Monday, July 9, 2012

Learning to Be a Scientist: Week 5, Day 1

Continuing Learning to Be a Scientist: the fifth concept is "Scientists use tools and equipment," the first activity is "Choosing the Right Tool."

After reviewing the concepts they have already learned we talked about the different tools we used two weeks ago to measure weight and lengths. Then we brought out the bathroom scale and a little kitchen scale I found at the thrift store. I did not find a balance or pan scale cheap secondhand, so we had to do without. We talked about what scales weigh big things and what scales weigh little things. George's mom works in a grocery store and George recognized the picture of a kitchen scale as the ones that are used in the produce section of the store. Builder Boy and George completed the two worksheets connecting pictures of tools and what they are used for. George recognized the picture of the rotary pencil sharpener, but Builder Boy had never seen one. The water fountain picture had a turn knob instead of a push bar like they have now. In hindsight, they didn't need to do that extra worksheet, but it didn't hurt them to do it. They also colored some of the pictures for the Scientists at Work mini-book, but Builder Boy had a melt down and needed to stop. To learn about balance scales I let them play the Sid the Science Kid Pan Balance Game and the More part of Starfall.com has a Weight balance pan game under the Geometry & Measurement category.

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