PSS6: Conducts investigations according to safe scientific procedures
Evidence 1: Marble Tower Pictures
Description: Children use plastic tubes and various slides and funnels to create a track for marbles.
Analysis: M, J and N began their experimentation of the marble tower pieces by building their own towers. As their exploration progressed the children quickly discovered that if they joined their marble towers together that the marbles would have a longer journey from top to bottom. This idea created new questions about where to connect the three towers and how to best arrange them so that the marbles would travel through more of the chutes, funnels and S shaped pieces.
Evidence 2: Sink or Float Activity
Description: After discovering that an apple floats, children take turns finding items around the classroom to explore the concepts of sinking and floating.
Analysis: As children chose their own objects for this exploration, there was a higher level of interest in this activity. Children also recorded their observations on a chart by drawing a picture of the item placed in the bucket of water, and then placing the drawing in the appropriate column.
Evidence 3: Egg Race
Description: After reading a book about an egg race, children were provided eggs and spoons in the play yard.
Analysis: Children began this exploration by placing the eggs in the spoons and walking carefully around the yard. As they perfected that skill and could move around without dropping their eggs, children began to experiment with the eggs and spoons in various ways, which included playing t-ball.
