Learning to observe and discover

PATHWAY BASED ON SPECIFIC ABILITIES
Learning to observe and discover

Goals:

• To develop the ability to observe and discover
• To develop the ability to observe through the vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, observing the change of the ingredients of the experiment. This goal takes into account the diversity between children.
• To develop the ability to observe through measuring quantities (weight, volume, number..)
• To make predictions about measures (weight, volume, number..)

Intended Learning Outcomes

The child will be able to:

• To be able to observe the materials/ingredients, at the beginning of the experiment, through the five senses
• To be able to run the experiments following the instructions
• To be able to discover through senses how the materials change through the process
• To be able to observe the materials/ingredients at the end of the process, through the five senses
• Observing the final results of a transformation, to deduce what have happened

The structure of the learning pathway

Stage I

To observe the objects/materials/ingredients, at the beginning, during the transformation and at the end of the process through the five senses.

• Crystal suncatchers
• A plant in an egg

Stage II

To run the experiment. To learn to pay attention to measuring ingredients.

• Bread in a bag
• Chocolate science

Stage III

To notice the transformation through the effect of heating/through the effect of oxidation. Observing the final results of a transformation, to deduce what have happened.

• Bread in a bag
• Chocolate science
• Apples oxidation

While doing each experiment:

1. Motivate the children
2. Make the children make hypotheses
3. Do the experiment with the children
4. Help the children draw conclusions

Assessment

Initial

Ask initial questions about the contents and procedures that are developed in the activity
Ask the children if they have done a similar activity before

Ongoing

Ask the children -What do you think will happen …?
Ask questions such as- What do you think about what is happening?
Ask the children questions about why do they think that e.g. –bread grows in the oven-chocolate melts when heated-
Ask questions such as- Can we do the experiment in other way?

Final assessment

Make the children draw or describe e.g. the bread before and after baking
Make the children draw or describe e.g. the plants that grew in different environments (sand, rocks, dust) (inside, in the shadow, in the sun)
Help the children deduce what happened in the experiment
End the activity with a party, decorating with the sun-catchers and eating bread and chocolate