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Step 1: Teacher Models Observation (3 minutes)

Place 5-7 objects on the table. Pick up one object (like a blue toy car). Say: "I'm going to observe this object using only my eyes. I will describe what I see."

Model careful observation: "I see the color blue. I see it has four black wheels. I see it's about as long as my hand. I see it has windows and doors. I see shiny parts and matte parts."

Emphasize: "I used my eyes to notice the color, shape, size, and details. That's what scientists do—they look carefully and describe exactly what they see."

Step 2: Guided Observation Together (3 minutes)

Pick a different object (like a yellow banana). Say: "Now let's observe this together. What color do you see?" Let your student answer. "What shape is it?" "Is it big or small?" "What else do your eyes notice?"

Write down or help your student say complete observation sentences: "I see a yellow banana. I see it is curved. I see it is about as long as my forearm."

Step 3: Student Independent Observation (3-4 minutes)

Give your student a new object. Say: "Now it's your turn to be the scientist. Look at this object very carefully. Tell me everything your eyes can see."

Prompt if needed: "What color is it?" "What shape?" "What size?" "Are there any special details you notice?"

If your student is ready, let them observe 2-3 different objects and describe each one.

Practice (5-7 minutes)

Draw What You See Activity: Give your student paper and crayons. Say: "Choose one object and draw exactly what you see. Pay attention to the colors, shapes, and details your eyes notice."

As they draw, ask observation questions: "What color are you using? Why?" "What shape did you draw?" "Did you notice any special parts?"

When finished, have your student describe their drawing: "I observed a red apple. I saw that it's round. I saw a brown stem on top."

Extension (if time allows): Go on a "sight walk" around your home or outside. Point out things you observe: "I see a green leaf. I see a square window. I see a fluffy cloud."

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Ask: "What sense did we use today to observe?" (Our sense of sight! Our eyes!) "What kinds of things can your eyes tell you about an object?" (Color, shape, size, details.)

Say: "Scientists use their eyes to observe the world carefully. Your eyes are important tools for learning about reality."

Preview: "Tomorrow we'll use a different sense—our ears! We'll observe with our sense of hearing."

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Point to your ears and ask: "What do we use these for?" (To hear!) Say: "Yesterday we used our eyes to observe. Today we'll use our ears."

Make a sound behind your back (clap, snap, or tap). Ask: "What did you hear? How did you know what sound it was?"

Say: "Scientists use their sense of hearing to learn about things they can't always see. Let's practice listening like scientists!"

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Sound Identification Game: Have your student close their eyes or face away. Make a sound with one object (ring a bell, crinkle paper, pour water). Ask: "What sound did you hear? Can you describe it?" (Loud or quiet? High or low? Fast or slow?)

Repeat with different sounds. After each sound, discuss: "How did you know what made that sound? What did your ears tell you?"

Then reverse: Let your student make sounds while you identify them. This shows that hearing works both ways for observation.

Practice (5-7 minutes)

Sound Hunt: Go on a "listening walk" inside your home or outside. Stop every few moments and say: "Let's be quiet and listen. What sounds do you hear?"

Help your student identify sounds: "I hear birds chirping. I hear a car driving by. I hear the refrigerator humming. I hear wind in the trees."

Practice describing sounds: loud/quiet, high/low, pleasant/harsh, near/far. Say: "Our ears help us notice things we might not see."

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Ask: "What sense did we use today?" (Hearing! Our ears!) "Why is hearing important for scientists?" (To notice sounds and learn about things around us.)

Say: "Scientists use their ears to observe sounds. Tomorrow we'll use another sense—our sense of touch!"

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Say: "This week we've used our eyes to see and our ears to hear. Today we'll use a different sense." Touch your arm and ask: "What am I doing?" (Touching!)

Say: "Our whole body can feel things through our sense of touch. Our hands and fingers are especially good at feeling. Today we'll use touch to observe like scientists."

Show a cotton ball and a rock. Say: "Without looking, I can tell these are different by touching them. Let's see how!"

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Texture Exploration: Lay out 5-7 objects. Let your student touch each one. After touching each item, ask: "How does it feel? Is it soft or hard? Smooth or rough? Bumpy or flat?"

Introduce texture vocabulary: soft, hard, smooth, rough, bumpy, squishy, firm, slippery, sticky, scratchy. Say: "Scientists use special words to describe what they feel."

Mystery Touch Game: Place 3-4 objects in a bag. Have your student reach in (without looking!) and feel an object. Ask: "What do you feel? Can you describe the texture? What do you think it is?"

After they guess, pull the object out to check. Repeat with other objects. This shows how touch alone gives us information about things.

Practice (5-7 minutes)

Texture Hunt: Go on a "touching walk" around your home or outside (if weather permits). Touch different surfaces safely: table, wall, carpet, grass, tree bark, smooth rock.

