SUNY Canton Early Childhood Program

Name: Marissa Jock Date: October 18, 2016

Curriculum Theme: Winter Animals
Age: ___I ___T X PS ___K
Focus: Science

Title of Lesson: Brrrr, Lets Keep Warm!

I. Concept Statement
The children will enhance scientific reasoning skills by participating in the ice cube experiment.

II. HSELOF Domain

___ Approaches to Learning
___ Social and Emotional Development
___ Language and Literacy ___Language and Communication ___Literacy
X Cognition ___ Mathematics Development X Scientific Reasoning
___ Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development

III. Sub-Domains
HSELOF Sub-Domain 1: Scientific Inquiry
HSELOF Code: P-SCI 2
HSELOF Goal: Child engages in scientific talk.

Objective 1:
The children will gain an understanding of scientific vocabulary (predicting, observe, comparison and
outcome) by engaging in an experiment.
HSELOF Sub-Domain 2: Reasoning and Problem Solving
HSELOF Code: P-SCI 4
HSELOF Goal: Child asks questions, gathers information and makes predictions.

Objective 2:
The children will enhance skills of observation by predicting and investigating how animals stay insulated
from the cold weather.

HSELOF Sub-Domain 3: Reasoning and Problem Solving

HSELOF Code: P-SCI 6
HSELOF Goal: Child analyzes results, draws conclusions, and communicates results.

Objective 3:
The children will develop communication skills by sharing the results of the experiment with teachers and
peers.
 IV. Materials Needed:

6 plastic cups
Ice for the cups
shortening
12 paper towels
One pair of gloves
Slideshow of the animal comparison pictures (bears, Ground squirrels, and skunks)
Pair of tweezers

*Prior to the lesson, I will have set up a table of the cups and have the shortening put to the side.
*Prior to the lesson, I will have set up enough paper towels so each child has two.

V. Directions / Steps / Process [Parts A, B C]:

A. Motivation

I will have pictures of animals during the summer and animals during the winter side by side, to show a
comparison of how the animals change their appearance in winter.

B. Steps

1. I will instruct the children to come join me in the circle area.

2. I will ask the children a series of questions:
a. How do you keep warm in the winter?
b. Does anyone know how an animal keeps warm during the winter?
3. I will then have the children pretend they are trying to keep warm by rubbing their hands together or
however they would like and go to the table with the materials already set up.
4. I will put on the pair of gloves.
5. I will explain to the children that we are going to do an experiment today.
6. I will put ice cubes into each cup with tweezers.
7. I will tell the children to roll up their sleeves and I will assist if needed.
8. I will instruct for each child to take a finger on their left hand and put it into the cup of ice and count
to 5 with me then take their finger out once we get to 5.
9. Once the children have done so, I will ask how does your finger feel?
10. Once the children have answered I will ask each child to hold out a finger from their right hand.
11. I will go around and put shortening on each childs finger.
12. As I am doing so I will ask the children to wait for the next directions.
13. Once each child has shortening on their finger, I will ask the children to make a prediction in what the
finger will feel like in the ice this time.
14. I will instruct them to put the finger with the shortening into the cup and count to 5 with me.
15. Once we count to 5 I will instruct the children to take their finger out.
16. When everyone has done so I will then ask the children to use the paper towels that I have set out
and wipe their hands.
17. We will then go over to the sink and wash our hands as well, to get the shortening off.
18. Once the children have washed and dried their hands, I will instruct them to return to their seats.
19. I will ask the following questions:
 a. Was your prediction correct?
b. If so how?
c. If not what really happened?
20. Once the children have answered I will explain why we did this experiment.
21. I will explain to the children that shortening is fat. Also, that fat helps animals keep warm during the
winter. Their fat is like an insulation. Thats why when you put the finger with the shortening into the
ice cubes your finger did not get cold. The shortening was like an animals insulation for the winter.
22. I will also explain that during fall the animals eat as much food as they can to gain fat/insulation for
the upcoming winter.
23. I will then instruct the children to go back to the circle area.

C. Conclusion and Transition

Conclusion

I will put the pictures of the animals again. I will then ask the children, Can anyone remember how animals
keep warm in the winter? Once the children answer, I will then ask the children, What do we do to keep
warm when we are going outside during the winter? I will ask the children, What was your favorite part
about our experiment today?

Transition

I will have the children shiver to our next activity.

VI. Supplemental Materials

08-12-2016 MM/CM