Foundation Phase Science Investigations

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Natural Sciences

INVESTIGATIONS

with Foundation Phase Learners

© Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) 2008

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Natural Sciences

INVESTIGATIONS with Foundation Phase Learners

A lot of the ideas in this booklet owe their germination to a long collaboration between Alan and Viv Kenyon. We have shared a passion for primary education and primary teacher development for a long time. This dates back from the progressive 1960s, when we first started teaching, to the early 1970s together in London. It continued at Lovedale in Alice, and then at Cape College in Fort Beaufort, where colleagues and students helped grow and contextualise many of these ideas. Subsequent work with teachers and in classrooms has helped refine the practical relevance of this work. Layout by Welma Odendaal

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Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Section 1 What’s the best way to make ice disappear? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Investigating Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Investigating Bread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Section 2 Investigating Mini-Beasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Investigating Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Section 3 How many ways can you make a torch bulb light? . . . . . . . . . . 36 Investigating Pushes and Pulls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Section 4 Investigating the Phases of the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Investigating Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

National Curriculum Statement Natural Sciences – Foundation Phase Learning Outcome 1

The learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena, and to investigate relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and environmental contexts.

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Introduction In 2004 the Foundation Phase teachers from 9 primary schools in the South district began working with the PSP to develop and trial Natural Science investigations with their learners, as part of the MSET Project, funded by the Shuttleworth Foundation. This booklet is an outcome of our work together over three years.

What is in this booklet? In this booklet we have set out the 9 investigations that we carried out with learners. These investigations worked well with learners from Grade R to Grade 3. You will find suggestions for using readily available, everyday materials to help you carry out these nine investigations with your class.

How the booklet is structured We start with a focus on Raising questions. Then the booklet is divided into four sections. Each section focuses on one of the strands in the Natural Sciences National Curriculum Statement.

Ice, clay, and bread

The strands are I Matter and Materials I Life and Living I Energy and Change, and I- Planet Earth and Beyond. The first section focuses on Matter and Materials. In this section you will find guidelines for 3 investigations: ice, clay, and bread.

Mini-beasts and plants

In the second section, Life and Living, we have set out 2 investigations for you to carry out with your learners: mini-beasts and plants. The third section, Energy and Change, has suggestions for two investigations: electricity and movement. In the last section, Planet Earth and Beyond, we have suggested ways of investigating the phases of the Moon and the weather.

Using this booklet

electricity and movement

Don’t feel that you have to work through this booklet from beginning to end. Feel free to dip into it. Choose an investigation to carry out with your learners that you are interested in, and that you feel will interest them. Also consider what will fit in with any project or theme your class or school is involved in. This book is intended to be a help, to provide guidelines. It is not intended to be a strait-jacket or a set of rules. Trust yourself and your learners. One thing you will have to consider is the weather and the time of year when you investigate certain topics. For example, Winter may not be the best time to investigate plants or small animals because they aren’t so accessible.

Phases of the Moon and the weather

We hope you will find the suggestions practical and inspiring. And we hope

INTRODUCTION

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that, like us, you will find Natural Sciences is a fascinating and wonderful area of the curriculum to investigate with your learners. Science can be a powerful basis and link to good integrated work across the broad Foundation Phase curriculum.

Raising questions Often in classrooms teachers tend to be the ones who ask questions. And as teachers, we expect our learners to answer the questions. We believe that if a curriculum is to be truly child-centred, we need to give our learners opportunities to do the actual asking. We need to make sure that they have lots of chances to ask the questions that they have. And they need opportunities to investigate their own questions. You will find in this booklet that we frequently suggest ways to encourage

rom? f e m o c e s ic Where doe How does water s e i vegg e m get into the tap? o so d y d Wh e an v o b a grow he t w o s bel r e h ot Where d? n u o do see gr ds com Whe e f r om? re d o cl ouds com e fr om? made? y it ic r lect How is e Where does the rain come from? Why som is the etim m es s oon kew ? 4

akes What m g? lightnin

INVESTIGATING WITH FOUNDATION PHASE LEARNERS

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We frequently suggest ways to encourage learners to think and voice their questions, and to even provoke them to ask more questions.

INTRODUCTION

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learners to think and voice their questions, and to even provoke them to ask more questions. And we don’t need to be afraid that the children will raise questions that we feel unable to answer. We don’t have to answer all their questions when they raise them. It is really important that our learners have time to ponder and think about some of their questions. They need time to think of possible answers, to puzzle over the questions and possible answers. Later on when they are learning more about whatever it is that they want to know, they will discover the answers, and true learning will take place. Bruner has said that ‘discovery favours the prepared mind’. Children who have had time to think about things, will be ready to discover and learn because they have had time to puzzle over possibilities.

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SECTION 1 Matter and Materials What’s the best way to make ice disappear?

How to make ice disappear was the first investigation we carried out with Foundation Phase learners within the MSET Project. It was a great way to start and involved investigating something that virtually all children are familiar with. The question that we began with (What’s the best way to make ice disappear?) arose from the questions that teachers elicited from their learners before the first workshop.

Planning and preparing for the investigation When you carry out this investigation you will need to make sure that you have enough ice-cubes so that each pair or small group of three learners has an ice-cube. You will also need to ensure that all the ice-cubes are approximately the same size. You will have to think how you will keep the ice-cubes frozen until you want to use them. One possibility is to use a vacuum flask. We found that it’s also very useful to have enough polystyrene cups so that each pair can hold their ice-cube in a cup to start with.

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Making sure the learners are active We suggest that you read through the whole investigation a day or two before. What problems do you think your learners are likely to encounter? What might you need to do to help your learners? How can you make sure that your learners are the ones carrying out the investigation? This is not a demonstration. We have to trust the learners to be curious, inventive and creative. They have to be the ones conducting the investigation. They have to own the activity. Your important role is to guide and support them, when you have judged that they need help. If the investigation doesn’t go quite the way you had hoped or planned, that doesn’t matter. Get your learners to conduct the investigation again. Scientists carry out their investigations more than once. They vary, change, adapt and check what they do, and what happens. So your learners will be behaving like scientists!

What are your learners likely to do? You know your learners. Try to predict what they will do. Spend a little time thinking about what they are likely to think of and try, in order to get their icecube to melt quickly. This will help you prepare. What the children decide and plan to do might reveal their pre-knowledge. For example, some children may put the ice in the sun. Others may put their ice-cube on something dark in the sun. Yet others may crush the ice-cube, or chew it. Some children may even melt bits on the ground. Be open-minded. Expect your learners to surprise you by what they do.

What are the best ways to get ice to disappear completely? When we plan an investigation we start with a question. Where does ice come from? Where does ice go to? In this case our question is, What are the best ways to get ice to disappear completely? Who can get their ice-cube to disappear the most quickly? It’s a bit like a race. TASK

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Begin by gathering your learners around you. If you have a carpeted area in your classroom, gather your class on the carpet. If you don’t have a special corner for reading and stories, get your learners to bring their chairs together and sit down with them for a discussion. You could start with a story, or with a discussion about weather, particularly hot weather, and leading to ice-cubes. Ask your learners what they know about ice. Record their responses on newsprint or the chalkboard in the form of a spider web or a mind-map.

LIFE AND LIVING

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2 Grade R and Grade 1 TASK

If you work with Grade R or Grade 1 learners, give them very careful instructions about what you want them to do next. We suggest that you tell them exactly what you want them to do. Tell them that as a class you are going to try to find the best and quickest ways to make a cube of ice melt. Then tell them that you want them to work in pairs and that you are going to give each pair a cube of ice. Tell them that you are all going to go outside the classroom and you want them to see who can find the best ways to make ice disappear completely. Remind them to try to think of the quickest ways. Take your learners outside. Either tell them to find a partner, or put the children into pairs. Give each pair an ice-cube in a polystyrene cup. You will need to decide how far away from the classroom you take them. You may choose to work in the playground so that you don’t disturb the other classes. You may be able to work just outside your classroom. You will also need to make sure that you are able to observe every pair. Encourage your learners to think of different ways to get their ice to melt. When most of the learners have got their ice-cubes to melt, take your class back into the classroom to discuss what they did and what they found.

Grade 2 and Grade 3 If your learners have already been in school a year or two, we suggest that you give them some time to plan in their small groups of two or three to carry out their investigation in two stages. I First of all, tell them to spend a short while thinking and talking about what they could do. I Then tell them that they must draw up a plan of what they will do. Encourage them to predict what might happen. Limit the time for these two tasks. Thinking is important, but you also want them to try out their ideas and plans. I Next tell them to carry out their investigation. Tell your learners that you want them to observe what happens. Remind them to record what they see. As with the younger learners, we suggest that you take your learners outside for this investigation. Give each pair or group of 3 an ice-cube in a polystyrene cup. Make sure that you are able to observe what each small group is doing, and that you are available to prompt and encourage those learners who struggle. As they wait for their ice-cube to melt, they need to watch it and report on its progress: ‘It’s melted a bit’; ‘It’s halfmelted’; ‘It’s completely melted’; and so on. Grade 2s and Grade 3s can measure the time it takes for their ice-cube to melt using the clock or a watch.

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What have we learned? Gather your learners all together again for a discussion. Remind them to share their plans. Ask them: I What did you think would happen before you tried to get your ice to melt? I What did you find out? Why do you think it happened as it did? I What makes the ice disappear quickly? I Where does the water go? I What have we learned?

The Science of Melting and Evaporation

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Melting is a name we give to the process when a solid substance turns into a liquid. Butter melts. Ice-cream melts. Chocolate melts. Ice melts. Evaporation is the term for the next change in state when a liquid seems to disappear as a gas or vapour.

The most important thing is to provoke your learners to think, and think some more.

LIFE AND LIVING

Try to get your learners to explain what happened and why. When they do this, the children are hypothesising – or developing a theory – about why it happened. What if the children chew up the ice? If this happens, ask them, Where did the ice go? And then? Finally you could ask, What happens when we sweat? This would encourage learners to make associations with other experiences. For example, how does washing dry on the line? Don’t worry about getting all the “right” answers. The most important thing is to provoke your learners to think, and think some more. This discussion is a very valuable part of the investigation. You are leading the children to think about and reflect on what they have done, and what they have found. You are helping them to articulate their experiences and thoughts. It is the actual doing (process) that produces powerful learning. 9

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Investigating clay The ‘Feeley-Box’ – Integrating Language and Science A ‘feeley-box’ or a ‘feeley-bag’ is a very useful piece of equipment for any primary school teacher. It is a box or bag with a number of articles inside. The idea is for somebody to be able to put their hand(s) inside to touch and feel something, without anybody being able to see what exactly they are holding. A 5-litre fruit juice box works well. So does an empty box (with its lid) that has held photocopy paper. It works best if there are two holes on opposite sides of the box so that children can put both hands into the box to get a better sense of what they are holding. You can use a feeley-box (or feeley-bag) to develop and extend your learners’ use of descriptive language. And you could use it for Numeracy, Science, and Life Skills. As this section focuses on Matter and Materials, a feeley-box is really valuable in terms of getting young learners to think about the properties of matter and materials. Before you use the feeley-box with your learners, plan what you could put in the box for this occasion. Put in familiar items, items with different textures and shapes. For Grade 2s and 3s, try to include items that combine different textures and shapes. For example you could include a toothbrush, a tennis ball, a sponge or scourer, a nail brush, a stone, a pencil or pen, a comb.

