Group items tagged

Students ask questions about a variety of living things and everyday events that can be answered through shared observations.SC.K.4.1 2000Give examples of plants and animals.SC.K.4.2 2000Observe plants and animals, describing how they are alike and how they are different in the way they look and in the things they do.

1.2.1 "Observe and compare properties of sand, clay, silt and organic matter. Look for evidence of sand, clay, silt and organic matter as components of soil samples." This activity can be modified for gifted students by having them record their predictions about which particles will sink and which particles will float, rather than solely making the observations. This activity can also be modified for older grades by having them do the same thing. The older students can also be told to gather material that is sand, silt, and clay, and try to keep these in separate jars. 

Nature of Science Standards: Plan and carry out investigations-often over a period of several lessons-as a class, in small groups or independently; use measurement skills and apply appropriate units when collecting data; keep accurate records in a notebook during investigations and communicate findings to others using graphs, charts, maps and models through oral and written reports. This activity can be adjusted for ELL students by giving them a picture chart on which to record their data. Rather than using all words on the chart, pictures of a cup, plate, cake pan, etc. can be place on the chart, and the students can fill in the results of the distance for each picture. This activity can also be used with younger age groups by having them use other objects, such as a small ping pong ball, to throw. A bigger object may be easier for younger children to throw.

Can be differentiated for ELL's by using pictures to demonstrate the history of toothbrushes, and how to properly care for your teeth. Higher ability students could keep a journal of the experiments complete with pictures.

4.G.1  Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles, and perpendicular and parallel lines.   Identify these in two-dimensional figures. Differentiation: Pair an ELL student with a classroom "buddy."  This person can help to model the game and walk the student through the directions.  By modeling the game for the ELL student, the other student will be re-affirming their knowledge in the subject.

3.3.1 Identify the common structures of a plant including its roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Describe their functions.3.3.2 Investigate plant growth over time, take measurements in SI units, record the data and display the data in graphs. Examine factors that might influence plant growth. Differentiation: Have gifted and special needs students come up with a creative way to display their plant's structures.  This can be oral, artistic, acted out, etc...

2.2.1 Construct and use tools to observe and measure weather phenomena like precipitation, changes in temperature, wind speed and direction.2.2.2 Experience and describe wind as the motion of the air. Differentiation: Allow gifted students to record the direction of wind for a week or even a few weeks.  With this information discuss with the class the effects of wind direction and how it correlates to weather.

Adaptations: Gifted students can show the sum multiple ways (using different currency) or write the equation for the addition or subtraction problem. EL Students can draw a picture of the currency needed to represent the sum. Other manipulatives can be used with this activity with the amount written in cents or dollars on the manipulatives.

This activity can be used with other manipulatives that are labeled with the coin amounts. This activity connects math and LA. Adaptations include: require gifted students to show 3-5 ways to represent the sum using different currency or give the equation. EL students can draw a picture to represent the coins used.

3.MD.2 "Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l). Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale) to represent the problem." This activity can be modified for ELL students by having them work in pairs or small groups. The ELL students could have the role as "recorder" until they grasp the concept of how estimation works. This activity can be modified for gifted students by having them measure more objects, and then make a graph based on their results. For older ages, this activity could be used to measure objects, and then convert the weight into other units of measurement.

The Design Process: Identify a need or problem to be solved; brainstorm potential solutions; throughout the entire design process, document the design with drawings (including labels) in a portfolio or notebook so that the process can be replicated; select a solution to the need or problem; select the most appropriate materials to develop a solution that will meet the need; evaluate and test the design. This activity can be adapted for gifted students by allowing them to first draw a blueprint of their model. This will allow them to make predictions and hypothesis about their cube model and their tag board model. These students can then record their observations and their conclusions about their final product. This activity can also be adapted for younger grades by giving the students more materials to help them balance their models. Also, allowing the younger students to work in partners, rather than pairs, will allow them to more freely express their ideas. Working with a partner will give each student the opportunity to make sure their ideas are heard. For younger students, omitting the blueprint may also be helpful. Rather, having the students simply draw a picture of their model with labels may be more appropriate.

4.4.1    Disney Monorail ELL:  Disney website is available in many languages Gifted:  Build a model of the monorail system

Additional activities:  Math story problems based on miles traveled, number of passengers, etc.

3.1.1 Generate sounds using different materials, objects and techniques. Record the sounds and then discuss and share the results. 3.1.3 Investigate and recognize that sound moves through solids, liquids and gases (e.g., air). Differentiation: Assign a student with poor fine motor skills a partner to do their hole poking for them.  With their partner, have students build their telephones with help from a peer.  Although this project may seem simple to build, students with under-developed motor skills would have great difficulty with this task.  Having a students get help from a peer would allow them to complete the task and practice working collaboratively with others.

2.1.3. Predict and experiment with methods (e.g. sieving, evaporation) to separate solids and liquids based on their physical properties.2.1.4 Observe, sketch, demonstrate and compare how objects can move in different ways (e.g., straight, zig-zag, back-and-forth, rolling, fast and slow).2.1.5 Describe the position or motion of an object relative to a point of reference (e.g., background, another object).2.1.6 Observe, demonstrate, sketch and compare how applied force (i.e., push or pull) changes the motion of objects. Differentiation: Instead of writing out a hypothesis, have special education students draw the designs or what they predict will happen to the salt when they swing their pendulum.

Extension: This activity connects math to art. Adaptations: The gifted students can identify and draw an array of angles, perpendicular and parallel lines, rectangles, and triangles, in an artistic design on a large sheet of paper using the proper tools.  The ELL and Special Ed students can work in pairs or small groups to measure and identify angles, lines, shapes, and write down all of the examples on paper.  

You need to correlate this activity to a Common Core standard. Thoughtful ideas for adaptations!

"K.MD.3" Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort thecategories by count.3

Easy activity to put into math tubs and provides a sensory counting experience for students!

This can be used as a cross-curricular activity, extending to social studies. The class can explore flags from several different countries, or choose one country to focus on. The students can learn about why countries have flags and what the shapes and colors represent.

K.G.1 "Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to." K.G.2 "Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size."

1.NBT.4 "Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose a ten." This activity can be modified for gifted students by adding the number of die used. Try using two or more die as a challenge! The final score can be adjusted as well. This may be beneficial for ELL students. Instead of using 30 as the score to try to reach, try using 20. In the same way, the final score can be raised for gifted students. This activity can be used for older ages by multiplying the numbers, rather than adding them.