Science Adventures

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/sid/summercamp/

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

About the Series Goals and Education Design Episode Structure and Scheduling Developmental Design Educational Philosophy Why a PBS TV Series? Why Science? Why Preschool? Cycle Descriptions The Website

II. SID THE SCIENCE KID SCIENCE ADVENTURES – OVERVIEW

III. SID THE SCIENCE KID SCIENCE ADVENTURES – DAILY LESSON PLANS

Day One – Magnification Observation Day Two – Charts Day Three – Measurement Day Four – More Measurement and Charts Day Five – A Review of Super Science Tools

IV. CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

2 I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

ABOUT THE SERIES Sid the Science Kid is a daily television series and website for preschoolers and the grown-ups who care for them. Blending humor, great characters, and an innovative science curriculum, Sid the Science Kid builds on children’s natural curiosity and enthusiasm to promote exploration, discovery, and science readiness. Co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and KCET/Los Angeles, the animated series uses the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, a proprietary technology that allows puppeteers to perform digital characters in real time.

GOALS The main goals of Sid the Science Kid are:

• To encourage children to think, talk and work the way scientists do by building on preschoolers’ natural curiosity about the world. • To show that science is all around us – we all interact with and are capable of learning about scientific concepts. • To contribute to school readiness by fostering children’s intellectual skills, motivation to learn, and confidence in themselves as learners. • To support children’s learning by partnering with parents and teachers to create a “climate of curiosity” for children.

EDUCATIONAL DESIGN, EPISODE STUCTURE AND SCHEDULING Although we use humor to teach, the entire Sid the Science Kid team is very serious about children’s learning. We have carefully designed the series and website so that children have repeated opportunities to think about each specific scientific idea.

Within an episode we explore Sid’s “Big Question.” From daybreak to day’s end, the program illustrates in as many ways as possible the science behind his question.

Related episodes, or “cycles,” are also grouped together into a week’s worth of broadcasts. A group of episodes is a “cycle.” The episodes in a cycle are connected by a single, overarching concept or topic area (e.g., “simple machines” or “transformation and change”). Although every episode is self- contained and can be viewed separately, the cycle design provides multiple examples of the same concept. Hence, lots of opportunities are presented to think about the concept and to think about it in diverse ways. This approach encourages a deeper understanding of important science ideas.

3 DEVELOPMENTAL DESIGN Sid the Science Kid supports science learning by taking advantage of young children’s innate sense of wonder and instinctive quest to figure out the world. The desire to understand underlies all scientific exploration. Preschoolers’ questions often involve the same big ideas that scientists investigate. For example,

“Why are the leaves falling off the trees?” or “Where did my snowman go?” are questions about transformation and change.

“What’s hair for? Why are my teeth different shapes? How do birds fly, and why can’t I?” are questions about form and function.

Research tells us that young children already know something about these big ideas. Sid is ready to help them learn more.

To ensure the questions Sid addresses are not only interesting, but also developmentally appropriate, Sid’s “Big Question” is drawn from things that preschoolers routinely encounter in their daily lives (e.g., Why are my shoes too small?). And answers can always be found by investigating objects and events that can be directly observed and explored (i.e., they emphasize the concrete). Based on age-appropriate developmental concepts, this approach embraces the idea that kids can “do” their own science, not just read about, watch, or listen to what others have observed.

Like most high quality educational programs, the content in Sid the Science Kid is layered so that it is accessible by children that represent a range of developmental stages. For example, after viewing an episode about why a popsicles melts, a five-year-old might understand that freezing cold temperatures causes things that have water in them to change. His three-year-old sibling might not fully understand that “cold” causes some things to change but not others, but they might know there is a special word for change: “transformation.” Both could begin to correctly apply that word to changes they see. A three-year-old may simply get the idea that changes don’t happen by accident or magic – they have causes that we can explain – and that would be enough at her developmental level.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY The educational content of Sid the Science Kid is based in national science learning standards, cognitive learning theory, and on the preschool science curriculum, Preschool Pathways to Science ©. Essential elements of this approach include the belief that:

• Preschoolers’ are naturally curious. Even without help from adults, they spend their days in endless processes of discovery by learning how the

4 world around them works and where they fit in, and becoming aware of their body as they test its changes and the new things they can do. • Early exposure to science can inspire a positive lifelong attitude towards it by empowering children to see themselves as capable learners, and motivating them to learn and do more. • Learning to think and act like a scientist is more important than memorizing discrete facts. So, no matter what the topic or question, Sid and his friends spend their day doing what scientists do: o Observing objects, events and people o Asking questions o Finding words to describe observations and to communicate ideas o Exploring and investigating to try to answer questions o Using science tools to observe and measure o Recording observations using simple drawings and basic charts o Using what they have observed, measured, and recorded to predict what might happen next and to ask more questions • Science is best learned through key concepts (in contrast to groups of facts). Connecting experiences conceptually plus exploring topics over an extended period and in multiple ways increases learners’ opportunities for discovering important ideas. • Children who experience science practices add rewarding, fun, and social are likely to look forward to school and a lifetime of exploration and learning.

The Preschool Pathways to Science © approach is described in more detail in Rochel Gelman & Kimberly Brenneman, “Science learning pathways for young children” Early Childhood Research Quarterly 19 (2004) 150-158.

WHY A PBS TV SERIES? • Nothing beats the reach of television. TV is available in 99% of U.S. homes and most schools. • Video can do things that books and people can’t. For example, it can put concepts in motion, use editing to show change over time, bring imagination to life with animation, use music to reinforce concepts, and take viewers to places they can’t go to in person. • A PBS series is accessible to hard-to-reach audiences, including those not affiliated with any organizations, who have access to few educational resources, or who cannot afford cable or satellite subscriptions. PBS also provides schools with free educational record rights for children’s series. • PBS children’s programs have companion, non-commercial websites that provide opportunities to extend and enhance the learning without subjecting children, parents, teachers, or child care providers to sales pitches.

5 • A review of research released by the National Research Council of the National Academies in January 2009 found that educational television was an effective way to teach science to children:

“When children watch science-themed educational television programs regularly, they can make important gains in conceptual understanding and in their understanding of science processes.”

The study also noted that television was particularly beneficial because it was accessible to nearly everyone and was effective at reaching low literacy populations. (Philip Bell, Bruce Lewenstein, Andrew W. Shouse, and Michael A. Feder, ed., “Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits,” The National Academies Press, January 2009 – www.nap.edu)

WHY SCIENCE? • Because beliefs about the results of scientific research often shape public policy, all of us need to understand scientific thinking. • Science plays a central role in our society. We are counting on scientists to help meet our energy needs, improve our health, mitigate global warming, keep our food safe, and more. Our future depends on our ability to inspire young people to become scientists and make sure that those who are interested in science have the education they need to pursue their goals.

WHY PRESCHOOL? • Research indicates that the experiences a child has between birth and age five determine the way the brain organizes and processes information for the rest of a person’s life. • Preschoolers’ natural sense of wonder and curiosity provides a perfect foundation for scientific thinking. • Scientists and preschoolers have a lot in common. Both are eager to know how the world works.