Investigating matter using touch All Grades The first time you use a feeley-box or a feeleybag, gather your learners around you. Tell them that you want them to listen very carefully. Tell the children that you are going to ask one child to come and put her / his hands into the box and to pick up something to touch and feel. Make sure that the children understand that they are not to remove the item from the box. They are only going to use the sense of touch to work out what they are holding. Tell your learners that you do not want the child to tell the rest of the class whatever s/he is holding. Instead you are going to ask some questions to try to find out what it might be. You are going to try to guess from the answers s/he gives to your questions. 10

A feeley-box is really valuable in terms of getting young learners to think about the properties of matter and materials.

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Then choose one child who has listened carefully, to come and stand next to you. Ask questions that will tell you something about the shape, texture, hardness and even the use of the item (in other words about the properties of the item). For example, I What’s the shape of the thing you’re holding? I Is it hard? I Can you squeeze it? I What do you think it’s made of? Remember, the child cannot see the item. S/he is making guesses, based on what s/he is touching. As s/he feels and touches the item, s/he uses language to describe what s/he can feel. As you ask questions, gradually encourage the rest of the class to ask questions, too. After you and the class have successfully guessed what the first item is, invite another child to come and find something in the box. Again encourage the other children to ask questions. Encourage the child holding something in the feely-box to answer questions about whatever it is s/he is holding. Gradually encourage your children to ask questions like those you have asked. They will enjoy being involved and taking ownership of the task. They will learn the important skill of asking questions that elicit useful answers.

Grade 2s and Grade 3s You can extend this activity with Grade 2s and Grade 3s by giving each group a feeley-box with some things inside. Each person gets a chance to put her hands inside the box, to choose something, touch it carefully (observation), and describe it (reporting). The rest of the group tries to guess what it is that the person is holding (interpreting – making inferences) by asking questions.

Investigating matter using all our senses What you will need

I A small dish of dry powdered clay for each group I A small dropper for each group I A piece of A3 paper with a mind-map drawn on it for each group (Grade 2 or Grade 3) I 2 different coloured crayons for each group (Grade 2 and Grade 3) I A sheet of newsprint with mind-map lines drawn on it (Grade R or Grade 1) I 2 different coloured koki-pens (Grade R or Grade 1) You can get dry powdered clay from a shop that sells craft materials, or pottery materials. (You will find an address of a supplier in Cape Town in the Appendix on page 82.) If you have small droppers, the children can add very small quantities of water to the dry substance in the second part of the investigation.

Observing and recording Give each group a sheet of paper with the lines marked on it, and a small dish holding some dry powdered clay. Ask your learners to observe the substance. Tell them to touch the material, to feel it between their fingers. Ask them to compare it with other similar-looking substances.

LIFE AND LIVING

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Ask them, I What does it look like? I What does it feel like? I Have you seen anything that looks like this? Tell them to talk about what they see and feel If you work with Grade 2s and Grade 3s, ask them to record their observations on the mind-map (colour, texture, heaviness, etc). If you are working with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, we suggest that you move around from group to group so that you can check how your learners are getting on. Then have a class discussion with your Grade Rs or Grade 1s about what they have observed. Record their observations on the mind-map on the newsprint that you have prepared. Another possibility is to give each group a bank of words to choose from and some prestik. This is what the teachers at Northwood did. Then they asked the children to stick down the words that they felt best described the texture, colour etc on their mind-map.

Discussing and Communicating Grade 2s and Grade 3s Ask your learners to tell you what they found. This is an important science process skill that will help your learners develop confidence in speaking in front of the whole class. They will also be learning to listen to one another and will hear what their peers think and say. As they share their observations, record your learners’ contributions on a larger mind-map on the board. We found that most classes guessed what the substance was. Children who had spent time in rural areas, even for holidays, recognised the dry clay.

Predicting and recording Before you hand out droppers with water, ask your learners to think about I What will happen if we add a few drops of water? I How will the water change the clay? If you work with Grade 2s or Grade 3s, ask them to record their predictions in one colour on their mind-map. If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, use one of the koki-pens to record your learners’ predictions. Again, ask the groups to share their ideas with the whole class and add their ideas to the mind-map on the chalkboard.

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Investigating, observing and recording Now hand out the droppers and a small quantity of water to each group. Ask your learners to add just a few drops of water to the powder. Tell them that you want them to record their findings on their mind-maps in a different colour from their predictions. Ask your learners what they found. Then record their findings on the mind-map on the board.

Communicating Ask your learners, I What did you think (predict) would happen? I What changes did you see and feel? I What happened to the water? I Were your predictions correct? Add your learners’ observations and findings to the whole group mind-map using different coloured koki-pen.

What have we learned? Finally ask your class, “What have we learned?” This is important feedback in terms of getting your class to evaluate the investigation. You can get the children to record what they think they have learned in the form of a drawing. Ask Grade 2s and Grade 3s to label their drawings. Don’t worry if they don’t spell all the words correctly. We want to encourage emergent writing.

Extending the investigation You can extend your learners’ experience and investigation of clay by giving each child some ‘wet’ clay. Wet clay is dough-like so that you can mould it or make something. It isn’t so wet that it just looks like mud. It’s firm. You can pinch it or press it, and shape it into something. Give each child some clay and ask them to roll out a small snake from the damp clay. Tell them to measure their snakes and to record the length on a small piece of paper. Ask your learners to predict what might happen. For example, “What do you think will happen to your snakes when the clay dries? Why?” Changing Properties of Matter Clay is a particularly fine form of soil. The particles (the teeny-tiny bits) are very small and smooth. The properties of dry powdered clay are changed when it is mixed with a liquid like water, which binds the particles together. A small amount of water will produce a substance that can be moulded. More water will make a paste.

MATTER AND MATERIALS

Then put the snakes somewhere safe where they can dry slowly and without danger of being broken. Put some plastic covering over the snakes so that they don’t dry too quickly. If the clay dries too quickly, the clay will break very easily and even crumble. Later, when the snakes are dry, get your learners to measure their snakes again. They can label their drawing. Were their predictions correct? What do they think happened to their snakes? Why?

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Investigating bread

What you will need We would suggest that you have no more than 6 children in any group. But if you have just 4 children in a group, more children will have a chance to participate actively. For the first part of the investigation, you will need some flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water and oil, and a small dish for each group. Before you carry out this investigation with your learners, put a small quantity of one of the ingredients in each small dish. Make sure that each group has something different. This is important. You don’t want to give each group all the ingredients. You want to give your learners something of a surprise! If each group has something different to observe and investigate, there is a real reason for them to share their observations. This is the science process skill of communication.

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Investigating the properties of materials When you have prepared the dishes, give each group a small dish with one of several different ingredients. If you teach Grade 2s or Grade 3s, give each group a piece of A3 paper together with a pen so that they can record their observations. We have suggested some questions that you can ask to provoke them to observe, and think carefully about the substance in the dish on their table. You also want the children to predict what will happen if they add a little water, or if they add a lot. I What does it look like? Why do you think this? I How does it feel? I What does it smell like? I How does it taste? I What do you think would happen if you added a little water to it? What if you added a lot? Ask Grade 2s or 3s to record their observations on the sheet of paper you have given them. If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, ask each group to share their observations. Then record their observations on a class mind-map on flipchart paper or on the board. If nobody suggests what you could do with all these ingredients together, ask your learners what they think we could make with them if we put them all together. We think you will find that somebody will suggest that you can make bread!

What do we know about bread? Before you have a discussion with your learners, spend some time thinking about what you think your learners will know about bread. Bread is still made in many homes on a regular basis. Think about different kinds of bread. What about bread for special occasions? How is bread used for religious and cultural customs or rituals? Is bread always cooked in the same way? You may also decide to collect several different wrappings (plastic bags, etc) from different breads to show your class. Don’t omit this investigation because there isn’t an oven at your school. Even if you do all the preparation at school with learners, you can bake / cook the bread dough at home. The next day, you can share the bread together.

When you decide to have your discussion, take a sheet of flip-chart paper and either some thick koki-pens or wax crayons. Gather your learners around you and ask them what they know about bread. Record everything that they tell you in the form of a spider-web or a mind-map. LIFE AND LIVING

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Making bread – an opportunity for integration We really hope you will decide to make bread at school with your learners. This was one of the highlights of the investigations we carried out, and which we all enjoyed. It is also a real way of integrating the three areas of the curriculum of the Foundation Phase: Literacy, Life Skills and Numeracy. When we make bread with learners, they have to measure volume, mass and time.

What you will need For each group you will need: I I I I I I I I I I

a mixing bowl a wooden spoon a jug or cup, and some measuring cups or spoons bread flour yeast sugar salt oil, and water

You may also decide to have some additional ingredients (eggs, milk, etc) so that the groups can make different kinds of bread. This is what Jean Grooter did at Dietrich Moravian Primary School in Philippi.

It is also a good idea to make sure that the children have some kind of aprons. You could even use clean dustbin bags and cut a hole at the bottom, with two smaller holes at the sides near the bottom. Then you can turn the dustbin bags upside down, and put them over the children. A Remember that plastic bags that have not had holes cut into them can cause children to suffocate. 16

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Shared reading Make a copy of a recipe for each group, even if you are working with the youngest learners. We want them to become used to seeing print around them. And although their mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and sisters may not use recipes, recipes are another genre (type) of printed text that is a real part of life. Even if you feel that this is a waste of time because your learners “can’t read yet”, we suggest you provide them with a recipe. It is another way of making language and literacy a real and meaningful part of this investigation. Make a large version to put up on the wall. Then, read the recipe aloud to your learners. Ask them to join in and read with you as you read the recipe again.

Cooking / baking the bread dough You will need to think about how the bread will be cooked. Most of the schools we worked with did not have stoves. But they made arrangements to either make vetkoek, rooster brood, or even brought in portable ovens to their classrooms. You will need to decide how to solve this problem in your school. You may decide to make the bread dough with your class towards the end of the day, then take it home yourself to bake. You can bring the cooked results back to your class the following day to share with your class. If you take the bread dough home to cook, you could cook it in different ways. This would enable you and your learners to compare textures and flavours.

Tasting (and testing) the baked bread This is a wonderful way to integrate language into your science investigation. Share the bread as fairly as you can with your children. You want each child to have something to taste – enough to be able to describe what the bread looks and tastes like. You also want to get your learners to compare the appearance, texture and taste with commercially produced bread. And whether all the bread is the same, or whether there are different kinds (ie vetkoek, roosterbrood, white bread, brown bread, bread made with milk, bread made with egg). This is an opportunity to get learners observing and reporting on their observations and findings.

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When each child has a piece of bread, ask the children to look carefully at it. Ask them, I How shall we describe it? I What does it look like? Then give the children some time to look and think and talk to one another. You could record their responses, or you could keep this as an oral discussion. Then ask, I In what ways does the bread you’ve got look like bread from a shop or supermarket? I How does it look different? Again, give your learners time to observe and think about the piece of bread they’re holding. If you are recording their responses, record their responses to these questions, too. Next, ask your class, I What does your bread taste like? I Why do you think that is? I What is the texture like? Once again give your learners time to taste and think about the bread they have. If you have made different kinds of bread or cooked it in different ways, get your learners to compare the different breads, cooked in different ways, and their different tastes and textures.