For each surface, ask: "How does it feel?" Encourage your student to use texture words: "This carpet feels soft and fuzzy. This tree bark feels rough and bumpy."

Optional: Create a texture collection. Gather small items with different textures and glue them to cardboard to make a "texture board" for future observation.

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Ask: "What sense did we use today?" (Touch! Our skin! Our hands!) "What can touch tell us about objects?" (If they're soft or hard, smooth or rough, etc.)

Say: "Scientists use their sense of touch to learn about textures and properties of objects. Tomorrow we'll use two more senses together—taste and smell!"

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Say: "We've used our eyes, ears, and hands this week. Today we'll use two more senses—taste and smell!" Point to your tongue and nose.

Hold up an orange. Say: "Before I eat this orange, I can smell it." (Demonstrate smelling.) "When I eat it, I can taste it. These two senses help us learn about food and keep us safe."

Say: "Scientists use taste and smell to identify things. Let's try it!"

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Taste Exploration (4-5 minutes): Present 4 basic taste samples (sweet, salty, sour, and optionally bitter). Before each taste, ask your student to smell it first. Then give a small taste.

After tasting, ask: "How does it taste? Is it sweet, salty, or sour?" Introduce vocabulary: "Sweet tastes like honey or cookies. Salty tastes like chips. Sour tastes like lemons—it makes your face scrunch up!"

Have your student rinse with water between tastes. Discuss: "Your tongue has special parts that can taste different flavors. That's how you know if food is sweet or salty."

Smell Exploration (4-5 minutes): Present 4-5 scent items. Have your student close their eyes and smell each one. Ask: "What do you smell? Can you describe it? Does it smell good or bad to you? Can you guess what it is?"

After smelling, reveal what each item is. Discuss: "Your nose can smell things even without touching or tasting them. Smell can tell you about things far away—like when someone is cooking!"

Practice (5-7 minutes)

Taste and Smell Connection Activity: Give your student a piece of apple. Have them smell it first, then taste it. Ask: "What did you notice when you smelled it? What did you taste?"

Then try this experiment: Have your student hold their nose closed while tasting something (like a small piece of apple or cheese). Ask: "Can you taste it as well when your nose is closed?" Release the nose. "Does it taste different now?"

Explain: "Taste and smell work together! When you smell food while eating, it makes the taste stronger. That's why when your nose is stuffy from a cold, food doesn't taste as good."

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Ask: "What senses did we use today?" (Taste and smell!) "Where do we taste?" (On our tongue.) "Where do we smell?" (With our nose.)

Say: "Scientists use taste and smell to identify things, especially food. These senses can also keep us safe by telling us if food is good or bad."

Preview: "Tomorrow we'll use ALL five senses together in a big observation challenge!"

Introduction (2-3 minutes)

Say: "This week we learned about five senses. Who can name them?" List together: sight (eyes), hearing (ears), touch (hands/skin), taste (tongue), smell (nose).

Say: "Today we're going to use ALL five senses at once to observe like real scientists! We're going to examine a mystery object and describe everything we can learn about it."

Main Activity (8-10 minutes)

Five Senses Observation Challenge: Present a mystery object (for example, an orange). Say: "We're going to observe this object using all five senses. Let's start!"

Sight: "What do you see? What color? What shape? What size? Any details?" (Orange, round, about this big, has bumpy skin with tiny dots.)

Touch: "Now touch it carefully. How does it feel?" (Bumpy, rough skin, firm, cool, smooth on the outside.)

Smell: "Smell it. What does it smell like?" (Sweet, fruity, citrus smell.)

Hearing: "Can we hear anything? Let's tap it gently or shake it." (Makes a soft thud sound when tapped. Doesn't make noise when shaken—not hollow.)

Taste (if edible and appropriate): Peel the orange and give your student a taste. "What does it taste like?" (Sweet, juicy, tangy, a little sour.)

After observing with all five senses, say: "Now we know SO much about this orange! We used all five senses to gather information, just like scientists do."

Practice (5-7 minutes)

Give your student a second mystery object (like a pinecone, flower, or bell). Say: "Now you're the scientist. Observe this object using all five senses and tell me everything you learn."

Guide them through each sense: "What do you see? What do you feel? What do you smell? Can you hear anything? (If safe) Can you taste it?"

Have your student draw the object and write or tell you one observation from each sense. For example: "I see brown. I feel rough and prickly. I smell like trees. I hear nothing when I shake it. I do not taste it because it's not food."

Closure (2-3 minutes)

Ask: "Why do scientists use all five senses instead of just one?" (To learn MORE about things! Each sense tells us something different!) "Which sense do you think is most important?" (Discuss that all senses are important and give different information.)

Celebrate: "You've learned to observe like a scientist this week! You can use your five senses to explore and learn about the world around you."

Preview: "Next week in science, we'll use our observation skills to study plants—living things that grow all around us!"