EPISODE CYCLE DESCRIPTIONS Tools & Measurement Science tools help us observe, describe, and quantify our world. Some tools are actual physical objects that can:

• Extend our senses – For example, magnifying glasses allow us to observe the world in more detailed ways. • Extend our memories – For example, charts and journals allow us to record our observations so that we can reflect on them at a later time and share them with others. • Help us quantify – For example, rulers and scales allow us to precisely quantify attributes like length, area, volume, and weight. Measurement builds on children’s informal ideas about “more” and “less.”

6 Science tools also include reasoning skills.

• For example, numerical estimation builds children’s number sense, which is an informal, but accurate, way of thinking about number and quantities without using standard measurement tools or counting. Both estimation and precise measurement are used for different purposes and each has a role in children’s growing mathematical understanding and skill.

We don’t expect that preschoolers will understand the full use of these science tools or even that they will be highly skilled in using them. Instead, we provide experience with these tools by using them in simple but authentic ways that highlight their functions and their utility. More mature understandings will be built on these early foundations.

Transformation & Change The National Science Education Standards identify change as a unifying concept in science. The concept cuts across all scientific domains including chemistry, biology, and physics. Change is also central to a preschooler’s world and is often the focus of many of their questions: “Why are the leaves falling off the trees? Why is mommy’s belly getting big? Where’d my snowman go?”

The series focuses on two aspects of change: describing before-and-after states and identifying the conditions under which change occurs. For example, what has to happen for ice to melt, for bread to turn to toast, for seeds to turn into plants? These experiences set the stage for future formal learning about the details of these processes.

The Senses What we know about the world depends on the information that we gather through each of our senses. That means each of our senses is a science tool, and we want to help children see their senses that way.

Many preschoolers can tell you that they see with their eyes or hear with their ears, but this knowledge often seems to be rote. Our goal is to support deeper understandings of senses by engaging children in experiences that encourage them to focus on the special capabilities of each sense. In this way, we link typical preschool thematic content, “my senses” to the critical science skill, “observation.” This blending enriches children’s conceptual understanding of what sense organs’ do and also improves their ability to use their senses to gather data. An added benefit to this approach is that when children describe observations made with their eyes, ears, skin, tongue, and noses, they utilize rich and varied descriptive language.

Health All kinds of scientists (biologists, chemists, physicists, psychologists, and others) study systems and how they function. The human body provides great examples

7 of parts and systems that work together. And it is a topic of endless interest to preschoolers, who are immersed in noticing how their bodies are changing and figuring out what their bodies can do.

In a systems approach, children learn more than the names of body parts or how to follow rules like washing hands before eating. They explore questions like, “What does washing my hands have to do with my nose running?” or “Why is my heart beating so fast? I was running on my legs, not my heart!” We encourage children to think about the ways that different parts of our bodies work together so we can think, talk, move, and play.

While we learn about systems and celebrate the amazing things that our bodies do, we’re also finding out that our bodies, like all living things, need special care. New Jersey’s Preschool Teaching and Learning Expectations state that teachers should support children’s learning about the properties of living things by giving them opportunities to discuss and share the responsibility for the care of living things, including themselves. Our goal isn’t just to tell kids to brush or eat right. We provide information about the effects of doing these things—or not doing them—so children understand the benefits of certain behaviors. We hope that kids will work on developing these healthy habits because they have made an informed decision to do so, not just because Mom or Dad said so.

Simple Machines When children learn about simple machines, they are learning about the physics of making things move. Physicists use the label “work” to describe the act of making things move. Simple machines help people do “work” by making it easier to move things.

In each episode, children encounter a problem involving “work,” such as how to get a basket of heavy toys up into a tree house or a classmate sitting in a box from one side of the room to another. To model scientific thinking, they brainstorm solutions and test their ideas, only to discover that it’s not so easy to move heavy things by lifting, pushing, and pulling. That’s when they are introduced to simple machines (wheels, lever, inclined plane, or pulley).

They try their tasks over again using the new tool and record their results. By comparing and contrasting with their earlier experiences, they learn about how people modify the world and create tools to meet our needs.

Backyard Science Bugs, dirt, and flowers are naturally attractive to children, but they are also central to the sciences of entomology, geology, and botany. That is why the backyard is such a great place to do science!

As they observe animal behavior, check out different kinds of leaves, and find out what dirt really is, children learn that science isn’t just something that other

8 people do. The more questions they ask and the more they work to find answers, the more that children come to appreciate their own ability to think and act like a scientist. And like scientists, they understand that opportunities to explore are all around us – even right in our own backyards!

Weather Most preschool classrooms include weather in a variety of ways: charts, asking children to report the day’s weather during morning circle time, pictures of changing seasons, and so on. We extend this curriculum to add reasoning skills. Children not only learn the names for various kinds of weather, but also learn to observe and think about how weather conditions provide examples of cause and effect.

When Sid notices that his nicely raked pile of leaves has scattered everywhere he wonders what happened. When he figures out that the wind is the cause, he and his friends spend the episode exploring other effects of wind. In the sun episode, the children do an experiment that allows them to explore the damaging effects of sun and protection offered by sunscreen. The combined episodes leave no doubt that weather explorations provide a wealth of opportunities for practicing cause and effect reasoning.

Human Body Being able to identify major body parts is sometimes used as an indicator of school readiness. Using that goal as a springboard, Sid the Science Kid’s approach helps children move beyond simple identification to begin to think about the unique contribution of each body part to human life, growth, and survival. We present the body as a system with parts that work together. Focusing their investigation on muscles, the stomach, lungs, bones and joints, children learn that each body part serves a special function.

9 Weather "Weather" is a typical preschool science topic. Most classrooms include a weather chart. As part of morning circle time, children describe the day outside: sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy, and so on. Unfortunately, this is often where discussions stop. We believe observing and describing is just the start in preschool explorations of weather. Observing and thinking about changes due to weather conditions provides opportunities to think about cause and effect. For example, in the wind episode, Sid notices that his nicely raked pile of leaves has scattered everywhere. He ponders the possible causes of this effect. When he figures out that the wind is the cause, he and his friends spend the episode exploring other effects of wind. In the sun episode, the children do an experiment that allows them to explore the damaging effects of sun and protection offered by sunscreen. In their standards or learning expectations for preschool, many U.S. states identify opportunities to explore cause and effect as a critical part of preschool education. Weather explorations can provide rich content for this important kind of reasoning.

Force & Motion Developmental research reveals that human infants know quite a bit about the physical laws that govern objects and events. Using particular experimental procedures, researchers have shown that babies are surprised when a ball seems to float in space, as if they expect it to fall because it is not supported. Infants also notice when one solid object seems to go through another one, as this is not something that "should" happen. These are just a few examples of what is called naïve physics knowledge.

As they get older, children can talk to us and tell us what they notice and think about the physical objects and events in the world around them. That's exactly what Sid is doing this week when he and his friends ask, “Why can't I slide in my sneakers? Why won't my play dough ball bounce? Why did Ignatz keep going when the skateboard he was riding on stopped? Why did my soccer ball go farther than I wanted it to go?” Designed with physics education expert Dr. Noel Enyedy, each episode begins with an event that piques Sid's curiosity. His observations take him, and our viewers, on explorations of friction, elasticity, inertia, and force. Through these episodes we hope to illustrate, for kids and their caregivers, which these concepts help us explain really interesting stuff that happens all around us, every day.