Recording what we have learned – Shared writing Afterwards, reflect with your class on what you have done together, and what they have learned. Take a sheet of flipchart paper, and tell your children that you want them to help you write what they did when they made the bread. I Ask them to tell you what they did first. Be prepared to wait while they think. I Ask the question again in a different way (for example, How did we begin when we made our bread?). I When one of the children makes a suggestion, even if it’s just a phrase, praise that child. It’s very important to encourage your learners. If that child’s suggestion isn’t the very first thing that the children did, remind them that you want to write everything that they did. What was the very first thing we did? I Encourage your learners to give you their sentences, their words. Try your best not to write your own words. Write down what the children tell you. After you have written each sentence, get your learners to read the sentence with you. As you add more sentences, encourage the children to read with you all that you have written down. As you prompt them, try to encourage the children to think about the sequence of what they did. 18

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When you have written up the experience, read aloud the whole text that you and your learners have co-created. Ask the children if they are happy with what they have created. Is the sequence correct? Can they think of a better way to say something? This is a chance for you and your learners together to edit what they have dictated. It is part of the process of writing. Your learners will be thinking and acting like writers. Take a different coloured koki or wax crayon to make changes to the text. Later on, you can write out a neat, edited version to put up in your classroom. You could even start a book of your learners’ favourite recipes with the children. Shared Writing is a good way to incorporate meaningful literacy practices into science work in your classroom. The children will be interested and understand what you write and what they are reading because they have been actively involved in the process of making bread, and because they have helped to create the text. Even if your learners are just beginning to read, this is a valuable experience, and the children will learn important lessons about reading, writing and print (texts). When scientists describe investigations that they carry out, they use the following words to describe the process: First, Next, Then After that, And then, Finally,

List of changes In Science we consider how properties change. When we make bread, and combine different ingredients, the properties of the different ingredients change. The properties change when we mix them, and the properties change when they are heated (cooked). Heating (baking or cooking) results in changes that we can’t usually reverse.

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Other language activities that can come out of this experience

I Writing out sentences on sentence strips for the children to put in a logical order, which follows the sequence of what they did. I Making a book about how to make bread. I Reading the print on packets of ingredients we use to make bread. I Collecting stories and poems about bread – (5 loaves and 2 fishes) I The story of the Little Red Hen – critical literacy – asking learners “If the Pig had told this story (or one of the other animals), in what ways would the story be different?” I Tracing back the story of bread – k Start with a sandwich, and then get your class to tell it’s story backwards. k The sandwich came from 2 slices. k The 2 slices were cut from a loaf. k The loaf came from a shop. k The shop bought the loaf from a bakery. k The loaf was baked in an oven. etc. (The Technology of processing materials) I Encourage your class to draw and write about different occasions when different breads are made and eaten.

Extending the investigation Further questions to think about with learners

I What happens to bread – after some time? – if you leave it in a dark cupboard? – if you leave it out / unwrapped? – if it gets wet? I Why does some bread go mouldy? What is mould? What other things go mouldy? I What can we do with bread? We can make toast; bread and butter pudding … and ??? 19

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SECTION 2 Life and Living Investigating mini-beasts However you feel about mini-beasts, we hope that you will investigate the range of small creatures available in your neighbourhood, with your class. Young children are often fascinated by the different creatures in their environment and mini-beasts provide a wonderful resource for investigations. You will have to think about the time of year that you choose to investigate these creatures. We chose late Summer /early Autumn, when there are quite a lot of different creatures around.

But this is not the only time. You may find that late Spring / early Summer is just as good a time.

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What are mini-beasts?

What do we mean by ‘mini-Beasts’? Mini-beasts are small creatures, also known as goggas or izinambuzane. They include grasshoppers, flies, dragonflies, beetles, ants, spiders, slugs and snails, worms, lizards, chameleons, geckos, in fact anything that is a small animal. However, if we are going to study mini-beasts with young learners, there are some creatures that would be dangerous to investigate. The children could get stung, or bitten. Although we want to encourage our learners’ curiosity, we don’t want them to come to any harm. But that is not an excuse to avoid this aspect of Science.

Introducing the investigation There are different ways that you can introduce this investigation. It would be wonderful if you could take a lead from your learners. In other words, if a child brought in a small creature that s/he had found, you could use the creature as a starting point to investigate and find out more about that creature, and small creatures generally.

Working with Grade 2s and Grade 3s You will need a sheet of flip-chart paper and some thick koki-pens or wax crayons. Prepare for the discussion by writing the word, “Minibeasts” in the middle of the sheet, and then drawing lines out from the centre, creating a spider-web / mind-map around the word. Try to find some pictures or picture books about mini-beasts to share with your learners. You could display the pictures on a wall of the classroom, or put the books out on a special table for your learners to look at quietly when they have finished a task.

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Begin by gathering your learners around you. You could use a story, a picture, or a mini-beast that one of your children has found, or a selection of different mini-beasts that you have found. Whatever way you choose to start this investigation, when you have introduced the topic, ask your learners, I What do we know about mini-beasts? I What mini-beasts do you know? As the children respond, record their responses on the mind-map that you have prepared. Use whatever language the learners give you. If they mix languages, that’s fine. You could always use this as an opportunity to extend and develop their first language or an additional language.

Observing mini-beasts What you will need First of all, for all Grades you will need blank paper and pencils for your learners to draw what they see. Then, if you teach Grade 2 or Grade 3 learners you have a choice. You could either focus on one mini-beast at a time, or you could get each group to investigate a different creature. When you have decided how you will approach this investigation, you will need enough mini-beasts so that each group of learners can observe one of the creatures easily. You could find a few specimens yourself, or you could take your learners outside to collect mini-beasts.

If you work with younger learners, it is a good idea to guide their observation

Crickets

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If you are working with Grade R or Grade 1 learners, we would suggest that you focus on one mini-beast at a time. You will probably need to collect a number of specimens of whatever creature you have decided to focus on. Whatever you collect will depend on the time of year and the locality of your school. But you will need enough so that you can give each group a few to observe. Whichever Grade you teach, and whether you collect the mini-beasts or your learners collect them, you will need to prepare ‘hotels’ for the creatures to stay in while you investigate them. This links nicely with Technology and you could involve your learners in the construction of the ‘hotels’. We have found that clean, used, plastic 2-litre cool drink bottles work well. You can cut off the top carefully, and then invert the top so that the creatures have air, but are less likely to “check out” of the hotel before you and your learners have investigated them. You can also use clear plastic freezer bags full of air. You can keep the mini-beasts for a day or two before releasing them.

Observations with Grade 2 or Grade 3 If you have collected mini-beasts for your learners to observe, give some (in their ‘hotels’) to each group. If your learners have collected their own mini-beasts, they can observe them in their clear plastic bags. Tell the children to look very very carefully at their mini-beasts. Tell them that you want them to draw what they see. You will need to give your learners time for this task so that they can make careful drawings. Drawing requires us to observe really carefully and provides evidence of just how carefully somebody has observed something, whether or not they are ‘good at drawing’. You could also ask your children to label their drawings.

Observations with Grade R or Grade 1 If you work with younger learners, it is a good idea to guide their observation. First of all, place some mini-beasts on the tables of each group for the learners to observe. Then, with your learners gathered around you, tell them that you want them to look really carefully at the creatures that you have placed on their tables. Send the children back to their groups and ask them to look at their mini-beasts, and then you will call them back to tell you what they have seen. Move from group to group to draw your learners’ attention to different aspects of the mini-beasts you have put out. When you are satisfied that the children have had a reasonable chance to look at the creatures, call them back to you. Ask your class what they saw, what they noticed. We are sure that you will find that young children are quite observant. But you may wish to draw their attention to certain aspects. LIFE AND LIVING

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When Cheryl Johannes from Northwood Primary School investigated grasshoppers with her Grade 1s, this is what she did. Cheryl discussed the grasshoppers with her learners and then sent them back to their tables to look more closely for specific details. When the children had had some time to look closely again at the grasshoppers, they came back and reported additional things that they had observed. Record what your learners tell you in the form of a mind-map, as Sarah Genever did with her Grade 1s at Dietrich Moravian. Then let your learners return to their tables and give them time to draw carefully what they see. This is not a ‘soft option’. Drawing is work, too. Especially if it is done with care and thought. You may be surprised at how carefully some of the children carry out this task. Display your learners’ drawings on a wall of the classroom, or paste some of them into a book about Mini-Beasts.

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Collecting mini-beasts If you decide to let your learners collect mini-beasts for themselves, you need to give them some very clear instructions before they go to look for them. You may also wish to discuss what the children might find when they collect minibeasts. You need to remind the children that some creatures can sting or bite. Tell them not to try to catch bees and wasps or spiders. If they think a mini-beast might be dangerous, encourage them to ask you to help them. Remind your learners to be careful when they collect ants. Also remind them that some spiders are poisonous and that it’s wiser to leave spiders alone. And you will need to give the children something to collect their mini-beast in. We found that small clear plastic freezer bags work very well.

An extended observation

You will find examples in the Appendix on page 74 and page 75.

After this preliminary observation, we would encourage you to investigate minibeasts in greater detail. Begin by having another discussion with your learners. We suggest that you prepare for this discussion by making a K-W-L Chart (What do we Know? What do we Want to know? What have we Learned?), or a K-W-T-H-L Chart (What do we Know? What do we Want to know? What do we Think? How can we find out? What have we learned?). This is a good way to make sure that the investigations you guide your learners through, focus on their knowledge and interests. At the end of the investigation you can ask your learners what they have found out, and what they think they have learned. So this is a way of recording your planning and assessment of a particular focus.

K-W-T-H-L Chart Planning an Investigation with Foundation Phase Learners What do we KNOW?

What do we WANT to know?

What do we THINK?

HOW can we find out?

What have we LEARNED?

Gather your class around you. If you haven’t used a K-W-T-H-L Chart before, introduce your children to it. Ask them what they know about a particular mini-beast. Write up what they tell you under the column, ‘What do we Know?’ You may be surprised by the children who can supply information. Then ask your learners, ‘What do we Want to know?’ Again write up the children’s questions or what they want to find out. Then ask them, ‘How do you think we can find out?’

If you work with Grade 2s or Grade 3s, you may ask your learners to work in groups to first discuss and plan what they could do. Ask them how they could find answers to their questions. If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s you will probably discuss this with the whole class, and record their suggestions on a sheet of newsprint. LIFE AND LIVING

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Some possible questions for investigation I I I I I I

What do these creatures do? What do they like to eat? What about drinking? When do they hide or rest? Where do they like to hide or rest? Do they turn into anything else? How do they change?

Some creatures go dormant in the colder months of the year. They hide and are in a lower active state.

What have we learned? After your learners have carried out their investigations, arrange a time to discuss what you have learned. If you work with Grade 2 or 3s, give each group a chance to report on their investigation, what they planned to do, what they actually did, what they found, and what they think they have learned. If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, gather your children together and ask them to think about what they have just done. Ask them, I What did we do first? I What did we do next? I And then what did we do? I What did we do after that? I What happened? I What did we find out? In this way you will be encouraging your learners to reflect on this scientific experience, and you will be encouraging them to go over what they did in the correct sequence. This is very useful in terms of recording science later on in their school career.

