Group items tagged

Adaptations: This game can also be a subtraction game for gifted students.  ELL students will learn about science through looking at the pictures on the cards of different species of butterflies.  Special Ed students can play this game in pairs or small groups to help them with addition/subtraction. Extension: Use "The Natural World - playing card collection" to connect math with science. (i.e. butterflies of the world) This deck contains pictures of butterflies with the card numbers.

For use with the Science Process standard, Prediction.  This hands on activity would be useful with ESL, and the cooperative learning style would also help with ESL,and also be easy to differentiate g/t kids by allowing them to make a video or podcast of the daily weather and thew news.  If grants can be written, this would be a good one to take a field trip to a local television station 

This activity has a natural connection to a science lesson about how our senses and nerves work to create reactions.  The teacher can require different forms of data analysis based on the students' skill level.  Simple min/max to averages and standard deviation are available.

Student who are ready can learn to read a thermometer or a barometer as well as a part of this activity.  Make sure to encourage careful record keeping and not accurate predictions.  Students should be made aware that one does not "win" science by making correct predictions.

This would be a great activity to cross with a science unit.  It might work better in groups because of the number of objects to manage and carry around.

Additionally making groups in a mindful way would allow for accommodation for children with exceptional needs.

2.3.2 "Compare and contrast details of body plans and structures within the life cycles of plants and animals."

Extension: This activity could be a culminating activity to a unit on monarch butterflies, integrating Language Arts.

I have seen a pasta butterfly life cycle created on a paper plate divided into fourths (similar to the one I shared in class that used other materials) which helps to emphasize the cyclical nature because next to the adult section is the egg section which starts the process all over again.

1.3.1. "Classify living organisms according to variations in specific physical features (e.g., body coverings, appendages) and describe how those features may provide an advantage for survival in different environments." This activity can be modified for ELL students by having them draw pictures of the bugs they find, rather than writing words or numbers. This can also be adjusted for older groups by having them classify animals they see, which could include mammals, insects, fish, etc. They could also describe many other characteristics, such as the types of food these animals or insects eat.

K.3.3 "Describe and compare living plants in terms of growth, parts, shape, size, color and texture."

Giving each student a bean plant creates a sense of ownership and responsibility. The students will be able to watch the plant grow from a bean to a plant, watering and measuring it's growth each day. This would be a great activity for partnering- An ELL student could be paired with an English speaking student and they could work together as a team to take care of their plants and record plant growth.

I like this activity because it works well for a wide variety of students.  For students who are easily overwhelmed reduce the number of scents to match.  High level students could be asked to come up with an idea for another experiment like this one but for a different sense.  Consider allergies when you plan this activity!