Light & Shadow In these episodes we explore phenomena related to light. Just what exactly light is has intrigued scientists for centuries. Sid and his friends are intrigued, too. Sid wonders why he can't grab light and investigates the many sources of light, including the biggest light source of all-the sun. In another episode, we learn that darkness isn't something to be scared of. It's just the absence of light. All of this information about light and darkness comes in handy when we explore the science of shadows and find out that shadows happen when light is blocked.

10 That's a new idea for most preschoolers, but one that developmental research tells us they can begin to understand when given appropriate learning experiences. We also learn that when sunlight shines through water, it can make a beautiful rainbow. Kids love to draw them, now we help them understand the science of rainbows. (Of course, we draw them, too, in our science journals.) Children's understanding of these concepts will grow and deepen in the years ahead, but in these episodes, we use children's typical questions, ideas, and even misunderstandings to create learning experiences that illuminate light and darkness.

THE WEBSITE The Sid the Science Kid Web site extends the viewing experience, reinforcing key concepts with related games and activities.

There are two parts of the website. The first is a site for young children. It features: • Games related to science concepts • Each of the characters’ journals, with audio explanations of the entries • Video clips of the Super Fab Lab Investigations, including the songs • A “Meet the Characters” section • Printable activity / coloring pages

The other part of the Sid Web site is for parents and teachers. It features: • General information about the program • Background information about the program’s educational design • A glossary of science terms • Topic and schedule information • Instructions for the Super Fab Lab activities • Educational resources designed for parents, teachers, and care providers of young children • Blogs for parents and teachers – tell us what you think! • Podcasts on topics of interest such as kids and engineering, and preschoolers and media.

11 II. SID THE SCIENCE KID SCIENCE ADVENTURES – OVERVIEW

Welcome to Sid the Science Kid’s Science Adventures! In the next week, you will be helping your students think, talk, and work like scientists do. The focus of our activities for the week is “Science Tools.” Children will learn about some of the tools that scientists use including magnifiers, charts, measuring tools, and science journals. Each day you will co- view clips from Sid with your students to introduce them to a science tool or tools. The Sid clips are an entertaining and educational way to start the learning, then you’ll engage with children in hands- on, minds-on activities that allow them to use these science tools for themselves. Here’s a brief overview of the week’s schedule and learning goals:

III. SID THE SCIENCE KID SCIENCE ADVENTURES – DAILY LESSON PLANS

Day 1 – Magnification Observation Goals • Introduce children to two science tools--magnifying glasses and science journals. • Introduce relevant vocabulary. • Use the magnifiers in science explorations and use the journals to record observations.

Day 2 – Charts Goals • Introduce children to a new science tool - charts. • Introduce relevant vocabulary. • Collect data and record it on a chart.

Day 3 – Measurement Goals • Engage children in discussions and activities that involve linear measurement. • Teach relevant vocabulary. • Use non-standard measurement to make measurement meaningful and interesting to children. • Introduce the important ideas that measurement units must be equal and that there can’t be any spaces between linear measurement units. • Provide experience using a standard measurement tool - a foot-long ruler.

Day 4 – More Measurement and Charts Goals • Engage children in more discussions and activities that make linear measurement meaningful and interesting to children. • Review relevant vocabulary.

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Day 5 – A Review of Super Science Tools Goals • Provide children with more experience creating and reading charts. • Review the science tools and vocabulary we’ve learned about over the past week.

13 Day 1 Magnification Observation

14 Day 1 – Magnification Observation

Goals for the day • Introduce children to Sid the Science Kid • Introduce two science tools--magnifying glasses and science journals. • Introduce relevant vocabulary. • Use the magnifiers in science explorations and use the journals to record observations.

Vocabulary (See the Sid the Science Kid Glossary for friendly definitions of other science terms, too: http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/resources.html )

• Magnify - to make things look bigger • Magnifying glass- a science tool that we use to make things look bigger so we can observe them better • Observe/observations - observing is when you look really closely at something…and listen to it and maybe even smell it and feel it. It’s using your senses to get information. • Science Journal - a special notebook to record observations

Materials • Magnifying glasses for each child (or other magnifying tools such as, table-top magnifiers, specimen jars with magnifiers, etc…) • Seashells, rocks, leaves, flowers, bark, etc… • Lady bugs, worms, crickets (optional) • Monitor

Large Group Activity Goal: To get kids excited about engaging in science activities and Sid the Science Kid .

During large group activities this week, you will be co-viewing portions of Sid the Science Kid episodes with your students. Please refer to the educational materials for parents and teachers (When You Watch - Five Ways to Start a Conversation, Important Science Words, and What Can Grown-Ups Do) for general tips on increasing the climate of curiosity in your classroom while watching the videos and afterward.

A few key points to remember: • Encourage children’s questions • Value curiosity • Integrate science vocabulary into conversations and explorations • Ask open-ended questions

1) Introduce Sid the Science Kid - (15 min.)

15 A. Tell the kids that they are beginning a week on science with the help of a scientist named… Sid the Science Kid . Today they will learn about a special science tool that helps us make observations of tiny details. Let your students know: • They are going to think, talk, and work like scientists, because kids are scientist too! • They are going to do great science activities and learn about a special science tool. • They are going to watch Sid the Science Kid in parts so they can talk about what they see.

Ask if anyone has watched Sid the Science Kid before. If so, have them describe the show for their classmates. Then show a poster or photo of Sid.

To introduce Sid and the TV-based activity, tell the kids: • “This is Sid. Sid is a kid with a lot of questions.” • “We are going to watch Sid on TV.” • “Sid is going to talk about a question he has.” • “After we watch a little, I will stop the TV and we will talk about Sid’s question.”

B. Show the clip “How do Rolie Polies Move” (length :57) from episode 102. After Sid asks his big question (“How do rolie polies move?”), stop the video and ask your students: • “What does Sid want to know?” • “What is his question?”

If children do not know, provide some reminders. For example: • “Sid has pets. What kind of pets does he have? • “Sid wants to know something about his pets.” • “What does he want to know? What is Sid’s question?”

Before moving on, be sure to repeat the key information. • “Sid has rolie polies.” • “He wants to know how they move.” • “He can’t see how they move around because they are so small!”

Get Up and Move! - ( 5 min.) Goal: Give kids a chance to get the wiggles out and have fun with Sid. Note to teachers: Get Up and Move! is meant to provide a break from sitting. If the transitions are disruptive instead, you may opt to dance and move before sitting.

Show the clip “Looking for My Friends” (length 1:26). Sid and his family and friends like to sing and dance. We’re going to dance a little, too. Have children

16 stand up so they can sing and dance along as Sid goes to school and greets his friends on the playground.

2) Introduce Rug Time/Super Fab Lab/Live Action - (15 min.)

A. In the next section of the video, Sid, his friends, and Teacher Susie are talking about science just like you and your students are. Introduce the clip by saying, • “Sid is telling his friends and Teacher Susie about his question.” • “He’s also going to learn about a science tool that will help him answer his question.” • “What science tool will he learn about? Let’s find out!”