Extending the investigation What questions would we like to ask our mini-beast? While the mini-beasts are in your classroom, you could have a further discussion with your learners. You could ask the children what questions they would like to ask one of the mini-beasts. Then you could write up your learners’ questions. These could be a starting point for further investigations, or research. You could invite the Science Co-ordinator in your school to come and talk to the children and answer their questions. Alternatively you could invite a high school science teacher to come and talk to your learners.

Science Journals Even if you work with very young learners you can get your learners to keep Science Journals. This is what Karen Gallas, a Grade 1 teacher in America, does. At the beginning of each year, she gives each of her Grade 1 learners a Science Journal. The children she teaches are used to having journals in Grade R. They know that their journal is a place where they can draw and important thoughts and questions can be recorded. “For many children, the process of writing in the journal gives them a place to ask questions and then possibly try to answer them.” (Gallas, 1994:80)

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Even if you work with very young learners, you can get them to keep Science Journals.

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Even though most of the young children can’t yet read and write, they are able to record (through drawing) their experiences and thinking in journals specifically for science. Karen Gallas describes how even children who are confused about what exactly Science includes, gradually come to realise what it includes through drawing and writing in their Journals. Below you can see some examples of a Foundation Phase learner’s work from a book by Ellen Doris called, Doing What Scientists Do: Children Learn to Investigate Their World. In this example, you can see that Ginger has recorded his observations and thoughts about the bulb he planted. Journals can play a very important role in developing children’s scientific understanding.You will find Observation Sheets which you can copy for your learners to record (draw and write about) what they have seen, in the Appendix on page 65–73.

Making little information books After investigating mini-beasts, you may like to get your learners to make a small information book about each of the mini-beasts that they investigate. Each page could have a drawing with a sentence underneath. This is what Cheryl Johannes did as she worked with her Grade 1s at Northwood.

“Die Slak” from Northwood

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iStock Photos

Investigating plants

Preparation Before you begin an investigation of plants with your learners, spend some time at the end of the school day walking around the school grounds. Sometimes we think that there are no plants in a particular environment. Perhaps this is because we do not think the plants there are useful or beautiful. But we are sure that you will be able to find some plants if you keep an open mind. The time of year will also influence what you find in the school grounds. It is a good idea to find some books on South African plants to display in your classroom. If you are unable to find any amongst the books at your school, visit your local library. Ask the children’s librarian, and explain that you are going to investigate plants with your learners. Most children’s librarians are very helpful, and will help you find some suitable books. You may even find some picture story books.

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What plants do we know? Start by making a list of all the plants that your learners can think of. You will need a sheet of flip-chart paper and some koki-pens or wax crayons. Ask your learners to close their eyes for a few moments and to think of all the plants that they have seen that day. Give them a few minutes to talk to a partner and to share what they know. Then ask your learners to tell you all the plants that they know and can think of. As the children tell you what they know, write their responses in the form of a list on the flip-chart paper. If you gather your learners around you, everybody will be able to see clearly whatever you record.

When you have a substantial list, go through the list with your learners and ask them to tell you which of the plants are trees. Mark these plants with a different coloured koki or crayon. Are there any other trees your learners know or can think of? Add names of these trees to the list.

What can we find in the school grounds? Organise your learners into pairs and take them out to investigate what’s growing in the school grounds. Don’t spend too long outside. You just want your learners to have a preliminary look. You want to continue to grow their awareness of the plants in their environment. When you return to the classroom, you can add the names of other plants to the list you made with your class. If you take another colour crayon or koki for this, you will have a clear record of the 3 stages of this first activity. This will provide you with a record of continuous assessment.

You want them to write down what they know about plants, and what they want to know.

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What do we know about plants? What do we want to know? Grade 2s and Grade 3s Give each group an A4 sheet of paper with a K-W-L Chart on it (see page 74). Ask your learners to talk about What they know about plants, and What they want to know about plants. Tell your children that you want each group to fill in the chart that you’ve given them. You want them to write down what they know about plants, and what they want to know.

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74

Pl an n in g a n I nv est i ga ti on w it h F ou n da ti on P h ase Le arn ers What do we KNOW?

What do we WANT to know?

What have we LEARNED?

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When your learners have completed the first two columns of the chart, either get each group to share what they have written, or put each group’s chart on the wall of the classroom. This is something that Grade 2s and Grade 3s should be able to do independently. Tell your learners that they don’t need to worry about spelling and how neatly they write. You just want them to get their ideas down. And if they work in a group, they should be able to carry out this task.

Grade Rs and Grade 1s If you teach Grade Rs or Grade 1s, carry out this part as a discussion. Gather your learners around you and put up a large K-W-L Chart on flip-chart paper. Ask your learners to tell you everything they know about plants. You may be surprised what some of your learners know. Children who have lived in rural communities often have a wealth of knowledge about plants and animals. Record the information your learners give in the What we know about Plants column. Then ask your learners to tell you what they would like to know about plants. Again, record your learners’ questions on the chart in the column, What we Want to know about Plants. Then put the chart on a wall for the children to be able to see while they are investigating plants.

Close observation of a plant You have a number of choices for this observation task. You could bring in some samples of plants into your classroom so that each group has a few plants to look at. Alternatively, you could ask your learners to try to remember to bring in a plant, or plant product into the classroom. This could include fruit, vegetables, flowers or something made from a plant. You could leave this to your learners to think of something and bring it in. You may be very surprised at what your learners bring in, and it will give you insight into how much they already know. You will need a blank sheet of paper for each child, as well as some pencils. Try to persuade your principal to buy some good pencils especially for drawing. Drawing is a wonderful way to get children to observe really carefully. And it is easier to draw with ‘soft’ pencils (2B, 3B, etc) than with ‘hard’ pencils (2H, 3H, etc). Keep these special “soft” drawing pencils in a safe place. Then whenever you want your learners to observe something and to draw, you can provide them with appropriate materials. Encourage your learners to see drawing as work. It isn’t something to rush through. Careful drawing takes time. Give your learners time to look really carefully at their plants and to draw what they see. They could also add any information that they know or perhaps a question they have about the plant. 30

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When your class have finished their drawings, put them up on the wall. Give your learners time to look at each other’s work. We have found that children learn to respect one another’s work if we give it status and model respect. When learners see the work of their peers, they learn important lessons about how a particular task can be done differently. We all see differently. And drawings reflect this. You will also be integrating Arts and Culture with Natural Sciences. And you will have valuable and aesthetic evidence of what your learners’ can do.

Exploring the school grounds Before you take your learners out to explore the school grounds, tell them that you want them to look at the plants more carefully. Tell them that you want them to look at the plants very carefully to find evidence of how plants make more plants. Group your children and allocate a particular area of the school grounds to each group. Then take the children out. While your learners are observing the plants, move from group to group. Listen in to what they say to each other about what they’re noticing. When you return to the classroom, have a discussion with your learners to share what they found. Ask the children, I What did you find? I Do you know different names for these plants? I Have any of the leaves been eaten in anyway? I Who ate them? I How do we know? I Who saw flowers, or fruit, or seeds? Get your learners to choose one plant to focus on. Grade 1s and 2s could measure the length and breadth of the leaves. LIFE AND LIVING

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How do plants make more plants? Another way to find out how plants make more plants, is to get your learners to look at different fruits. Take in a lemon, an orange or an apple, a few grapes and a tomato. A small gem squash or butternut would also be good. If you decide to include a banana and a strawberry, they are very interesting fruits. (The seeds of strawberries are on the outside of the fruit!) Give each group one of the fruits, and cut it in half. Ask the children to look for the seeds. Then ask your learners, “Do all plants have to grow from seed always?” You may be surprised by what your learners know. Children who have lived in rural communities will probably know quite a lot. I I I I I I I

Where did this plant come from? What happened before this? And what happened before that? And before that? And before that? And before that? So, how did it begin?

Then you can get your learners to draw the different stages of a particular plant and arrange these in order, from how the plant began to when it makes a new plant, or perhaps dies.

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What have we learned? After the investigation, spend time with your learners reflecting on what the children think they have learned. Discuss what they did and what they found out. Record what your learners tell you on the Class K-W-L Chart. This will provide you with evidence of what you and your learners have done, and serve as a reminder to them.

Other things to think about Why does water go green? Put some water in a jar without a lid near a window. Let the water go green. Then ask your learners, What’s going on? Why did the water go green? How can we find out? Then there are interesting possibilities for investigations. For example, I Can you sieve off the green stuff through a tissue? I What’s left if we let the water evaporate? I Will boiling kill the green? (Will the green stuff die and sink to the bottom?) If you can kill it, it might have been alive!!

Growing things Some plants grow from a part of the plant. For example, you can grow an African Violet plant from a leaf. Cut or snap off a leaf at the stem of the plant. Put the stalk end into some soil in a pot and water it. Keep the leaf in a warm dark part of the classroom. Keep the soil damp. The leaf will put down fine roots into the soil. A potato plant will grow from a potato. If you take a carrot top and put it in a saucer with some water, it will sprout and a carrot plant will grow. Many indigenous plants like succulents (fat leaved plants, whose leaves store water) will grow from a sucker from the ‘mother’ plant. Some aloes grow in this way.

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Pet plants If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, ask each group of learners to choose a plant in the school grounds and to look after it throughout the year. Get each group to keep a diary of watering and caring for the plant. Your learners could complete a monthly chart (like a calendar) and draw what they have done on the appropriate day.

Make sure that the children watch their plant carefully and notice changes. Regular discussions throughout the year will encourage them to maintain an interest and to remember to care for their plant. At the end of the year, you could help each group to put together some of their drawings from regular intervals throughout the year to make a book about that plant. Make sure that you include drawings that show significant things that happen or that the learners observe.

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Leaf rubbings You will need some thinnish paper and thick wax crayons (bright green, brown, orange, red). Then get your learners to help you collect a variety of leaves (preferably ones that have fallen from a plant) for this activity. Take the leaves back to the classroom. The children need to place the paper over a leaf, and then rub with a wax crayon over the place where the leaf is underneath. The outline and pattern of the leaf should appear. Get your learners to experiment with the top and the underside of leaves. I What do they notice? I What do they find? This is likely to raise interesting questions and comments and generate awareness naturally of the need for names for different leaf margins and vein patterns. This could lead naturally to some challenging sorting and classifying.

Our very first own book of plants At the end of the year, ask your learners I What have we learned? I What could we make a book about? I What would we include? I What would we leave out? I How could we do it? Each pair or group of 3 children could think of something and then draw a picture of whatever plant they’ve chosen. With the teacher’s help they could put their work together and order the pieces. Then they could help their teacher stick each piece of work on to a page of the book.

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SECTION 3 Energy and Change How many ways can we make a torch bulb light?

Or you could do what the Foundation Phase teachers at Northwood did.

iStock Photos

There are a number of different ways that you can introduce this investigation. You could start off with a discussion about day and night, and when we need something like a torch. Or you could tell a story.

