Properties DO Matter in Early Childhood Increasing Our Descriptive Language by Learning About the...

Properties DO Matter in Early Childhood

Increasing Our Descriptive Language byLearning About the Properties of Matter

Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines:Science Domain:

• VI.B.1 The child identifies and describes the characteristics (including similarities and differences) of organisms

• VI.C.1. The child identifies, compares, discusses earth materials, and their properties and uses

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Physical Science states that by the end of second grade students will understand that there are “different kinds of matter (e.g., wood, metal, water), and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties (e.g., visual, aural, textural), by it uses, and by whether it occurs naturally or is manufactured.”

By Second Grade…

• How can a teacher help students build a strong descriptive vocabulary?

Setting Goals:This year I will purposefully plan activities that help the child build a strong scientific descriptive vocabulary as he/she begins to make sense of the world around him/her.

Where do I begin? With a Plan!Document, Document, Document

Properties of Matter in EC Wiki

http://propertiesmatter.pbworks.com

We Began by Using our 5 Senses

Animoto Video: Exploring Our World

Using all 5 SensesExploring playdough and other yellow things

What senses are we using?

“This feels, yucky!”

What senses are we using?

What senses are we using?

• Tall/short (plant)• Green (leaf)• Thin (stem)• Pointy (leaves)• Hard (seed)• Growing/changing• Little (seed)• White string (root)

What senses are we using?

• Wet• Cold/warm• Sink/float• Drips• Absorbs• Pours• Flows

What senses are we using?

Montessori Sound Cylinders

What senses are we using?

• Yellow• Smooth• Seedy• Lemony• Yummy• Sour

What senses are we using?

• Cold• Melting• Freezing• Slippery• Crunchy• Crystally

What senses are we using?

• Soft• Fluffy• Feathers• Little• Yellow

What senses are we using?

• Slimy• Lines (segments)• Wiggle• Tickle• Gross• Yucky

What senses are we using?

• Heavy, heavier, heaviest

• Light, lighter, lightest

• Same/equal• More/less• Big/little

What senses are we using?

• Windy• Rainy• Sunny• Cold/hot• Snowy• Beautiful

Children use their love of rocks to sort them by a named characteristic on the Livescribe Smartpen’s sound dot:• Find the rock that has an “x”

on it• Find the rock that is rhombus

shaped• Find a fossil rock• Find 2 rocks that have lines• Find a light rock• Find a rock with crystals• Find a rock that looks like a

mountain with trees• Find 3 green rocks and order

them from largest to smallest

1. Find things made of wood

2. It’s not rectangular

3. It’s not rough4. What’s my object?

Is this your object?

COMPANY NAME

555 Street AddressCity, ST 55555

ph 555.555.5555 | fx 555.555.5555 | webaddress.com

Assessing Descriptive Language Development

How can we describe matter?

Matter Can Be: Big or small or in between Light or heavy Dark or light Smooth or rough Hot or cold Long or short Soft or hard

Matter can also be: Bumpy Soft Sparkly Have crystals, or not Shiny or dull Colorful Made by man or found

naturally Crunchy Slimy Drippy

… on, and on, and on!

Final Reflections

glaubent@yahoo.com

rpolan@austinisd.org