B. Show the clip “Rug Time” (length 2:13) through the end of Rug Time as the children are moving to the Super Fab Lab.

• Stop the video to review the term “magnify” with children. • What does magnify mean? How will a tool that magnifies help Sid?

C. Show the clip “Super Fab Lab” (length 3:49) through the end of the section in which our characters journal their observations. Spend some time reviewing what children have just seen.

• What science tool did Sid learn about? What does a magnifying glass do? • Did Sid find out how rolie polies move? How do rolie polies move?

3) Introduce Science Journals - (5 min.)

Begin by reminding children of what they watched and tell them what they will be doing next. You might say something like,

• “Did you notice that Sid and his friends were drawing what they saw through the magnifying glass?” • “What were they drawing?”

Once the children share their observations introduce the science journal:

• “Sid and his friends observed the rolie polies and drew their observations in a science journal, just like this one.” (Hold up example that will be given to students.) • “Scientists use journals to write down and draw their observations. You can, too!” • “Later today, you will have the chance to use magnifying glasses to observe things that are so tiny that they are hard to see with our eyes alone. “ • “You’ll also receive your own science journal to draw your observations.”

17 OPTIONAL Outside Explorations (before or after the Small Group Activity if an outside space is available) Goal: To highlight that science exploration and investigation can take place outside the classroom and is fun.

Allow children to take magnifiers outside to practice making observations. If children haven’t used a magnifying glass before, we can almost guarantee that they’ll enjoy having some time to just play around with it. They’ll have a good time “making things bigger” without worrying too much about how that helps them observe in new ways. Grab your own magnifier and join the fun!

If possible, gather a few items from the outside exploration to observe more carefully during small group and free choice time. These might include interesting seed pods, rocks, leaves, a handful of soil, or even an insect or two. (If you find any animals, let children know that you will return them to the same spot after you make observations using your magnifying glasses.)

Small Group Activity Goal: Provide children an opportunity to use two science tools, science vocabulary and further explore and understand magnification in a hands- on activity.

Please see the Super Fab Lab: Magnification Observation printable at http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid for activity instructions (also below). Be sure to review and provide a sampling of the items from the materials list for children to observe in addition to any they may have found outside.

1) Super Fab Lab: Magnification Observation Activity – (20 min.)

Purpose (What We’re Going to Explore and Learn) • We’re going to learn about using magnifying glasses. • We’ll use them to observe things that are too tiny to see with our eyes alone.

Materials (The Stuff We Need) • Magnifying glasses (or other magnifying tools such as, table-top magnifiers, specimen jars with magnifiers, etc…) • Objects with tiny parts or details that are difficult to see such as bugs, leaves, flowers, shells, etc.

Procedure (What to Do) A. If children haven’t used a magnifying glass before, we can almost guarantee that they’ll need some time to just play around with it. Kids love just “making things bigger” without worrying too much about how that helps them observe in new ways. Grab your own magnifying glass and join the fun.

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B. Begin to focus the exploration. Have the children look for details in the items assembled that would be hard to see without the magnifier. The color patterns on the lady bugs or worms are a good example. Can the kids see something new with the magnifying glass?

C. As you and the children observe the bugs (or other items), compare and contrast what you observe with and without the magnifiers.

D. Observe some of the other hard-to-see items and patterns. Ask the kids to describe what they see.

2) Science Journal (Record What I See) • Allow children to personalize the covers. • Encourage them to record their observations in their journals and verbally describe their journal entries to you. • Write down what children have to say about their entries. • Take the opportunity to expand descriptive vocabulary by providing new words for children’s observations. For example, if children notice that a scallop shell is bumpy, you might expand this idea by saying, “Yes, it feels bumpy. It has ridges.” If they notice that a rock has different colors, you might say that it is speckled and so on.

3) Other Stuff You Might Want to Know or Do • Inexpensive magnifying glasses can be found at toy stores, school supply outlets, and general merchandise stores. • Use descriptive language to talk about what you are observing. Encourage children to do so, too.

19 OPTIONAL Free Choice Goal: Provide children with an extended opportunity to explore and understand magnification using an additional hands-on activity.

Set up an area for children to investigate the objects they found outside. Use the before-and-after sheets (see attached) to allow children to record their observations of an item with and without the magnifier. (This is similar to what they might have drawn in their journals but is more structured and it lends itself well to display.) Hang these up in the classroom or allow children to take them home. Either way, be sure to let parents know what children were learning during the activity.

If you have other science tools that magnify (table magnifiers, special specimen jars, sheet magnifiers), allow children to explore with these tools as well.

Song

Play Susie’s Song “I Magnify” in the music or computer area of the classroom. As children listen to the song repeatedly, the song will reinforce learning about our featured science tool - magnifying glasses.

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Day Two Charts

21 Day 2 – Charts

Goals for the day • Introduce children to a new science tool - charts. • Introduce relevant vocabulary. • Collect data and record it on a chart.

Vocabulary (See the Sid the Science Kid Glossary for friendly definitions of other science terms, too: http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/resources.html )

• Chart - A science tool that is used to record information • Data - Science information that can be recorded on a chart • Science Journal - A special notebook to record observations

Materials • Construction paper • Science Journals for each child • Crayons, markers • DVD player / Remote control • Monitor • Photos of students (optional)

Large Group Activity Goal: To get kids excited about engaging in science activities and Sid the Science Kid .

During large group activities this week, you will be co-viewing portions of Sid the Science Kid DVDs with your students. Refer to the educational materials for parents and teachers for general tips on increasing the climate of curiosity in your classroom while watching the videos and afterward.

A few key points to remember: • Encourage children’s questions • Value curiosity • Integrate science vocabulary into conversations and explorations • Ask open-ended questions

1) Sid the Science Kid review – (15 min.) A. Today you will review what you learned on Sid the Science Kid yesterday and introduce a new science tool. Ask whether children remember some of the science activities they did yesterday. Be sure to review some of the key ideas from the day before: • Scientists make observations. • Observing means using your senses to get information.

22 • Magnifying glasses are science tools that make things look bigger so we can see them better. • Science journals are special notebooks for recording our observations.

Remind students that: • Sid always has a question that he wants to investigate. • Let them know that, just like yesterday, you will be watching Sid on TV. “Today, we are going to watch Sid on TV again. Sid is going to talk about a new question he has. After we watch a little, I will stop the TV, and we will talk about Sid’s question.”

B. Introduction to Charts Show the clip “Why Do We Need Charts” (length 1:24) for episode 101. After Sid asks his big question (“Why do we need charts?”), stop the video and ask your students: • “What does Sid want to know? What is his question?” • If children do not know, provide some reminders.

Examples: • “Sid has to do chores like cleaning up his toys and putting newspapers in the recycling bin. How does he keep track of which chores he has finished?” • “What does he use to record how many chores he has done?” (a chart & stickers). • “Is Sid happy about having a chore chart?” • “What does he want to know about charts?” • Before moving on, be sure to repeat the key information. “Sid has a chart to record how many chores he has finished. He wants to know why people need charts.”

Get Up and Move! – (5 min.) Goal: Give kids a chance to get the wiggles out and have fun with Sid.

Show the clip “Looking for My Friends” (length 1:26). Sid and his family and friends like to sing and dance. We’re going to dance a little, too. Have children stand up so they can sing and dance along as Sid goes to school and greets his friends on the playground.

