CHDV 150 Introduction to Curriculum Small Group Activity Form

Name of Activity: Can cats really see in the dark? Curriculum Area: Science Length of Activity: 15-20 minutes Learning Objectives s!ecify at least three": #he chil$ %ill be able to hy!othesi&e %hether a cat can or can not see in the $ar'( )easure *0: Curiosity an$ initiative"( #he chil$ %ill be able to test his+her hy!othesis( #hey are going to test out %hether they thin' a cat can or cannot see in the $ar'( )easure 2,: -roblem solving"( #he chil$ %ill be able to $evelo! a theory %ith %hat he+she has teste$ in the e.!eriment( #he chil$ %ill be able to tell me %hat ha!!ene$ $uring the e.!eriment on fin$ing out if a cat can see in the $ar' or not( )easure 2/: )emory an$ 'no%le$ge"(

)aterial+01ui!ment Nee$e$: 2lac' construction !a!er 2ig cans such as em!ty coffee cans 3hite tissue !a!er 3hite -a!er -encils -re!aration 3hat $o you nee$ to $o beforehan$4": I need to gather all the items and put them in the science area so it is ready for the children. I need to cut out black construction paper and place it over one end of the big cans (each side of the can will have the top and bottom taken off). n the other side of the can! I will place a small piece of construction paper with a little hole in the middle. I need to cut out another piece of black construction paper but cut out a shape of the cat eye in theI wi middle. nce I have placed the piece of tissue paper over one side of the can! I will place the black construction paper over it. n the other side! I will place a small piece of construction paper with a little hole in the middle. -roce$ures ste! by ste!" 5 2e 6!ecific 72eginning 8o% %ill 9 intro$uce activity4" 6ince %e %ill be $oing this activity in the mi$$le of the %ee': the chil$ren %ill !robably have become more familiar %ith this unit( ;uring circle time: 9 %ill e.!lain to the chil$ren ho% %e are going to be $oing an e.!eriment to a common 1uestion: %hether a cat can or cannot see in the $ar'( #he chil$ren are learning about the $ifferences bet%een a cat an$ themselves an$ the $ifferent features of cats so: they %ill be able to see %hether or not a cat can or can not see in the $ar' better than they can( 9 %ill as' the chil$ren some o!en-en$e$ 1uestions such as: <8o% $o you thin' %e are going to fin$

out if cats can or can=t see in the $ar'4> 7)i$$le: 8o% %ill 9 su!!ort+enhance+scaffol$4" 5 #he !erson rea$ing your lesson !lan shoul$ be able to i$entify %hat you are saying or $oing to su!!ort your state$ learning objectives( #896 96 ?0@A 9)-O@#AN#( nce the children are ready at the activity! I will ask them what they think. I want each child to get involved and say their own hypothesis. I think it is important for child"s to involve in the activity so they can benefit from the small group activity. I want each child to write down their own hypothesis on the lined paper that is there for them. #his is so the children have something to come back to when we discuss the activity later. I will support the child by asking them open$ended %uestions such as! &'hat do you think?( &Can a cat see in the dark?( )fter each child has told me their opinion on whether a cat can or cannot see in the dark! we will start the e*periment. 'e will also go around and have the children share. +e*t! we will conduct an e*periment. #his is where the cans come in. I have set up two different cans so children can see the difference. I will support the children by observing them while they do the e*periment to make sure that they understand the e*periment. )lso I will ask them open$ended %uestions such as! &I can see that you are testing it out! what have you got so far?( ,irst! the children will view through can number one. #his can has black construction paper on one side and another piece of black construction with a hole for the children to look through on the other side. #he children will look through this little hole and face it towards the light. nce each child has taken a turn! we shall discuss and I will further e*plain the point of the first can. #he children will say what they saw in the first can and write it down on their piece of paper for reference. nce they have finished! I will let each child state what they have observed. I will e*plain how the black construction paper represents complete darkness. Cats cannot see in complete darkness and are the same as the children. So! cats cannot necessarily see that well in complete darkness! however! there is another can set up for the children to look at. Secondly! the children will look through can number two. #his can has tissue paper and black construction paper with a %uarter$si-ed hole in the middle. n the other side! there is a piece of black construction paper with a hole for the children to look through. #he children will face the can up towards the lights on the ceiling. nce each child has taken a turn! the children will write down what they observed. #his can represents the children"s eyes and what they see with few light in the dark. 'hat they see is very limited but they are able to see a little bit in the darkness. #hirdly! the children will look through can number three. #his can has tissue paper and black construction paper in the shape of a stretched out oval which takes up most of that side of the can. n the other side! it has a piece of black construction paper with a hole for the children to look through. #he children will face the can up towards the lights on the ceiling. nce each child has taken a turn! the child will write down what they have observed. )fter this! we shall discuss and have each child say what they have written down. I will e*plain to the children how this can represents the cats eye when there is darkness but relatively some light. 'hen cats are in the dark! their pupils widen to capture any source of light. #his is why the children can see so much light through can number three. Cats have much better sight in the dark than humans when there is some form of light present. nce we are done discussing! the children will come up with a theory from the evidence they have collected from the e*periment. #he children will each discuss and come up with a final theory and write it down on their piece of paper. I will support the children by asking them open$ended such as! &)fter all this work! what did you find out?( &.o you know whether a cat can see in the dark or not?(

70n$: 8o% %ill 9 bring this activity to a conclusion an$ transition to the ne.t activity4 2e very s!ecific in ho% you %ill transition the chil$ren("

Since this activity is not that messy! the children will not have much to clean up. I will give the children a five minute warning so the children know that the activity is almost over. nce their time is up! the children will hand me their papers and start to put the supplies away. 'e will be transitioning to snack time so the children will need to wash their hands. #he children will pretend to be looking through binoculars using their hands to find the sink to wash their hands. #he point is to act as though they are in the dark and trying to find the sink like a cat would. #he children will do the same when they move the snack table.

#hroughout the $ay+%ee': %hat o!!ortunities %ill the chil$ren have to reflect bac' on this activity4 At the en$ of the $ay: the chil$ren can e.!lain %hat they have learne$ $uring the activity an$ loo' %hat they ha$ %ritten $o%n on their jounals( #he chil$ren can also bring the !a!er home to e.!lain to their !arents %hat they have learne$( 9 %ant the chil$ to be able to $iscuss %ith their !arents an$ the class %hat they $i$ to $o this e.!eriment( #his involves the !lanning: the hy!othesis: the e.!erimenting: an$ %hat the final theory %as( 25+25 J