It is the beginning of the school year and as a teacher you have a billion things going on in your brain. In the younger grades you are pretty much teaching rules and procedures for what feels like an eternity LOL. Somewhere in those beginning weeks, teaching science safety is on the to do list along with all the other, more pressing, things to go over. I have always felt like it is something we obviously need to teach, but in the grand scope of things, not something I have the luxury to spend weeks on. Getting science safety done quickly and easily is always the goal. I mean, its not like we are dealing with hazardous chemicals here people, they are 5! So this year, I created some activities that went over very well in my class and that we will continue to spiral as the year goes on.
We always start with the science safety rules contract. The word "contract" sounds super official and I always use a very serious voice when talking about how signing it binds them to their word to be a SAFE and RESPONSIBLE scientists for the year LOL. I think the dramatics of it all really hit home, especially for Kinders. There is a science safety rules contract in a full sheet to use as a science safety rules poster and half sheet contracts that your students can put in their science journals.
Then we go into discussing some of the science tools we will be using throughout the year. We had a fun hands-on exploring lesson with all of the tools that we would be using in science. I keep these vocabulary cards up in the classroom as a science tools anchor chart to help them have a visual image of the tools while they are put away.
These science tools activity play dough mats were also fun! We used this Play-Do (Amazon affiliate link) in individual containers for this lesson. We used the play dough mats by themselves and also matched them with the vocabulary cards on a different day.
I like to take things from concrete to abstract so we practiced knowledge and understanding of science tools using some fun printable science tools activities as well.
From there, I threw in some kinesthetic movement to help them analyze difference science safety rules using scenario cards. I think my students liked this activity the best because they were up and moving around the classroom and really having to think about what is SAFE and UNSAFE during a science lesson. There are 2 posters to attach to the opposite sides of your classroom and science safety scenario cards to have them think about. I laminated mine and put them on a ring for ease of use and storage.
There are also several other science safety rules activities from this resource that you can check out in my TpT store. I am excited for you to get your little scientists off on the right foot with these quick and easy science safety rules and tools activities. Happy investigating!!!
Growing my gifts according to His grace.
~ Danielle
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