2) Rug Time/Super Fab Lab/Live Action – (20 min.) A. In the next section of the DVD, Sid, his friends, and Teacher Susie are talking about science just like you and your students are. You might introduce the clip by saying:

• “Sid is telling his friends and Teacher Susie about his question. He is going to learn about charts and why people need charts. • Why DO scientists need charts? Let’s find out!”

23

B. Show the clip “Rug Time” (length 2:05) through the end of Rug Time as the children are moving to the Super Fab Lab.

• Stop the video to review the term “chart” with children. (A chart is a useful science tool.) • How do charts help people? (We use charts to record information so we can remember it later or share it with other people.)

C. Show the clip “Super Fab Lab” (length 3:27) through the end of the section in which our characters journal their observations. Spend some time reviewing what children have just seen during the Super Fab Lab, live action, and journaling sections.

• What kind of chart did the children make? What information (or data) did they record on their chart? • Did Sid find out why we need charts? What do charts help people do?

3) Science Journals - (5 min.) Remind children that science journals are another science tool that helps us record information. You might say something like,

• “Did you notice that Sid and his friends also used their science journals?” • “Charts and journals are two science tools that we use to record information.” • “Today Sid and his friends recorded information about food in their science journals.” • “Later today, you will have the chance to record information about your favorite fruits by making a chart.” • “Then you can record the data in your journals, too.”

24 OPTIONAL Outside Explorations (optional-this can be at anytime during the day, before or after the Small Group Activity) Goal: To highlight that science exploration and investigation can take place outside the classroom and is fun.

Allow children to collect more items to observe with the magnifying glass. These items (along with the ones collected yesterday) can also be used for sorting and charting activities.

Children can sort the collection of items (for example, by color or by kind of object) and then make a chart to organize this information.

You can provide this opportunity during free choice time, after children have a chance to learn more about charts during the small group learning experiences, or during another time that is appropriate for your classroom.

25 Small Group Activities Goal: Provide children an opportunity to use science tools, science vocabulary and further explore and understand charts in a hands-on activity.

Please see the Super Fab Lab Charts printable at http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid for activity instructions (also below).

1) Super Fab Lab: Charts Activity - (20 min.)

Purpose (What We’re Going to Explore and Learn) • Charts allow us to display information using pictures and, sometimes, words. • We’re going to collect data, then display it on a chart.

Materials (The Stuff We Need) • A large piece of paper or poster board • Crayons, colored pencils, or markers • Photos of each person (optional)

Procedure (What to Do) A. Draw a line down the middle of the paper, from top to bottom.

B. Draw or paste a photo of each person in the first column. You can also write names if those are meaningful to children. Use both names and pictures for children who don’t read yet.

C. Ask each person to name their favorite fruit (or vegetable). Feel free to limit people’s choices to fruits that are easy to draw!

D. Across from each person’s picture or name, draw a picture of that fruit.

E. Have children think of a title or name for your chart. “Our Favorite Fruits” is one possibility.

F. Go over the data with children. Ask questions about different people and their favorites so that children can practice reading the chart.

2) Science Journal (Record What I See)

• Start with simple questions such as, “What is Edward’s favorite fruit?” or “Who likes bananas?” • If children are doing well answering these questions, bring counting and comparison of numerical information into your discussion. For example, ask,

26 “How many people like oranges?” “How many people like bananas?” and “Do more people like oranges or bananas?” • Encourage children to use their journals to record information about their own fruit preference, the preferences of their friends, or data represented on the chart (such as drawing a banana with a 3 next to it because three children liked bananas). When they describe their entries, it provides another opportunity to “read” information that they have recorded. • This chart is a very simple one, but the thinking required is useful as children encounter and create more complicated graphs and charts. Over the next few days, we will create more examples of charts.

OPTIONAL Free Choice Goal: Provide children with an extended opportunity to utilize and understand charts using an additional hands-on activity.

Provide items for children to sort into categories. It might be the seeds, leaves, rocks, etc. that they found outside and explored with magnifying glasses or it could be a collection of items that you bring in (such as different kinds of seashells or pebbles of different colors). Encourage children to sort the collection by item type or by color. Create a sorting grid. Encourage children to place, for example, pink pebbles in one column, black pebbles in another column, and white pebbles in another column on the grid. This grid forms a nice intermediate step between categorizing and creating a graph to record the number of pebbles of each color that were found.

Make the magnifying glasses and science journals available for children to continue to observe details of interesting objects and record their observations in their journals.

OPTIONAL Song

Play Susie’s Song “I Like Charts” in the music or computer area of the classroom. As children listen to the song repeatedly, the song will reinforce learning about our featured science tool - charts. Feel free to keep playing “I Magnify,” too!

27

Day Three Measurement

28 Day 3 – Measurement

Goals • Engage children in discussions and activities that involve linear measurement. • Teach relevant vocabulary. • Use non-standard measurement to make measurement meaningful and interesting to children. • Introduce the important ideas that measurement units must be equal and there can’t be any spaces between linear measurement units.

Vocabulary (See the Sid the Science Kid Glossary for friendly definitions of other science terms, too: http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/resources.html )

• Non-standard measurement - For length, non-standard measurement means measuring with something other than a ruler or tape measure (such as blocks or even kids!). Anything meaningful to kids • Standard measurement – inches, feet • Ruler - A science tool that we use to measure how long things are

Materials • Rulers • Non-standard measuring items, blocks, pencils, bananas, etc… • Large sheets of paper (kid size) • Crayons, markers, chalk • Scissors • Science Journals for each child • DVD player / Remote control • Monitor

Large Group Activity Goal: To get kids excited about exploring measurement and continue to identify themselves as scientists .

During large group activities this week, you will be co-viewing portions of Sid the Science Kid DVDs with your students. Refer to the educational materials for parents and teachers for general tips on increasing the climate of curiosity in your classroom while watching the videos and afterward.

A few key points to remember: • Encourage children’s questions • Value curiosity • Integrate science vocabulary into conversations and explorations • Ask open-ended questions

29 1) Review the previous day with students – (15 min.) A. Remind your students that: • They are going to think, talk, and work like scientists, because kids are scientists too. • They are going to do great science activities and learn about a special science tool. • They are going to watch Sid the Science Kid in parts so they can talk about what they see.

Ask whether they remember some of the science activities they did in previous days. Be sure to review some of the key ideas from the day before: • Charts are science tools. • They help us record information so we can remember it later or share it with other people.

Today you will introduce children to some tools and rules for linear measurement. They will learn about non-standard and standard units. To introduce the day’s Sid episode, you might say something like: • “Today, we are going to watch Sid on TV again.” • “Sid is going to talk about a new question he has.” • “After we watch a little, I will stop the TV, and we will talk about Sid’s question.”

B. Show the clip “How Can I Measure a Whale” (length 1:06) for episode 109 After Sid asks his big question (“How could I use this little ruler to measure a whale?”), stop the video and ask your students: • “Sid’s Dad gave him something special. What was it?” • “How do people use rulers? What do rulers do?” • “What does Sid want to measure?” • “What is Sid’s question?”

