I am a Scientist

Buy this book »

Children should develop the habit of using the scientific method at home as well as in school.

• Have children take turns taking a science kit home with them. Along with the kit, send task cards.

Task cards explain how children are to use the kits at home. An example:

Task 1

• Sit at a table and eat a cracker. Now look at the tabletop. What do you see? Use the magnifying glass to look at cracker crumbs on the tabletop. What do you see? Are the crumbs smooth, round, or pointy? Draw the crumbs as you see them through the glass. Draw them again as they look without the glass.
• Sweep up half of the crumbs in your hand and drop them in a clear plastic cup half filled with water. Observe what happens and sketch the results.
• Take the remainder of the crumbs to a place outside your door. You could mark the place with a piece of yarn from the science kit. Observe what happens to the crumbs over the next 2 days. Sketch your observations.

Task 2

Scientists collect data, so have children take turns taking a clipboard home with them so they can record interviews with their family, friends, and neighbors.

The task might be to

• find out how many people they know like cats or dogs
• ask who has made angels in the snow
• find out whether their friends like vanilla or chocolate ice cream.