Introduction During the break (interval) preceding the investigation, the teachers covered the windows in a classroom with black paper. They also brought a variety of different lamps to school. The teachers began by taking the class into the darkened classroom. It was quite quite dark. You couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face! They asked the children what they could see. Then they asked the learners what would help them. The children gave a variety of answers, and slowly the teachers switched on one or two lamps. On the wall at the back of the classroom the teachers had put up black paper and stuck on some stars. It was spectacular!! The teachers got the children to sit down on the mat and led a discussion about what we could use to help us see in the dark if we didn’t have lights to switch on. Eventually somebody suggested that we could use a torch. This was a really exciting way to introduce the investigation, and we felt very privileged to be present and to share the experience. Of course, a teacher can’t do this kind of thing every day. But now and then it’s worth spending time to plan and prepare something a little different and special. Your class will really appreciate this. 36

Now and then it’s worth spending time to plan and prepare something a little special.

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Observing torches What you will need You will need a working torch for this discussion. We also suggest that you have a sheet of flip-chart paper with a simple drawing of a torch in the centre. Draw some lines in the form of a spider-web or a mind-map.

Observation Ask your learners how they think a torch works. What are all the parts torches have? What makes the bulb light? Record your learners’ ideas on the mind-map. We think you will find that the children have a good idea of what is inside the torch, even if they are not sure how exactly it works. As the discussion progresses, take the torch apart so that they see the torch cell (what we often call ‘a battery’) and the small bulb. Ask your learners, So how does the torch bulb light up?

Finding out how the torch bulb lights up What you will need For each group, you will need I a 1,5v torch cell (battery) I a torch bulb I two plastic covered wires about 20 cm long each • Start by just giving each group one wire. • Later on you can give each group another wire.

You can ask the Science Co-ordinator at your school to order these materials from Rutland Industries. The address is in the Appendix on page 82. Make sure that all the cells and bulbs are working before you start. You will also need to give each group I a sheet of paper I 5 coloured torch cell shapes I 5 torch bulb shapes I some Prestik I and a pencil Your learners can use these to record their findings. You will find a page of torch cell shapes which you can photocopy and cut on page 76 out in the Appendix. (We copied the shapes onto blue card.) You will also find a page of torch bulb shapes on page 77 in the Appendix, which you can photocopy and cut out. (We copied the bulb shapes onto yellow card.)

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Investigating Tell your learners that you are going to give each group a 1,5v torch cell, a torch bulb, and a length of wire. Then give each group a torch cell, a torch bulb and a wire. Tell your learners you want them to investigate how they can make the torch bulb light. Move from group to group to see what your learners do. We found that the children were very curious and persevered. As they tried different ways, we encouraged them. As they persisted, we also noticed how well they worked together to help hold the wires, the cell and the bulb tightly. Everybody wanted to join in.

Recording As soon as a group has managed to make their torch bulb light up, give them I 5 blue torch cell shapes I 5 yellow torch bulb shapes I a small piece of Prestik, and I a sheet of paper. Show your learners how to stick down the blue torch cell shape on their piece of paper in a similar position to the position it was in when the bulb lit up. Then ask the children to show you where the bulb was. Stick down one of the yellow bulb shapes on the sheet of paper, in the same position it was in when the bulb lit up. Then ask the children to draw in the position of the wire. When you have helped your learners make this picture of what they did, ask the group to find another way to make the bulb light up. Tell them that there are several ways, and you want them to find as many as they can. Ask them to call you when they’ve found another way. Work in this way with all the groups. Even if you have a very big class, it is possible to carry out this investigation with young learners. Encourage each group as you move around your class. Offer help where you think it is absolutely necessary. But at the same time try to let the children do the investigating. No matter how much you want to try yourself, or show them how, DON’T. Let your children do the practical work of investigating. We are sure that you will be surprised at the scientific behaviour they demonstrate, and which you are fostering.

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Communicating When all your groups have found more than one way, give each group a chance to share their methods to make the bulb light up. Stand by the children as they speak to support them. Get them to hold up their pictures of what they did. This is an important part of the investigation. Not all the groups may have found the same way to make their torch bulb light up. The other children will get ideas of other ways to make the bulb light up.

Finding more ways to get the torch bulb to light up Give your learners more time to try to find other ways. There are at least 5 ways to make the torch bulb light up. (You can find these ways in the Appendix on page 79.) If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, encourage them to try to find all 5 ways. If you work with younger learners, you may feel that they have spent long enough. You could always give the children an opportunity to do this on another day. It would be interesting to see if they remember some of the ways they have found, or whether they find completely new ways. Get your learners to write their names on the pictures they have made. Then display these on the classroom wall.

Close observation of a torch bulb Grade 2s and Grade 3s In this activity, you want your learners to observe the torch bulb more closely. What does the bulb look like? What are it’s features?

Preparing for the observation You will need to make a large 2-D (flat) model of a torch bulb for this activity. (We have provided the parts for this model in the Appendix on page 78. You can photocopy this, and cut it out. Again, we used yellow card for the torch bulb and blue card for the torch cell.) I Cut out the large bulb shape. I Cut out the other shape for the metal base of the bulb. I Glue the bottom of the bulb to the right side rectangle so that it fits over the shaded triangle. I Use a large black crayon or koki-pen to draw the two thick wires, as shown.

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I Cut out a small oval bead shape from a coloured picture in a magazine and paste it over the black lines you have drawn. (This represents the glass bead that prevents the two thick wires from touching.) I Make a filament from a coil of thin wire, and fasten it across the ends of the thick black lines. One way is to stick the ends of the coil of wire through the cardboard and to use sticky tape on the wrong side (back) to fasten them down. I Fold the left-hand side of the base of the bulb over the right-hand side. Now your model of a torch bulb is nearly complete. I Use blobs of Prestik to represent the metal solder mark on the side of the case, and the bottom metal tip of the torch bulb. I Finally, shade the trapezium shape between the metal case and the metal tip of the torch cell. This shows the layer of black plastic that separates the metal cylinder from the metal tip. This model is specially designed so that you can demonstrate the arrangement of the inner parts of the bulb. What happens inside a light bulb will always be a strange mystery to learners unless they have thought about what the arrangement of the wires might, and then had a chance to find out.

Working with learners Draw a face on the chalkboard. Ask your learners, I What features do we have on our faces? What are the different parts? Even very young learners will be able to give you their suggestions. As they offer their suggestions, draw in the features and label each one. Now tell your learners that you want to do the same thing with the torch bulb. I What are the features or parts of a bulb? Give the children a few minutes to observe carefully. While they do this, draw the outline of a torch bulb on the board. When you think your learners are ready, ask them to tell you what they see. As they tell you the different features that they’ve noticed, draw and label those parts.

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Electricity Electricity is a form of energy. From electrical energy we can get: • heat energy (stoves and heaters) • sound energy (radios, cell ‘phones and doorbells), and • the energy of movement (a fan, a toy car).

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Start with the round glass ball and then ask, I What do we see here? I What do we see inside the glass ball? I What do we see between the two thick wires? I What do we see between the two thick wires near the base / at the bottom? I What is below the glass bulb? I What can we observe on one side of the metal case, near the top? I What is at the bottom of the torch bulb? I What can we observe between the metal case and the metal base? I Is there anything else you have observed? Then put up the model of the torch bulb that you have made. Ask your learners, I What do you think we would find if we could open up the metal case? I What would be inside? I Where do the two wires go? Give them some time to think. What do they predict will be the arrangement of the wires? Encourage them to make thoughtful guesses. Then open up your model and show them how one wire is joined by solder to the metal case, and how the other wire goes to the metal tip at the bottom of the torch bulb. Now use your model to demonstrate that there is a complete pathway, or circuit, for the electricity when the bulb lights. The electricity is free to travel in a complete pathway. It travels from the torch cell, through the wire to the metal case, and then to the one thick wire. From there it goes through the thin wire filament. It causes the filament to light up, and goes back down the other thick wire to the torch cell again.

What have we learned? Finally, make time to reflect on this experience with your learners. Use the mind-map that you created at the beginning of this investigation when you got your learners to observe a torch carefully, and to think about how it works. Go over the concept map with your learners, reading around the map together. Then get your learners to talk about what they did and what they found out when you gave each group a torch cell and a torch bulb. Try to encourage the quieter learners to participate.

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iStock Photos

Investigating pushes and pulls

What you will need You will need enough old magazines so that there is at least one magazine between two children. You will also need lots of suitable items that your children will be familiar with from their homes and daily lives. Try to make sure that you have a variety of items so that you can give your learners different experiences to emphasise how much pushes, pulls and twists are a part of their lives. We included play-dough, clay, balloons, stones, some metal, some wood, elastic bands, Prestik, sponges, small soft balls, a spring, paper, empty plastic containers with lids to twist on or off, empty containers that had lids to pull off or push on, and so on. Put these things you have collected into a large box or basket so that you will have them ready for the first part of the investigation. Make sure that you also have some marbles, some balloons, some small toy cars, some smooth planks of wood, and two or three bricks. If you work with Grade 2s or Grade 3s, we suggest that you also have some measuring tapes or very long rulers.

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Introducing the investigation Pushes and Pulls are a part of our daily lives. In fact, as Audrey Dryding observed at the workshop, “Everything we do involves a push, a pull or a twist!” We found a picture story book to introduce this investigation: The Great Big Enormous Turnip. This is a traditional tale from Russia written by Leo Tolstoy. We used the version that has been illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. In the story, an old man plants some turnips. One of the turnips grows really enormous, and when the old man tries to pull it up, he can’t. So he calls his wife. In the end his grand-daughter and a number of animals help him, and the turnip comes up out of the ground. The language of the story is simple, and there is a lot of repetition. So it is ideal for the Foundation Phase. You will find the story in the Appendix on page 80.

When do we push and when do we pull? When you have read or told your learners the story that you have chosen, talk to your learners about pushes and pulls. Ask them, I When do we push? I When do we pull? You may ask them to move different things in the classroom. For example, you may ask one of the children to open a window or the door. When the child is doing that, ask her / him, “What are you doing? Are you pushing or pulling?” Or instead of asking the child who is carrying out the action, tell the other learners to watch very carefully. While the child is opening or closing a window or door, ask the rest of the class, “What is s/he doing? Is s/he pushing or pulling?” Next, take the box or basket with the different items you have collected. Give several different things to each group. Tell the children that you want them to investigate what they must push, and what they must pull. It is very likely that the word, twist will come up at this point. For example, when we ring out a cloth (twist), it’s a combination of a push (one hand) and a pull (the other hand).

Word-Burrs You will need 3 sheets of flipchart paper and either some thick koki-pens or wax crayons for this activity. In the middle of each sheet write one of the following three words: I Push I Pull I Twist ENERGY AND CHANGE

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Draw a circle around the word, just as you would if you were making a concept map. But instead of making a concept-map, you will be making a word-burr. The idea is to get your learners to think of all the words (probably mostly verbs) that involve the movement described in the word on the page. If you have written the word Pushes in the middle of the paper, try to get your learners to think of all the words that involve a push. This is a useful way to get your learners to think about words, to extend and develop their vocabularies. And as they think about the actions that involve these three movements, you are preparing them for the next task.