Get Up and Move – (5 min.) Goal: Give kids a chance to get the wiggles out and have fun with Sid.

Show the clip “Looking for My Friends” (length 1:26). Sid and his family and friends like to sing and dance. We’re going to dance a little, too. Have children stand up so they can sing and dance along as Sid goes to school and greets his friends on the playground.

2) Rug Time/Super Fab Lab/Live Action – (15 min.)

A. Introduce the next clip by saying: • “Sid is going to tell his friends and Teacher Susie about his question.” • “Sid is going to learn about measuring things.” • “What will he learn that will help him? Let’s find out!”

30 B. Show the clip “Rug Time” (length 1:42) through the end of Rug Time as the children are moving to the Super Fab Lab. • Stop the video to review the term “nonstandard measurement” with children. • What are some of the rules of measurement? • Is it ok to measure with a shoe, a flower, and a Gerald all at the same time? • Is it ok to leave spaces between “Geralds?” (Note for the teacher: One key idea is that of repeating a unit that is the exact same length. Using multiple unifix cubes to measure the length of a table is ok because the cubes are the same size. Using different kinds of fruit when measuring the table is not a good example of non-standard measurement because the units- fruits-are different sizes.)

C. Show the clip “Super Fab Lab” (length 5:08) through the end of the section in which our characters journal their observations. Spend some time reviewing what children have just seen: • How did the kids measure their classroom? • What kind of ruler did they make? • Do you remember some rules of measurement? • Is it ok to measure with a shoe, a flower, and a Gerald all at the same time? • Is it ok to leave spaces between “Geralds?”

3) Science Journals – (5 min.)

Remind children that science journals are a science tool that helps us record information. You might say something like: • “Did you notice that Sid and his friends used their science journals?” • “A journal is a science tool that we use to record information.” • “Can you remember another science tool that we use to record data and information?” (charts) • “Today Sid and his friends recorded information about measuring the classroom in their science journals.” • “Later today, you will have the chance to measure the classroom and record data in your science journal.”

31 OPTIONAL Outside Explorations (before or after the Small Group Activity, if an outside space is available) Goal: To highlight that science exploration and investigation can take place outside the classroom and is fun.

Before going outside, let children know there will be rulers outside for them to practice measuring. If children need some direction, suggest things to measure, such as the height of the climber, the distance from the door to the slide, or the width of the sidewalk. Use small blocks or chalk marks to mark where one unit (ruler) ends and the next one should begin. Don’t worry if the rulers become swords for a while. Eventually kids will be ready to use the tools as intended.

Small Group Activities Goal: Provide children an opportunity to use science tools, science vocabulary and further explore and understand measurement in a hands- on activity.

Please refer to the Super Fab Lab: Exploring Measurement printable at http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid for activity instructions or see below.

1) Exploring Measurement Activity – (20 min.)

Purpose (What We’re Going to Explore and Learn) • Instead of inches or feet, we’ll use a child to measure a room. • Non-standard measurement teaches us important measurement rules-that all units (inches, feet, or kids!) should be the same size and that there shouldn’t be gaps between the units.

Materials (The Stuff We Need) • One child volunteer • A block of something similar to mark each unit • Pieces of paper large enough to trace a child (optional) • Markers, crayons (optional) • Scissors (optional)

Procedure (What to Do) A. You’re going to use a child to measure a room. Have the child lay down with his or her feet touching the wall at one end of the room. Place a block to mark where the head is.

B. Time to get up and move. Lay down with the feet lined up with the block. Now move the block to the head again. That’s two kids long so far!

32 C. Repeat the procedure until you’ve reached the end of the room. Be sure to keep track of how many “kids” (or Sara’s or Edwin’s or whatever the child’s name is) you’ve measured each time the child moves. How many kids long is the room?

Optional D. If you’d like to make kid rulers, have children lie down on the paper and trace their outlines. Cut out and decorate the kid rulers.

E. Use it just like you did to measure other big things around you like the patio, the playground, or the hallway.

2) Journal (Record What I See) - (5 min.) • Encourage children to use their journals to record the measurement activity. • Have children verbally describe entries as a way to review and consolidate their new knowledge. • Write down what children have to say about their entries. • Take the opportunity to expand descriptive vocabulary by providing new words for children’s observations.

3) Other Stuff You Might Want to Know or Do • When you do this exploration with children, you will naturally use comparative mathematical language such as longer and shorter. Encourage them to use these terms, too. • As kids have repeated experience measuring with the same ruler (whether it’s a kid ruler or a regular one), they begin to build a sense of about how long something is before they measure it. Help them develop this kind of thinking by asking them to estimate how long something is before they measure it. Then check their estimates by measuring.

33 OPTIONAL Free Choice Options Goal: Provide children with an extended opportunity to explore and understand measurement using one or two of these additional hands-on activities.

• Encourage children to use their “me” rulers to measure the classroom, the hallway, or other large items or areas. • Suggest that children record their findings (“The hallway is almost 8 Jenny’s long.”) in their journals. • Help children create a chart that lists the length of different classroom and playground areas, measured using kid “rulers.” • Help children create a chart that lists the length of different classroom and playground areas, measured using standard foot-long rulers.

OPTIONAL Song

Play Susie’s Song “A Pirates Tale” in the music or computer area of the classroom. As children listen to the song repeatedly, the song will reinforce learning about our featured science tool - rulers. Feel free to keep playing “I Magnify,” and “I Like Charts” too!

34

Day Four More Measurement & Charts

35 Day 4 – More Measurement & Charts

Goals for the day • Engage children in more discussions and activities that involve linear measurement. • Review relevant vocabulary. • Use non-standard measurement to make measurement meaningful and interesting to children. • Review the important ideas that measurement units must be equal and that there can’t be any spaces between linear measurement units.

Vocabulary (See the Sid the Science Kid Glossary for friendly definitions of other science terms, too: http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/resources.html )

• Non-standard measurement - For length, non-standard measurement means measuring with something other than a ruler or tape measure (such as blocks or even kids!). • Ruler- A science tool that we use to measure how long things are

Materials • Construction paper • Science Journals for each child • Crayons, markers • DVD player / Remote control • Monitor • Rulers • Blocks (or some other item to use for non-standard measurement)

Large Group Activity Goal: To get kids excited about engaging in science activities and Sid the Science Kid .

As in previous days, you will be co-viewing portions of Sid the Science Kid with your students. Refer to the educational materials for parents and teachers for general tips on increasing the climate of curiosity in your classroom while watching the videos and afterward.

A few key points to remember: • Encourage children’s questions • Value curiosity • Integrate science vocabulary into conversations and explorations • Ask open-ended questions

1) Sid the Science Kid Review – (15 min.)

36 A. Today you will review what you learned on Sid the Science Kid yesterday. Ask whether they remember some of the science activities they did yesterday. Be sure to review some of the key ideas from the day before: • Rulers are science tools that help us measure how long things are. • We can measure with things that aren’t rulers, too. • There are rules when we measure.

Remind students that: • Sid always has a question that he wants to investigate. • Let them know that, just like yesterday, they will be watching Sid on TV. • Watching things more than once can help us learn more. It will help us be sure that we understand the tools and rules of measuring.

