Kindergarten Science Vocabulary Lesson 1 1. Scientists use special words to talk about the world around us. One of these words is observe.

Access prior knowledge- What do you think observe means? Show picture and read student-friendly definition:

Observe means to look carefully at something or someone Jim observed the spider spinning a web

Ask students to repeat the word observe. Insure that all students have had a chance to say the word.

In pairs, ask students to talk about the meaning of the word observe- share responses with the group

2. Context Activities- to reinforce comprehension:

Show activity picture cards. Ask students to tell what they observe. Have them use the word by stating” I observe….”

Play “I observe”- a variation of “I spy” using the environment of the classroom- eg. “I observe something that is round and flat and has legs” (a table).

Lesson 2 1. Another important science word is identify

Access prior knowledge- What do you think identify means? Show picture and read student-friendly definition:

flower bird firefighter

Identify means to tell the name of someone or something

It is easy to identify a bee because it has black and yellow stripes.

Ask students to repeat the word identify. Insure that all students have had a chance to say the word.

In pairs, ask students to talk about the meaning of the word identify- share responses with the group.

2. Context Activity- to reinforce comprehension:

What Am I? Use the picture cards to have students predict the picture Discuss with students what “clues” they used to eg. “The tail made me

think it was a dog” (This is the cognitive skill of identifying- looking at the attributes or features of a person or thing to identify it)

Lesson 3 1. Another important science word is compare

Access prior knowledge- What do you think compare means? Show picture and read student-friendly definition:

same different

Compare means to tell how two things are the same or different girl boy boy boy

We compared the two boys to see who is taller.

Ask students to repeat the word compare. Insure that all students have had a chance to say the word.

In pairs, ask students to talk about the meaning of the word compare- share responses with the group.

2. Context Activity- to reinforce comprehension

Use picture cards as a prompt for students to identify similarities and differences- Ask students to compare the two photos

Lesson 4 1. Review previous words- observe, identify, compare Another important science word is sort

Access prior knowledge- What do you think sort means? Show picture and read student-friendly definition:

Sort means to put things in groups

Please sort the shapes. Ask students to repeat the word sort. Insure that all students have had a

chance to say the word. In pairs, ask students to talk about the meaning of the word sort- share

responses with the group.

2. Context Activity- to reinforce comprehension: "What am I Thinking?" Materials:

Two pieces of 8.5" by 11" card with circles Deck of jumbo cards Animal card set

How to Play: Put one piece of card beside the other with a space between them. Pick up a red card from the deck. Say, "This card can go on this paper."

Choose a black card and say, "This card can't go on the paper " and put it on the other paper.

Sort a few more cards, verbalizing, "this card can.. this card can't...", then ask, "What am I thinking?"

Children try and guess the sorting rule. In this case I am sorting by color, When the children get the idea, choose more difficult sorting rules.- by suit

or number Have students sort animal flashcards- eg. Animals with fur/animals with

feathers, animals that live on land/animals that live on the water

Lesson 5 1. Review previous words- observe, identify, compare, sort

Explain that everything in the world can be sorted into two groups: Living and Non-living

Access prior knowledge- What do you think living means? What do you think non-living means?

Show picture and read student-friendly definition:

Living things can:

breathe eat drink

move and grow

Non-Living things cannot:

breathe eat drink

move or grow

Ask students to repeat the words living and non-living. Insure that all students have had a chance to say the words.

In pairs, ask students to talk about the meaning of the words living and non-living - share responses with the group.

2. Context Activities- to reinforce comprehension: Which is it?

Give each child two cards- one labelled Non-Living and one labelled Living Show the group pictures of living or non-living things and have each child

hold up the label that applies. Ask students to explain their choice- eg. “I picked Living because a dog

can move.” Magic Wand

Taking turns with the ‘magic wand”, each child touches an object or person in the room. The other students must decide if it is living or non-living

Lesson 6 1. Review previous terms- observe, identify, compare, sort, living, nonliving Another important science word is investigate

Access prior knowledge- What do you think investigate means? Show picture and read student-friendly definition:

Investigate means to go and see what happened

I heard a noise in the back yard, so I went to investigate.

Ask students to repeat the word investigate. Insure that all students have had a chance to say the word.

In pairs, ask students to talk about the meaning of the word investigate- share responses with the group.

2. Context Activities- to reinforce comprehension: Picture Prompt

The purpose of this activity is to develop the meaning of the term investigate- the act of investigating follows a question or point of inquiry that has been raised

Show students the picture prompt and ask if they have questions. As you elicit responses, ask students what they would need to do to

investigate the situation and find the answers to their questions.

Detective Game

This detective game develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills in children and can be used to reinforce the concept of investigation.

Students arrange themselves into a circle in the classroom and one student is chosen to be the detective and wait outside of the class.

The teacher chooses one of the remaining students in the circle to be the leader. The leader is responsible for starting gestures in which the rest of the students must copy. Gestures can include stomping, snapping, clapping, touching index finger to head, and so on. Model this step with the whole group before you begin the game. Practice changing gestures every 10-15 seconds and have the group follow your lead.

The leader changes the gesture every 10 seconds and the other students must watch and change gestures when the leader does without speaking or doing anything to identify the leader.

Once the leader starts the first gesture, the detective comes back into the classroom and must investigate to find the leader of the circle. The detective is given only three guesses to identify the leader.

When the leader has been found or the detective has run out of guesses, the teacher selects a new detective until all the groups members have had a turn..

Lesson 7

1. Review previous terms- observe, identify, compare, sort, living, nonliving Another important science word is predict

Access prior knowledge- What do you think predict means? Show picture and read student-friendly definition:

Predict means to make your best guess about what will happen next

I predict that it will rain tomorrow.

Ask students to repeat the word predict. Insure that all students have had a chance to say the word.

In pairs, ask students to talk about the meaning of the word predict- share responses with the group.

2. Context Activities- to reinforce comprehension: What Will Happen Next?

Show students each photo- ask them what is happening Ask students to predict what will happen next Have students explain why?- predictions are based on what we know from

the photo and our own experience

 

Jim observed the spider spinning a web

Observe means to look carefully at something or someone

What am I?

A puppy

What am I?

A bunny

What am I?

A giraffe

firefighter

flower bird

Identify means to tell the name of something or someone

It is easy to identify a bee because it has black and yellow stripes.

same different

\

Compare means to tell how two things are the same or different

boy boy boy girl

We compared the two boys to see who is taller.

Please sort the shapes

Sort means to put things in groups

Living

Non-Living

Living

Non-Living

Living

Non-Living

Living things can:

breathe eat drink

move and grow

Non-Living things cannot:

breathe eat drink

move or grow

Investigate means to go and see what happened.

 

 

 

 

 

Predict means to make your best guess about what will happen next