Looking for examples of pushes and pulls

I You will need lots of old magazines for this task. You need to have at least enough to be able to give each pair of children one magazine to look through. You will also need at least enough pairs of scissors so that you can give your learners one pair between two. I Ask your learners to look for pictures in which they can see either a push or a pull. If you work with younger children, you could ask your learners to just look for pictures with a push. Or they could just look for pictures with a pull. I When your children report back and share their pictures, all the children will see all the pictures, and there will be pictures with people or things pushing, and other pictures with people or things pulling. Older learners could label each movement.

Different work stations Another way that you could provide your learners with rich investigation experiences is to set up different ‘work stations’. Although this involves careful planning and preparation, it is an exciting way to give your learners rich experiences. For one thing, they will have been involved in different investigations around the same focus. When the learners report on what they have done, their classmates will want to hear what the other groups did. First of all, read through the four suggested investigations below. Then gather together the materials you will need. Remember you are carrying out Science investigations with your learners. Approach the Science Co-ordinator or your Principal about buying some equipment. Schools have a budget for purchasing materials that are to be used for teaching and learning.

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1 What needs a push, what needs a pull, and what needs a twist?

WORK STATION

You will need to collect a variety of different things that are familiar to your learners. Look around your home and the classroom. You could include a plastic bottle with a screw-top lid, something with a lid that you push on and pull off, a pen / pencil, an eraser, a paper-clip, small soft balls, string, a rubber band, some balloons, Prestik, play-dough, stones, something made of metal, something made of wood, a spring, and so on. Put all the materials in a fairly large shallow box (the lid of a box of photocopy paper works well) so that a group of children can easily get hold of something to find out whether you have to push, pull, or twist. Ask your learners to investigate the materials, to find out whether they have to push, pull, or twist. Tell them that you want to sort the materials into 3 groups: those we have to push, those we have to pull, and those that need a twist. If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, you could make a Task Card with instructions. If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, you will probably rely on giving them oral instructions.

A sample Task Card If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, you could also ask your learners to record their findings. You could either provide them with a table with 3 columns for them to record each item under the appropriate column, or you could ask them to draw their findings.

Push

Pull

Twist

A sample table Grade Rs and Grade 1s could also record their findings by drawing each item under one of three columns. Then when the learners report on what they have found out, they will have a record to remind them of what they found out.

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2 What makes a toy car go faster?

WORK STATION

You will need at least 6 different small toy cars. You should be able to buy these quite cheaply in one of the supermarket chains. They are often available in sets of 3 or 4 making them quite inexpensive. However, do try to choose a variety of cars, 4 x 4s and trucks. This will mean that the children can think about I what causes one vehicle to move more quickly than another? or I what causes one vehicle to go further with the same push?

Part 1

I Mark out a part of the classroom where the group can carry out this activity. I Mark a starting line for the learners to start their races. I Tell the group that you want them to find the fastest vehicle. I Make it quite clear to the children where they may “race” their cars. I Tell them to make sure that they all start from the starting line. I Tell the children that one child must tell the others when to start. I Then give each child in the group one of the vehicles. I As soon as that child says, “Go!”, each of the other children must give their car a single push to get it rolling. I Which car goes the fastest? Why? I Which car goes the furthest? Why do they think this is? Grade 2s and Grade 3s can measure the distance that their cars travelled.

Part 2 In the second part of the investigation you will need to make a ramp. You can use 1 or 2 bricks to raise the height of one end of a stiff board or plank. And you will need to make space in your classroom for your learners to ‘race’ their cars. I Tell your learners to take turns to release each car from the top of the ramp, without a push. I Which car goes the furthest? Why do they think this? I Ask them to record the information. Grade 1s can draw the car that goes the furthest. Grade 2s and Grade 3 could complete a table. 46

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I Grade 2s and Grade 3s can measure the distance that their cars travelled from the bottom of the ramp. I Get the group to repeat their investigation several times. Ask the children to record the results each time. I If they change the slope of the ramp, what difference does it make? Do the cars go further? Encourage your learners to try to explain any differences. I If the children put a block of wood at the bottom of the ramp, does it stop the cars? Or do the cars move the block? What happens if they add another block of wood? If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, make sure that your learners record their findings. They can do this by drawing, or in the form of a table, or even a graph. I Which car went furthest without the ramp? I Which car went furthest when the children used the ramp? When your learners report to the rest of the class on their findings, ask them, I What makes the cars go faster? I Do the cars go faster when you send them down a ramp? I Does the slope of the ramp make a difference? Why do you think this is so? They can also think about how you can give the same ‘push’ to 2 different cars.

3 Starting and Stopping

WORK STATION

You will need a bag of marbles and some straws for this investigation. Give a group of learners the marbles and let them play with the marbles for a short time. Then ask your learners to investigate how they can get the marbles to move. Ask them, I I I I I

How can you make a marble move? What do you do to make it move? Are there different ways to make a marble move? Is there one way that is better than others? Why do you think this is so?

Give your learners some time to think about how they make the marbles move. Then encourage them to think about what they do, and also, what they can do to stop marbles moving. Ask them I How many ways can you find to stop a marble moving? I Which way works best? I What makes something start to move?

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Next give your learners straws and ask them to use their straws to make their marbles move. Can they use the straws to stop the marbles moving? Give the children time to experiment and find as many ways as they can to use the straws to move their marbles, and to stop them.

4 What do magnets ‘pull’ towards them?

WORK STATION

You will need to collect a variety of items made of different materials. Try to collect lots of different things that your learners are likely to find either in their home environment, or in the school. Put these different items on a large tray or in the shallow lid of a large box so that all the learners in a group can reach the items to investigate their properties. You will also need a magnet for each learner. It is best if all the children in a group can investigate at the same time, so that nobody waits for a turn to use a magnet. Place the tray with the different items on the table, and give each child a magnet. Ask your learners to investigate the different materials and to find all the things that the magnets attract, or that the magnets ‘pull’ towards them. Ask the children to make two sets. They need to make a set of items that the magnets attract. And they need to make another set of items that the magnets don’t attract. Ask your learners to record their findings either by drawing, or in the form of a table with two columns. 48

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Again, if you teach Grade 2s or 3s, you could write the instructions on a Task Card. Add a few additional questions, such as: I One magnet will pull certain things towards it. What does it pull towards it? I What doesn’t it pull? I What happens if you take two magnets and put them in different positions? I Turn one magnet around. What happens now?

If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, make sure that you spend some time moving around, supporting and encouraging the children. Make sure that they too record their findings. Even young children can draw what they have found in their investigations.

A final word Pulls are part of our daily lives.

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As we discovered at the workshop, pushes and pulls are part of our daily lives. Two teachers involved in the project used a Physical Education lesson to provide an investigation of pushes and pulls for their learners. This was really interesting and clearly demonstrated just how much pushes and pulls are a part of every movement we make.

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SECTION 4 Planet Earth and Beyond

Investigating the phases of the Moon One of the strands of the Natural Sciences curriculum focuses on Planet Earth and Beyond. In other words, we are encouraged to investigate and find out more about the Earth and the sky. People have always been fascinated by what they see in the skies, both during the day, and at night. Months have been named after arrangements of stars (constellations). For example, the month of June is named after the Pleiades in isiXhosa – iSilemela. And in many cultures stories have been told to explain particular groups of stars. 50

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This investigation focuses on the different phases of the Moon. You will need to get your learners to observe the Moon over a period of at least 30 days. But if they are interested, continue the observation for even longer. We were excited to find that even Grade 1s at the beginning of the year were able to sustain such a long observation. And they were able to record what they saw! 76

What you will need

Moon Watch C alend ar Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

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What will you need? We have provided a sample Moon Watch Calendar in the Appendix on page 83 which we suggest you photocopy and enlarge for your learners to record what they see. We also made a long zigzag book as an additional way of recording the way the Moon looked. And we put up an African Moon Calendar which shows the changing phases of the Moon for the whole year. These calendars are produced by, and available from Clip-Clop, a small company in Cape Town. You will find their contact details on page 82 in the Appendix.

You will also need to think about the time of year when you carry out this investigation. We observed the phases of the Moon during the first term of the year, when the skies are usually clear in the Western Cape. You will need to think about when the skies are likely to be clearest for you and your learners. It can be frustrating if there is a great deal of cloud and the children cannot see the Moon.

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What do we know about the Moon? First of all, find out what your learners know about the Moon. You will need a sheet of flip-chart paper and some thick koki pens or wax crayons. In the middle of the sheet of paper write the word Moon, and draw a circle around the word. Then add some lines to make a mind-map (concept web) of what your learners tell you. Gather your learners around you and ask them what they can tell you about the Moon. You can expect them to tell you things like: I The Moon isn’t always the same shape. Sometimes it’s round, like a circle or a ball. I At other times it’s the shape of a banana, like half an orange, or even like a rugby ball! (There is a very nice link here with the language of mathematics.) I Some children may also remark that the Moon isn’t always in the same position. It seems to move. (Although the Moon seems to be moving in an arc across the sky throughout the night, in fact it is only moving very slowly. It takes the Moon 29 ¢ days to travel round the Earth once. It is the spin of the Earth that makes the Moon seem to move faster.) I The children may tell you that the Moon rises and sets like the sun in a 24hour cycle. (In fact this is because the Earth is spinning once every 24 hours. It is not because the Sun and Moon are moving.) I You can also expect the children to tell you of different images that they see on the face of the Moon. We found that some children said that they saw a woman carrying a bundle of wood on her head, a baby on her back, with a dog walking beside her. One of the children told us that he saw a horse! I And the children will probably talk about the colours of the Moon. We found that the children mentioned silver, golden, and reddish orange.

Some children said that they saw a woman carrying a bundle of wood on her head, a baby on her back, with a dog walking beside her. One of the children told us that he saw a horse! Rabbit…

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Lady …

Beetle.

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What do we want to know about the Moon? Next, find out what your learners want to know about the Moon. Take a clean sheet of flip-chart paper and write What we want to know about the Moon at the top. Then write up your learners’ questions. Some questions your children are likely to ask will probably include: I What happens to the Moon? I What is the Moon? I What is it like on the Moon? I Can you see the Earth from the Moon? I Why does the Moon look different on different nights? I How far away do you think the Moon is from us? I How can we find out? You will not be able to investigate all your learners’ questions. But you may be able to investigate some. In some cases, you may find books at your local library that answer some of your learners’ questions. You could also arrange a visit to the Planetarium. You will find the ‘phone number and the address in the Appendix on page 82. Tell your learners that if they want to find out more about the Moon, they will need to observe the Moon each evening for a few weeks. Put up an enlarged copy of the Moon Watch Calendar (see page 83) and ask your learners to make a point of looking for the Moon that evening. Remind them that you will ask them the next day what they saw, and what shape the Moon was. Then for the next 5 weeks, remind your learners at the end of each day that you want them to observe the Moon. Tell them that you expect them to report on their observations the next day. Each day get your learners to draw what they saw the night before on the Moon Watch Calendar.

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Gradually you and your learners will see a pattern emerging. And if you continue the observation for 5 weeks, they will begin to see that the pattern repeats itself. Perhaps not all your learners will remember to observe the Moon. But some will. And we are sure that you will find that as the time goes by, more and more children will remember to look for the Moon.

Working with Grade 1s Sukaina Mitchell, a Grade 1 teacher in the Project, got her learners who had only been in school for a few weeks to sustain this long observation. With Sukaina’s support, these young children recorded their findings on the Moon Watch Calendar as well as in a zigzag book. Sukaina also used this investigation to link with shape, thus integrating Mathematics with this Natural Sciences investigation.