Prior to watching you might ask children to think back and use their memories. How much do they remember about Sid and his problem? Ask some of the following questions to gauge what they recall: • “Sid’s Dad gave him something special. Do you remember what Sid’s Dad gave him?” • “Why do people need rulers?” • “What do people do with rulers?” • “Do you remember what animal Sid wanted to measure?”

B. Review Measurement Show the intro clip “How Can I Measure a Whale” (length 1:06) for episode 104 to “check” kids’ answers. After Sid asks his big question (“How could I use this little ruler to measure a whale?”), stop the DVD.

If children had trouble answering the questions before they watched, ask the questions above again. If they remember, say something like: • “You did a super job remembering what you learned. You knew that Sid got a new ruler that he can use to measure things. He’s not sure how he could measure a whale!”

Then ask: • “What happens next when we watch Sid? That’s right, it’s time to sing and dance with Sid when he goes to school.”

Get Up and Move! - (5 min.) Goal: Give kids a chance to get the wiggles out and have fun with Sid.

Show the clip “Looking for My Friends” (length 1:26). Sid and his family and friends like to sing and dance. We’re going to dance a little, too. Have children stand up so they can sing and dance along as Sid goes to school and greets his friends on the playground.

2) Re-Experience Rug Time/Super Fab Lab/Live Action – (15 min.)

37

A. You might introduce the next clip by asking: • “What happens next in Sid’s day?” • “Where does he go with his friends?” (inside, to the rug, to circle time) • “What will Sid do during Rug Time?” (talk with his teacher, talk with his friends, ask questions). • “Let’s watch!”

B. Show the clip “Rug Time” (length 1:42) through the end of Rug Time as the children are moving to the Super Fab Lab.

• Stop the video to review the term “nonstandard measurement” with children. • “What are some of the rules of measurement?” • “Is it ok to measure with a shoe, a flower, and a Gerald all at the same time?” • “Is it ok to leave spaces between “Geralds?” • “Who remembers where Sid and his friends go next?” • “What do they do there?”

(Note for the teacher: One key measurement concept involves repetition of a unit that is the exact same length. Using multiple unifix cubes to measure the length of a table is ok because the cubes are the same size; using different size unit blocks when measuring the table is not a good example of non-standard measurement because the blocks are different sizes.)

C. Show the clip “Super Fab Lab” (length 5:08) through the end of the section in which our characters journal their observations. Spend some time reviewing what children have just seen during the Super Fab Lab, live action, and journaling sections.

• What did the children use to measure their classroom? • Is it ok to measure with a shoe, a flower, and a Gerald all at the same time? • Is it ok to leave spaces between “Geralds?”

3) Science Journals - (5 min.) Remind children that science journals are another science tool that helps us record information. You might say something like,

• “Did you notice that Sid and his friends also used their science journals? • “A journal is a science tool that we use to record information.” • “Can you remember another science tool that we use to record data?” (Chart.)

38 • “Later today, you will have the chance to measure different things in our classroom and to record your data.”

OPTIONAL USE OF “ME” RULERS Outside Explorations (optional-this can be at anytime during the day, before or after the Small Group Activity) Goal: To highlight that science exploration and investigation can take place outside the classroom and is fun.

Before going outside, let children know that they will have the opportunity to use the “me” rulers they made yesterday. (They can measure how far it is from the door to the climber or any other distance that makes sense in your outside space). Let children know you will help them record their measurements on a chart. • With children who are interested, help them measure the same distance (e.g., from door to climber) using their “me” rulers. Be sure to model the measuring practices shown in the dvd (no spaces and using the same unit). • Create a chart and title it something like, “How far is it from the ____ to the _____?” • Record your data by allowing children to write their names and the number of units (“Shirleys” or “Miguels”) they used to measure the distance.

Small Group Activities Goal: Provide children an opportunity to use science tools, science vocabulary and further explore and understand non- standard measurement in a hands-on activity.

Before breaking into small groups, show all the children the clip “Grandma” (length 1:34) of Sid and Grandma discussing non- standard measurement.

Introduce the segment by telling children that Sid rides home with his Grandma every day. He talks with her about what he did at school.

Ask your students: • “What do you think Sid will say to his Grandma? • “What will he tell her about his day?” After children respond, show the clip.

39 1) Non- Standard Measurement Activity – (20 min.)

Purpose (What We’re Going to Explore and Learn)

• Instead of inches or feet, we’ll use a child’s hand to measure an item (table, bookshelf, etc). • Non-standard measurement teaches us important measurement rules-that all units (inches, feet, or hands) should be the same size and that there shouldn’t be gaps between the units

Materials (The Stuff We Need)

• Sheets of construction paper or poster board • Crayons, colored pencils, or markers • Item to measure such as a table or bookshelf

Procedure (What to Do)

A. Divide your class into two groups. Ask the children the following questions: • “What story did Grandma tell Sid?” • “What did her father like to use to measure things?”

B. For the day’s activity, have children use their hands to measure a rectangular table (or a bookshelf).

C. Demonstrate measuring (as shown in the DVD segment) by placing one hand down (“one hand”), then the other beside it (“two hands”). Move the first hand (“three hands”).

D. Help a child volunteer to measure the short side of the table, while classmates keep count.

E. Then, have children predict how long the long side of the table will be. This is an opportunity to have them think about the relative lengths of the sides and to match this with numbers:

• “If the short side is 8 hands, how many hands will the long side be?” • “Will it be more than 8? Fewer than 8?”

2) Science Journal (Record what I see) - (5 min.) Encourage children to use their journals to record the measurement activity. Have children describe entries as a way to review and consolidate their new knowledge.

40 OPTIONAL Free Choice Goal: Provide children with an extended opportunity to utilize and understand non- standard measurement using an additional hands-on activity.

• Encourage children to use their hands to measure other classroom items. • Suggest that children record their findings in their journals. Help them use numerals to label their drawings. • Consider reading Leo Lionni’s Inch by Inch (available in Spanish, too) with children. The inchworm measures things with its body, just like we did. The text and drawings provide lots of opportunities to talk with children about measurement

OPTIONAL Song

Play Susie’s Song “A Pirate’s Tale” in the music or computer area of the classroom. As children listen to the song repeatedly, the song will reinforce learning about rulers and measurement.

41

Day Five A Review of Super Science Tools

42 Day 5 - A Review of Super Science Tools

Goals • Provide children with more experience creating and reading charts. • Review the science tools we’ve learned about over the past week. • Practice using relevant vocabulary.

Vocabulary (See the Sid the Science Kid Glossary for friendly definitions of other science terms, too: http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/resources.html )

• Chart - A science tool that is used to record information • Data - Science information that can be recorded on a chart • Science Journal - A special notebook to record observations • Magnify - To make things look bigger • Magnifying glass- A science tool that we use to make things look bigger so we can observe them better • Observe/observations – Looking very closely at something…and listen to it and maybe even smell it and feel it. It’s using your senses to get information. • Non-standard measurement - For length, non-standard measurement means measuring with something other than a ruler or tape measure (such as blocks or even kids!). • Ruler- A science tool that we use to measure how long things are

Materials • Rulers • Large sheets of paper / poster boards • Crayons, markers, chalk • Scissors • Science Journals for each child • DVD player / Remote control • Monitor • Photos of each child (optional)

Large Group Activity Goal: To get kids excited about all of the science learning they did this week and continue to identify themselves as scientist.

