tm & © 2012 the jim henson company. all rights reserved

TM & © 2012 The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved.

Scientists observe the world to gain information. They use their senses to gather data to come up with ideas that they will test.

Senses: parts of our bodies that

help us experience our surroundings

and get information about the world;

the senses are touch, smell, taste,

sight, and hearing.

Observe: when you use your senses

to get information.

Hypothesis: an idea you can test.

ObServatiOn

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Senses: parts of our bodies that

Scientists observe the world to gain Scientists observe the world to gain Scientists observe the world to gain

vOcabulary

Overview


Spend 10-15 minutes observing nature. This may be in your backyard, a local park or at the beach/lake. Or, ask your child to select their favorite outdoor space.Choose a place where you may sit or walk safely and with little man-made distraction.

Prompt inquiry while observing and, where appropriate, ask your child: What do you see? Hear? Feel? Smell? Taste? Use the Journal Page to record your observations and any new questions or thoughts you have about the nature you observed.

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try it

vO

Prompt inquiry while observing and, where appropriate,

topic:


JOurnal PaGe:

ObServatiOn

NATURAL SETTING WE ObSERvEd

WE SAW

WE HEARd

WE FELT

WE SmELLEd

WE TASTEd

LIST SOmE QUESTIONS yOU HAd OR THINGS yOU SAId WHILE ObSERvING:

my name:grown-up who investigated with me:

date:


Data: information that can be recorded on a chart.

record: to write or draw something so you can refer to it later.

visualize: to look at the organized information and generate

new ideas.


try it

Collect data! Count the number of fruits and vegetables each family member eats on the weekend.Create a chart to visualize the information. make a bar graph on the worksheet provided. Here’s an example of how to organize a chart that records how many fruits and vegetables each family member ate.

Get creative! Instead of coloring in the blocks on the Journal Page chart to measure data, draw a picture of the fruit or vegetable eaten in each block.

Charts are a science tool that are used to record information.

One way charts display information

is in the form of a graph.

cHartS

Charts are a science tool that

Overview

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number of fruits and vegetables my family ate this weekend

mom grandpa me sister

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topic:

fruits and vegetables each family member eats on the weekend.

Data: information that can be recorded on a chart.

vOcabulary


cHartS

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JOurnal PaGe:

Organize the data you collect this weekend on the chart below:

FAmILy mEmbER

1FAmILy mEmbER

2FAmILy mEmbER

3FAmILy mEmbER

4

num

ber

of f

ruits

and v

eget

able

s ea

ten

who ate the most? who ate the least?


date:


Measuring using rulers, scales, and other measurement tools allows us to precisely quantify length, area, volume and weight. Measurement builds on ideas about “more” and “less”.

length: the distance from one end of a thing to the other.

ruler: a tool for measuring the length of something.

nonstandard measurement: a means of

measuring without using standard units such as

inches and feet.

MeaSureMent

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Measuring using rulers, scales, and other

Overview

“more” and “less”.

ength: the distance from one end of a thing to the other.

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vOcabulary


With your child, choose one item from your home as a unit of nonstandard measurement, for example: your child’s favorite doll, a soccer ball or an orange.

Practice measuring items like the kitchen table, your child’s bed or the window pane using the nonstandard measurement tool. Place your nonstandard measurement tool at one end of the object you are measuring and mark where the measurement tool ends with your finger. Then, place the measurement tool at the new spot you marked off. Continue to do this until you have reached the opposite end of the object.

After measuring a few items, ask your child to estimate how many of the nonstandard measurement units long each member of your family is. For example, if your nonstandard measurement tool is a soccer ball, how many soccer balls long is Mom? (She’ll need to lie down to be measured.)

Measure each family member with the nonstandard measurement tool and record your data on the Journal Page provided.

With your child, choose one item from your home as a unit of

try it

a means of

With your child, choose one item from your home as a unit of 1

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After measuring a few items, ask your child to estimate how many of the nonstandard measurement units long each member of your family is. For example, if your nonstandard measurement tool is a soccer ball, how many soccer balls long is Mom? (She’ll need to lie down to be measured.)

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MeaSureMent

Our unit of nonstandard measurement was:

I am long.

is long.

is long.

is the longest thing we measured.

is the shortest thing we measured.

JOurnal PaGe:

Number of nonstandard measurement units





date:


Tell your child to pick two objects to compare and contrast.

Ask your child to describe how the two objects are the same and how

they are different. Encourage your child to observe the objects’ shape,

size, color, texture and function.

Use the Journal Page to record your child’s observations. In the circle

chart, called a Venn Diagram, label each circle with the name of each

object. Allow your child to draw pictures of the objects below their labels.

Write words that describe the similarities between the two objects in

the space labeled: “How the objects are the same”. Write words that

describe how each object is unique in the: ”How the object is

different” circles.

Noting the similarities and differences between two or more things helps scientists understand how those items relate to each other.

COMPARE& CONTRAST

OvERviEw

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vOCAbulARy

Compare: observing two or more things and

thinking about how they’re the same.

Contrast: observing two or more things and

thinking about how they’re different.

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TRy iT

topic:


How the objects are the same

How object 2 is differentHow objec

t 1

is different

Draw a picture of the object here: Draw a picture of the object here:

JOurnal PaGe:cOMPare& cOntraSt

How object 1

c&

are the same

name of object 1: name of object 2:


date:


Scientists have questions about the world around them and set up investigations to come up with answers. Science journals allow us to record our observations so that we can reflect on them at a later time and share them with others.

inveStiGatiOn Scientists have questions about the world around

Overview

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vOcabulary

investigate: to observe or inquire in detail

Science Journal: a special notebook to record scientific

thoughts and observations.

report: to present information learned.


When scientists observe the world, they develop questions about what they see, hear, feel, taste and smell. Ask your child if they have a question they would like to investigate. you may keep track of questions your child asks throughout the day if they need help.

When you and your child have developed a question, devise your hypothesis. This is your best guess at an answer to that question. (It is okay for your child’s hypothesis to be wrong. Trial and error is part of science too!)

decide together whether to look for an answer to your question in a book, on the internet or by asking a family member. your child may consult more than one information source.

Talk about what you and your child learned from your source(s) and record your results on the worksheet.From your research results, create a Super duper Ooper Shmooper big Idea! based on your research, what new idea does your child have today? Allow your child to draw, write or dictate their new idea onto the worksheet.

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When scientists observe the world, they develop questions 1

try it

a special notebook to record scientific

When scientists observe the world, they develop questions about what they see, hear, feel, taste and smell. Ask your child

When scientists observe the world, they develop questions When scientists observe the world, they develop questions

your hypothesis. This is your best guess at an answer to that s hypothesis to be wrong.

our child may consult more than one information

topic:


Our question was:

Our hypothesis was:

Our hypothesis was: true false

We gathered information from:

a book the internet a family member

The results from our research were:

Our Super duper Ooper Shmooper big Idea:

JOurnal PaGe:inveStiGatiOnmy name:grown-up who investigated with me:

date:

tm & © 2012 the jim henson company. all rights reserved

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