Some things to think about and discuss with your learners

I You could also suggest that your learners ask their families what they know about the Moon. Then they could share this information with the rest of the class. This information may include cultural lore (knowledge and beliefs) about the Moon. For example, some people believe that the best time to plant seeds and seedlings is when the Moon is getting bigger (waxing). They believe that seeds and seedlings do not grow so well if they are planted when the Moon is getting smaller (waning). I Some people say that when the Moon is in a particular position, it means that there will be rain. I Why do dogs howl when there’s a full Moon?

The Moon The Moon has phases. We see the Moon because it reflects the light of the Sun.

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Investigating weather

At the beginning of the Project, teachers asked their learners what they would like to find out about their world. Amongst the questions the children raised, were several about weather and natural phenomena. I Do clouds actually move? How? (Grade 1) I What makes lightning? (Grade 2) I What causes thunder? Why is it so loud? (Grade 2) I Where do clouds come from? (Grade 3) In response to these questions, our 9th investigation focused on Weather. There are many ways you can introduce Weather as a focus of investigation. You could link this topic to work on the changing Seasons, or you could investigate the Weather as an extension of your daily recording of weather with your class.

One way to start If you decide to link Weather to the Seasons, we suggest that you begin by having a discussion about the Seasons. Get your learners to think about what the weather is like at that time. Ask them what it has been like for the past few weeks (warm, cool, wet, windy, hot, etc). PLANET EARTH AND BEYOND

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Next ask your learners, I What time does it begin to get light in the morning? I And what about the evening? What time (approximately) does it get dark in the evening? Record what your learners tell you on a sheet of flip-chart paper. This could be in the form of a mind-map, or perhaps a table. If you work with younger children, it’s important to record the learners’ information in a clear way, and preferably in the form of a diagram. If you make a list, make sure that your writing is large and clear. If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, you could get your learners to observe and record the time that it begins to get light, and the time it begins to get dark. They could also check in a newspaper. And this could lead to a focus on Day & Night.

Another way If you decide to extend your daily record keeping of the weather with your learners, you could also have a discussion. Ask your learners, I Does the wind always blow in the same direction? I What are the different words people use when they talk about the wind’s movement? (eg breeze, gale) You could make word burrs of these words. I How much rain do we get in a week / a month (at this time of year)? I Are our shadows always the same size? 56

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Working with Grade Rs Early one spring morning, Nigel, a Grade R teacher in London, took his learners outside to draw round one another’s shadows on large sheets of paper. The children coloured in their own shadows, cut them out, and hung them up. A few weeks later, Nigel took the children outside again. This time he took them out at about noon. When the children got outside, they couldn’t see their shadows. The shadows were much smaller. Some of them were quite worried! When Nigel told his colleagues about this afterwards, one of the Intermediate Phase teachers said, “O good! Now you can explain why their shadows were so small, or had ‘disappeared’.” “No,” said Nigel. “I’m not going to do that. I want them to go on thinking about it, and then when they’re older and learning about the movement of the Earth, this experience will help them to understand.” This is important. We want our learners to go on wondering. Then later on they will learn why their shadows seemed to disappear. Grade 2s and 3s could measure their shadows. In this way you would be integrating your science investigation with Maths. If you teach Grade Rs or Grade 1s, you could do what Nigel did, and let them draw round each other’s shadows and then hang them on the walls of the classroom. The children could measure their shadows using their feet or hand spans as a measure.

Investigating weather You will need to decide how long you want this investigation to continue. You may decide that your learners should investigate the weather for a period of a month. Or they could continue the investigation for a whole term. The choice is yours. The important thing is that you encourage your learners to “think and act like Scientists” (Skamp, 1998). PLANET EARTH AND BEYOND

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So what do Scientists do? They observe and record something regularly for a period of time. If you want to encourage your learners to think and act like Scientists, you need to get your learners to record the weather at least 3 times a day. Discuss with your learners what you want them to do. Encourage them to suggest when would be good times to check the weather. Then set 3 times in the day when the children will check on the weather regularly for a prearranged period of time.

Investigation planning boards When you discuss how you will conduct the investigation with your learners you may find it useful to use a ‘Planning Board’ with your learners. We found two good examples of a Planning Board in a book from Australia, Teaching Primary Science Constructively (Skamp, 1998:44).

Talk to your learners about the way Scientists work. Tell them that you want them to think about what they can find out and measure.

You could use one of these Planning Boards, or you could adapt one to use with your class. Talk to your learners about the way Scientists work. Tell them that you want them to think about what they can find out and measure. You could use the following questions to guide your discussion: I What will we measure? (Direction of the wind; Amount of rain; Size of shadow) I Will we need to change anything? (The place where we measure) I What will we keep the same? (The time of day when we measure) I How will we record our results? (On a chart / graph) I What will we need? (a wind vane / wind sock; a rain gauge; paper and chalk / crayons / pencils)

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Observing and recording weather Grade 2s and Grade 3s After the first two or three days of observing and recording the weather information, you could draw up a roster. This will enable the children to take turns to check on the weather and record their observations on the Weather Chart. (You will find a sample Weather chart in the Appendix on p 84.) After a week, encourage your learners to look for patterns. Ask them to predict what the weather will be like the following day or over the weekend. Encourage your class to listen to the weather report on the radio or watch the weather report on TV. Ask them to listen / watch for the minimum and maximum temperatures forecast for Cape Town, and the direction of the wind. The children can check if the forecast is correct with the class / phase wind-sock! And they could measure rain with a ‘home-made’ rain gauge. (We have included instructions to make one below.) The children could also look for Weather forecasts in newspapers. Not all Community Newspapers include a weather forecast for the weekend. Perhaps you and your learners could contact the newspaper office to ask them to include this information. The Cape Times weather forecast is very clear.

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One way to make a wind sock You will need I I I I

The top of a leg from some panti-hose A thin stick (a dowel about 80 or 90cm in length) Some thin wire (a length of about 75cm) A bottle (for the stick to stand in)

1. Stretch the panti-hose leg a bit so that it is big enough for the wind to blow through. 2. Thread the wire through the top of the leg of panti-hose just as you would a needle when sewing a running stitch on some fabric. 3. Make sure you keep the circle. 4. Twist the short end of the wire around the long end. 5. Wind the long end of the wire around the top of the stick. 6. Put the stick in the bottle.

7. Choose a fairly open space in the school grounds where the wind sock will be safe. Place the bottle firmly in a shallow hole in the ground. 8. Make sure that the opening of the wind sock attached to the stick is wide open.

One way to make a rain gauge You will need A plastic bottle with a fairly flat bottom and flat sides. 1. Cut off the top of the bottle and invert the top to make a funnel. Place the ‘funnel’ back in the bottle. 2. You could get your learners to mark the side of the bottle in centimetres with a waterproof kokipen. 3. Choose a fairly open space in the school grounds where the rain gauge will be safe. Place the rain gauge firmly in a hole in the ground. 4. Each morning (when it is raining) get your learners to remove the bottle and check how much rain has collected in the bottle. When they have recorded the amount, ask them to pour out the rain water, and replace the rain gauge. 60

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Extending the investigation You could extend this investigation by focusing on a local natural phenomenon, for example, heavy rain in winter, veld fires in summer. Or you may wish to set a problem as a context for your learners’ investigation. One successful way you can do this is through the use of pictures.

Using pictures with learners You will need to collect pictures of different examples of weather to use with your learners. You will need at least 20 pictures. You will also need flip-chart paper and a koki-pen. Start by choosing one picture to demonstrate what you want your learners to do. Put the picture up on the flip-chart paper. Gather your learners around you and get them to talk about the picture. If you are working with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, write up their comments in the form of a mind-map around the picture.

If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, ask them to think of questions to ask about the picture. Write up their questions in the form of a mind-map / spider-web around the picture. When your Grade 2s or 3s have thought of a number of questions, get them to try to think of possible answers to the questions that they have raised.

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Further work with Grade 2s and 3s

I Next, spread out the pictures on the tables. Then tell your class that you want each person to look at the pictures, and you want each one to find the one s/he likes the best. But make it very clear that nobody is to pick up a picture and keep it. They must leave the pictures on the tables. I Then each child must choose a partner and introduce their partner to the picture that they chose. This will mean that each pair talks about two pictures. I Then each pair must join up with another pair and share the 4 pictures that they have chosen. I After this, each group of 4 must choose just one of the 4 pictures. Tell your learners that they will work with this one picture as a group. This process is tricky, but well worth the trouble. The children will have to think and make decisions. They will have to negotiate when it comes to choosing just one picture. And then if more than one group want to work with one picture, this will mean more negotiation. But these are skills that your learners will need in life. Now ask your learners to discuss the picture that they have chosen. Give each group a large piece of paper and a small piece of Prestik so that they can stick their picture to the paper. Each group will also need a crayon or a pen. Tell your learners to think of all the questions that they can think of. Get them to think of questions that begin with What, Where, When, Who, How, and Why. Tell them to write down their questions. When all the groups have managed to record some questions, get each group to share their picture and questions with the rest of the class. You could also get the class, or different groups, to think of possible answers to the questions that they raise.

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Thinking about heavy rain and flooding What happens when there is heavy rain? I What are the effects? I How do you think people feel? I What could they do to avoid flooding? I What did they do in the past? I Effects of the built environment – paving – run-off I Grade 3s could write to the City Council.

What have we learned? When the period of this investigation has come to an end, have a discussion with your learners to talk about what the class has learned. Go through the Planning Board you used with your learners for this investigation. Get your learners to talk about and report on their findings. What have they found out? What have they learned? What else would they like to know? How could they find out? This is a very important part of the investigation. It is something that Scientists do when they are carrying out their investigations. If we are serious about getting our learners to think and act like Scientists, we cannot afford to omit this part.

This set of pictures is available from the PSP.

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Conclusion We hope you have found this booklet useful, and that you have been inspired to share Science with your learners. We hope that you have enjoyed the investigations together with your learners. And we hope that the suggestions we have made, have encouraged you to investigate other questions your learners have. We know that many Foundation Phase teachers encourage their learners to explore and study their world. This is so important. Young children are so ‘wide awake’ and interested in what is around them. We need to make space in the busy school day, and even create opportunities for our learners to pursue their questions and explore further, with our support.

In this booklet, we have suggested ways of integrating the investigations into other learning areas. The National Curriculum urges us to integrate learning areas. And Science offers us rich opportunities to link with Literacy and Numeracy. We can bring stories into a Science investigation. Science can provide vocabulary and opportunities for us to extend and develop our learners’ language use. When it comes to developing and extending our learners’ language and literacy, we need to give them interesting and ‘real’ texts to work with. Science can provide the content for those texts. And of course, many investigations require us to measure, and use number concepts and skills. If we make space for our Foundation Phase learners to explore and investigate their world, they will be interested and excited about this aspect of the curriculum. And we will be preparing them for further experiences in the Natural Sciences that they will meet further on in their school careers. And who knows? One of the children we teach may become an eminent scientist in the future. We simply need to be open to supporting them as they explore and discover more about their world.

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APPENDICES O b s e r v a t i o n S h e e t s – Afrikaans Naam van Wetenskaplike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ek kyk na

.................................................. Ek het opgemerk ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................