As in previous days, you will be co-viewing portions of Sid the Science Kid with your students. Refer to the educational materials for parents and teachers for general tips on increasing the climate of curiosity in your classroom while watching the videos and afterward.

A few key points to remember: • Encourage children’s questions

43 • Value curiosity • Integrate science vocabulary into conversations and explorations • Ask open-ended questions

1) Sid the Science Kid Review – (15 min.)

A. Congratulate your students on how much they have learned this week. • They can think, talk, and work like scientists, because kids are scientist too. • They have done great science activities and learned about science tools. • They have had fun watching and learning with Sid the Science Kid .

Ask whether they remember some of the science activities they did yesterday. Be sure to review some of the key ideas from the day before: • Rulers are science tools that help us measure how long things are. • We can measure with things that aren’t rulers, too. Yesterday we used our kid rulers and our hands to measure. • There are rules when we measure.

Tell them today they will be continuing their exploration of charts and the science tools they’ve used this week. To introduce the day’s Sid episode, you might say something like: • “Today, we are going to watch Sid on TV again.” • “Sid is going to talk about his question on charts.” • “After we watch a little, I will stop the TV, and we will talk about Sid’s question.”

B. Show the intro clip “Why Do We Need Charts?” (length 1:24) from episode 101. After Sid asks his big question (“Why do we need charts?”), stop the video and ask your students:

• “What does Sid want to know? What is his question?”

If children do not know, provide some reminders. For example:

• “Sid has to do chores like cleaning up his toys and putting newspapers in the recycling bin.” • “How does he keep track of which chores he has finished?” • “What does he use to record how many chores he has done?” (Stickers, a chart). • “Is Sid happy about having a chore chart? What does he want to know about charts?” • You can also ask children to describe the charts they have created this week

44 • (favorite fruit, measurement charts) as a reminder that they already know a lot about charts. • Before moving on, be sure to repeat the key information. “Sid has a chart to record how many chores he has finished. He wants to know why people need charts.”

Get Up and Move! - (5 min.) Goal: Give kids a chance to get the wiggles out and have fun with Sid.

Show the clip “Looking for My Friends” (length 1:26). Sid and his family and friends like to sing and dance. We’re going to dance a little, too. Have children stand up so they can sing and dance along as Sid goes to school and greets his friends on the playground.

2) Re-Experience Rug Time/Super Fab Lab/Live Action – (15 min.)

A. Introduce the next clip by saying: • “What happens next in Sid’s day?” • “Where does he go with his friends?” (inside, to the rug, to circle time) • “What will Sid do during Rug Time?” (talk with his teacher, talk with his friends, ask questions). • “Let’s watch!”

B. Show the clip “Rug Time” (length 2:05).

• Stop the video to review the term “chart” with children. • Can children tell you what a chart is and how it helps people? (A chart is a useful science tool. We use charts to record information so we can remember it later or share it with other people.)

C. Show clip “Super Fab Lab” (length 3:27) through the end of the section in which our characters journal their observations. Spend some time reviewing what children have just seen:

• What kind of chart did the children make? What information (or data) did they record on their chart? • Did Sid find out why we need charts? What do charts help people do? • Take some time to review the favorite fruit chart(s) your students made earlier in the week. Ask them to read the chart by asking questions such as, “What is Samira’s favorite fruit?” or “Who likes bananas?

3) Science Journals - (5 min.) Remind children that a science journal is a science tool that helps us record information. You might say something like:

• “Today we are going to make a chart to record our favorite science tools.”

45 • “Later today, you will have the chance to record the information from our chart in your science journal.”

OPTIONAL Outside Explorations (before or after the Small Group Activity, if an outside space is available) Goal: To highlight that science exploration and investigation can take place outside the classroom and is fun.

Let children know you will be taking magnifying glasses, rulers and science journals outside. Briefly review the purpose of these science tools by asking questions like: • “Who remembers how a magnifying glass helps us?” • “Why do we use science journals?” • “What do rulers help us do?” Make materials available outside for children who would like to make careful, close- up observations and record these in their journals.

Have children describe their journal entries to you as a way to practice using descriptive language (e.g., pointy, rough, shiny, glittery, spotted) and to consolidate knowledge.

Small Group Activities Goal: Provide children an opportunity to use science tools, science vocabulary and further explore and understand charting, magnifying, measuring, and journaling in a hands-on activity.

1) Making a Science Tools Chart – (20 min.)

Purpose (What We’re Going to Explore and Learn) • Charts allow us to display information using pictures and, sometimes, words. • We’re going to collect data, then display it on a chart.

Materials (The Stuff We Need) • A large piece of paper or poster board • Crayons, colored pencils, or markers • Photos of each person (optional) • Science tools- Magnifying glass, ruler, science journal, fruit chart

Procedure (What to Do) We’re going to make another chart, but today we won’t be asking about favorite fruits. Instead we’ll be collecting data on each person’s favorite science tool.

46 A. First, write a title on your chart--Example “Our Favorite Science Tools” Label each with a drawing or digital photo of a science tool and write the name for each as well (magnifying glass, science journal, chart, ruler/measurement tools).

B. Under the title, make four columns.

C. Label each with a drawing or digital photo of a science tool and write the name for each as well (magnifying glass, science journal, chart, ruler/measurement tools).

D. Review the function of each science tool by asking your students to tell you about each one. You might even write down some of their ideas on another piece of chart paper.

E. After reviewing each of the four tools, allow each child to write his or her name (with help if necessary) under the science tool that he or she likes best.

F. Have children help you count the “votes” for each tool and label columns with the numerals.

G. Encourage children to read the chart by asking questions. “How many people like science journals?” “How many people like magnifying glasses?” “Do more people like journals or magnifying glasses?”

H. Hang up the chart so parents can read it, too. Encourage children to share the chart with their families at pick-up time.

2) Science Journal (Record What I See) - (5 min.) Once again, you can use science journals to help children review what they have just done and learned.

• Encourage them to use their journals to record information about their own favorite science tool, the preferences of their friends, or the data represented on the chart (such as drawing a magnifying glass with a 4 next to it because four children liked magnifying glasses). • Have children verbally describe entries as a way to review and consolidate their new knowledge. When they describe their entries to you, it provides another opportunity to “read” information that they recorded on charts and in journals. • Write down what children have to say about their entries. • Take the opportunity to expand descriptive vocabulary by providing new words for children’s observations and ideas.

3) Other Stuff You Might Want to Know or Do • This is a very simple example of a chart, but the thinking required is useful when kids start encountering more complicated graphs.

47 • Look for examples of charts in the world around you. Talk to children about the kind of information each one displays. You don’t have to go into a whole lot of detail. The main idea is to give children examples of how charts are useful in everyday life.

OPTIONAL Free Choice Options Goal: Provide children with an extended opportunity to explore and understand charting using an additional hands-on activity.

• Choose any of the options from prior days as a way to re-visit favorite activities and to continue to build knowledge.

OPTIONAL Song

Play the Susie song that corresponds to the most popular science tool (as shown by the class chart) or have a song-a-thon and play all three.

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