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Naam van Wetenskaplike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ek kyk na

..................................................

Ek het opgemerk .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... 66

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Waarneming Datum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ek kyk na .......................................................... .......................................................... ’n Prent van wat ek sien

Hier is ’n paar dinge wat ek opgemerk het .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... APPENDIX

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O b s e r v a t i o n S h e e t s – English Name of Scientist I looked at

............................................

.................................................

I noticed .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... 68

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Observation Date

...................

I looked at .......................................................... .......................................................... A picture of what I saw

Here are some things I noticed: .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... APPENDIX

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Name of Scientist I looked at

Page 70

...........................................

................................................. I noticed ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................

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O b s e r v a t i o n S h e e t s – isiXhosa Igama loSonzululwazi Ndajonga

.........................................

.................................................. Ndaqaphela ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................ ............................

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Igama loSonzululwazi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ndajonga

..................................................

Ndabona .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... 72

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Endikuqapheleyo Umhla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ndajonga .......................................................... .......................................................... Umfanekiso wento endiyibonileyo

Nazi izinto endiziqapheleyo: .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... .......................................................... APPENDIX

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74

What do we KNOW?

What do we WANT to know?

What have we LEARNED?

Planning an Investigation with Foundation Phase Learners

K-W-L Chart

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FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

APPENDIX

What do we KNOW?

What do we WANT to know?

What do we THINK?

HOW can we find out?

What have we LEARNED?

Planning an Investigation with Foundation Phase Learners

K-W-T-H-L Chart

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Torch cells

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Torch bulbs

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Model of a torch bulb

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Five ways to get a torch bulb to light up

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The Great Big Enormous Turnip Leo Tolstoy

Once upon a time an old man planted a little turnip and said, “Grow, grow, little turnip, grow sweet. Grow, grow, little turnip, grow strong.” And the turnip grew up sweet and strong and big and enormous. Then, one day, the old man went to pull it up. He pulled and he pulled again, but he could not pull it up. He called the old woman. The old woman pulled the old man. The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled again, but they could not pull it up. So the old woman called her granddaughter. The granddaughter pulled the old woman. The old woman pulled the old man. The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled again, but they could not pull it up. The granddaughter called the black dog. The black dog pulled the granddaughter. The granddaughter pulled the old woman. The old woman pulled the old man. The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled again, but they could not pull it up. The black dog called the cat. The cat pulled the dog. The dog pulled the granddaughter. The granddaughter pulled the old woman. The old woman pulled the old man. The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled again, but still they could not pull it up. The cat called the mouse. The mouse pulled the cat. The cat pulled the dog. The dog pulled the granddaughter. The granddaughter pulled the old woman. The old woman pulled the old man. The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled again, and up came the turnip at last.

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Task cards

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Useful addresses Clay Supplier Kiln Contracts (Pty) Ltd 11 Celie Road Retreat 7945 Cape Town Tel: (021) 701-6682 Science Equipment Rutland Industries PO Box 27036 Benrose 2011 Johannesburg Tel: (011) 618-3646 Fax: (011) 614-9810 Kirstenbosch Outreach Greening Programme Tel: (021) 799-874; (021) 799-8670

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Clip-Clop Fiona & Chris Berensford PO Box 2735 Clareinch 7740 Cape Town Tel: (021 671 6686 Fax: (088) 021 671 6686 Planetarium Iziko South African Museum 25 Queen Victoria Street Gardens 8001 Cape Town Tel: (021) 481-3822 South African Astronomical Observatory Observatory Road Observatory 7935 Cape Town Tel: (021) 447-0025

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Sunday

Monday

APPENDIX

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Moon Watch Calendar Friday

Saturday

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84

Minimum Maximum Wind

Minimum Maximum Wind Weather

Minimum Maximum Wind Weather

Minimum Maximum Wind Weather

Forecast What really happens

Forecast What really happens

Forecast What really happens

Wednesday Forecast What really happens

Thursday

Forecast What really happens

Friday

11:46 AM

Minimum Maximum Wind Weather

Weather

Tuesday

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Monday

Our Weather

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Learning Outcome: Scientific Investigation The learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena, and to investigate relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and environmental contexts.

Grade R Level

Grade 1 Level

Grade 2 Level

Grade 3 Level

Planning Investigations Learner contributes towards planning an investigative activity.

Learner plans an investigation independently.

Learner plans an Learner uses materials investigation as part of selected by the group group. in order to communicate the group's plan.

Conducting investigations and collecting data Learner participates in planned activity.

Learner independently Learner participates in participates in planned planned activity activity. independently or as part of a group.

Learner participates constructively in the activity with understanding of its purpose.

Evaluating data and communicating findings Learner thinks and talks about what has been done.

APPENDIX

Learner thinks about what has been done and says what has been found out.

Learner shows and explains what was intended and how it was done.

Learner explains and reflects on what action was intended, and whether it was possible to carry out the plan.

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Natural Sciences Core Knowledge and Concepts for Foundation Phase

Matter and Materials Properties and Uses of Materials

Structure, Reactions and Changes of Materials

Unifying statement: We can classify materials by Unifying statement: We can modify materials in their properties, in order to establish types and ways we choose, through our understanding of patterns. Properties determine the selection of their sub-structure. materials for particular uses. I Materials have different properties such as texture, colour, strength and heaviness, and can be classified by these properties. “We make things with materials which have the properties we want.

I Substances can be mixed and sometimes changes can be seen, such as the dissolving of a solid or new colour when food colourings / paints are mixed.

Life and Living Life Processes and Healthy Living

Interactions in Environments

Biodiversity, Change and Continuity

Unifying statement: Living things, including humans and invisibly small organisms, can be understood in terms of life processes, functional units and systems.

Unifying statement: Organisms in ecosystems are dependent for their survival on the presence of abiotic factors and on their relationship with other organisms.

Unifying statement: The huge diversity of forms of life can be understood in terms of a history of change in environments and in characteristics of plants and animals throughout the world over millions of years.

I Many of our body parts correspond to parts of animals, such as limbs, heads, eyes, ears, feet, and in many cases animals use them for the same purposes we do. I Animals and plants have needs similar to ours, for food, water and air.

I We depend on plants and I There is a large variety of animals for food, and we plants and animals, which breed certain animals and have interesting visible grow certain plants as crops. differences but also I We see cultural diversity in similarities, and they can be the kinds of food people like grouped by their similarities. to eat. I Plants and animals change I Some animals, like flies and as they grow, and as the years pass, and as the ticks, carry germs which can make people sick. seasons change.

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Energy and Change Energy Transfers and Systems

Energy and Development in South Africa

Unifying statement: Energy is transferred through biological or physical systems, from energy sources. With each energy transfer, some of the energy becomes less available for our use,

and therefore we need to know how to control energy transfers.

limited number of sources, and the sustainable development of countries in our region depends on the wise use of energy sources. I When we say we feel ‘full of energy’, we mean we feel ready to move fast or do a lot

of work. I People who do not have enough food or the right kind of food to eat, feel tired and lack energy.

Unifying statement: Energy is available from a

Planet Earth and Beyond Our Place in Space

Atmosphere and Weather

The Changing Earth

Unifying statement: Our planet is a small part of a vast solar system in an immense galaxy.

Unifying statement: The atmosphere is a system which interacts with the land, lakes and oceans and which transfers energy and water from place to place.

Unifying statement: The Earth is composed of materials which are continually being changed by forces on and under the surface.

I Many different objects can be observed in the sky. Examples are birds, clouds, aeroplanes, the sun, stars, the moon, planets and satellites. All these objects have properties, locations and movements that can be investigated with a view to determining patterns, relationships and trends.

I Weather changes from day to day in ways that can be recorded and sometimes predicted. There are occasional unusual weather events like storms, floods or tornados which impact on people’s lives.

I Soil and rocks vary in appearance and texture from place to place. By investigation, learners can find out that some soils erode more easily than others do, while some soil types support plant life better than others. They could investigate what some of the factors involved might be.

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Foundation Phase Teachers who participated in this 3-year project ALPINE Ms Lavona Allies Ms Cheryl Bocks Ms Valencia Daniels Ms Shahida Davids Ms Audrey Dryding Ms Ida George Ms Zelma Johnson Ms Faldielah Khatieb Ms Sukaina Mitchell Ms Rosina Pontac Ms Belinda Tarantal Ms Magdelena Weitz Ms Linda Wildeman DIETRICH MORAVIAN Ms Kathleen Boltney Ms Jean Cloete Ms Sarah Genever Ms Teresa Jacobus HILLWOOD Ms G Basson Ms Maria Botha Ms Kathleen Bouwer Ms Felicia Clayton (Klein) Ms Wilma Cloete Ms Martha Damons Ms Martha Julies Ms Marlene Levine (Esterhuizen) Ms E Manasse Ms Reginette Marais Ms C Matthews Ms Freda Mellem Ms Marlene Morgan INTSHINGA Ms Nonkosi Daweti Ms N Madlingozi Ms Maureen Makiva Ms L Matiwane Ms N Matrose

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Ms Mgumane Ms T Ngudle Ms Mandisa Peko Ms Rorwana

Ms Petersen Ms Jackie Roman Ms Sharifa Smith Ms Anna-Marie Willemse

LINGE Ms Ntombizodwa Galo Ms Nomonde Gxabela Ms Noxolo Hina Ms Nothemba Jay Ms Mandisa Lali Ms Alicia Lupuwana Ms Nozuko Maqungo Ms Nonyameko Ncosani Ms Ntombomzi Ntozini Ms Vinah Qhina Ms Ntombi Veleko Ms Nombulelo Xhego

PHILIPPI K (ZANEMFUNDO) Ms Ntombodidi Cabane Ms Nosipho Dondolo Ms Hombakazi Kula Ms Nokuthula Mandindi Ms Lillian Mankayi Ms Phumza Mgetu Ms Mutiwe Mguzulo Ms Nozuko Mtshekexe Ms Ntombizilungile Ndzube Ms Thobeka Notshulwana Ms Nomvuyiseko Ntshonga Ms Feziwe Nyengane Ms Nontombizanele Potwana Ms Theliswa Sibawu Ms Bulelwa Sibozo Ms Nomaindia Sotondashe

NOMLINGANISELO Ms Nontobeko Malotana Ms Nomonde Manyelana Ms Nonkumbulelo Mayeki Ms Nontombi Mdani Ms Patiswa Mpetsheni Ms CN Msebe Ms NC Ndevana Ms TC Nontulo Ms Ntamo Ms Lindiwe Plam Ms N Windvoel Ms NM Yekiso NORTHWOOD Ms R Adams Ms Bonita Daries Ms De Bryn Ms Avril Dixon Ms Danree Hector Ms H Hull Ms Cheryl Johannes Ms Amina Patel

UKHANYO Ms Zola Bonga Ms Lumka Gcuze Ms L Jafta Ms Bulelwa Koni Ms Phumzile Luthuli Ms Bongiwe Mtintsilana Ms Ndileka Mvandaba Ms Siphokazi Ntinga Ms Nosipho Nyaba Ms Linda Nyengane Ms Dolly Pudumo Ms Kholeka Sishuba Ms Thozama Songwiqi Ms Nobalindi Yukutwana

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