Science: Nature of Science – Grade 1

Being a scientist starts with being curious! Curiosity means you want to know more about things around you. When you see something interesting, you ask questions like "What is that?" or "How does that work?" 🤔

What Makes a Good Question?

A good science question is one that you can explore and investigate. For example, if you see a butterfly 🦋, you might ask:

• "What colors are on its wings?"
• "How does it fly?"
• "Where does it go?"
• "What does it eat?"

These are great questions because you can find answers by watching, exploring, and investigating!

Working Together as Scientists

Scientists often work in teams because two heads are better than one! When you explore with your friends, you can:

• Share what you each observe
• Help each other find answers
• Discover things you might miss on your own
• Talk about what you find

For example, if you and your friend are looking at rocks, one of you might notice the color while the other notices how rough or smooth it feels. Together, you learn more than you would alone!

Free Exploration

Free exploration means you get to choose what to investigate based on what interests you. Maybe you're curious about how water moves, or why leaves change colors, or how shadows change during the day. When you explore freely, you follow your curiosity and discover amazing things!

Making Explanations

After you explore, you try to explain what you discovered. An explanation is like telling a story about what you found out. For example, if you noticed that ice melts when it gets warm, you might explain: "Ice turns into water when it gets hot because heat makes it change."

Your explanations might change as you learn more, and that's okay! Scientists change their explanations when they discover new things.

Real-World Exploration

You can explore science everywhere:

• In your backyard: Look at plants, insects, and soil
• At the playground: Notice how swings move or how slides work
• In your home: Watch how bubbles form in your bath or how shadows change
• On walks: Observe different animals, plants, and weather

Remember, the best scientists are curious and ask lots of questions. Don't be afraid to wonder about things – that's how great discoveries begin!

Your five senses are like special tools that help you learn about the world! Every scientist uses their senses to make careful observations. Let's explore how each sense helps you discover amazing things. 🌟

Your Eyes: The Power of Sight 👀

Your eyes are incredible tools for science! They help you see:

• Colors: Is the flower red, yellow, or purple?
• Shapes: Is the rock round, square, or oval?
• Sizes: Is the bird big or small compared to others?
• Movement: Does the butterfly fly fast or slow?
• Patterns: Are there spots, stripes, or other designs?

When you look at something, try to notice as many details as possible. A leaf might be green, but is it light green or dark green? Does it have smooth edges or bumpy ones?

Your Ears: The Science of Sound 👂

Your ears help you discover the world of sounds:

• Loud or quiet: Is the sound of rain soft or loud?
• High or low: Does the bird make a high chirp or a low hoot?
• Fast or slow: Does the woodpecker tap quickly or slowly?
• Different sounds: Can you tell the difference between wind and water?

Try closing your eyes and just listening. You might discover sounds you never noticed before!

Your Nose: Exploring Smells 👃

Your nose can detect thousands of different smells:

• Flowers might smell sweet 🌺
• Fresh dirt might smell earthy after rain
• Different foods have unique smells
• Even the air can smell different in different places

Smells can tell you important things about your environment. Fresh air smells different from stale air, and different seasons have different smells too!

Your Hands: The Sense of Touch ✋

Your hands and fingers can feel many different things:

• Texture: Is it smooth like glass or rough like sandpaper?
• Temperature: Is it warm like sunshine or cool like morning air?
• Weight: Is it heavy like a rock or light like a feather?
• Hardness: Is it hard like a stone or soft like a pillow?
• Wetness: Is it dry like paper or wet like a sponge?

Remember to always be safe when touching things. Ask an adult if it's okay to touch something before you do it!

Your Tongue: The Taste Detective 👅

Your tongue can taste different flavors, but in science, we only taste things when we know they're safe:

• Sweet like fruit 🍎
• Sour like lemon 🍋
• Salty like pretzels
• Bitter like some medicines

Important Safety Rule: Never taste anything in science unless a grown-up says it's safe!

Comparing Your Observations

One of the most important parts of using your senses is comparing what you observe. You might notice:

• This rock is smoother than that one
• This bird sings louder than that one
• This flower smells sweeter than that one
• This water feels warmer than that one

When you compare, you learn more about both things!

Working Together with Your Senses

Sometimes you can use more than one sense at the same time. For example, when you explore a flower, you might:

• See its bright colors and shape
• Feel its soft petals
• Smell its sweet fragrance
• Hear bees buzzing around it

Using multiple senses gives you a complete picture of what you're studying!

Scientists keep records of what they discover, and you can too! Keeping records means saving information about what you observe so you can remember it later and share it with others. It's like being a detective who writes down clues! 🕵️‍♀️

Why Do Scientists Keep Records?

Scientists keep records because:

• They can't remember everything they see
• They want to share their discoveries with other scientists
• They can compare what they found on different days
• They can look back and see how things changed over time
• Other people can learn from their discoveries

Your records are important too! They help you remember your amazing discoveries and show others what you learned.

Drawing Pictures: Your Scientific Art 🎨

One of the best ways to keep records is by drawing pictures. When you draw what you observe, you notice details you might miss otherwise. Here's how to make good scientific drawings:

Look carefully first: Before you start drawing, spend time really looking at what you want to record. Notice the shapes, colors, and details.

Draw what you see, not what you think: If a flower looks different from other flowers you've seen, draw it the way it really looks, not the way you think flowers should look.

Add labels: Write words next to your drawing to explain what different parts are. For example, if you draw a butterfly, you might write "wing," "body," and "antenna."

Use colors: If you have colored pencils or crayons, use them to show the real colors of what you observed.

Don't worry about being perfect: Your drawing doesn't need to look like a photograph. The important thing is that it shows what you noticed!

Writing Simple Words and Notes ✏️

Even if you're just learning to write, you can add words to your records:

• Write the date when you made your observation
• Write where you were (like "backyard" or "playground")
• Write simple words that describe what you saw (like "red," "big," "moving")
• Write questions you still have about what you observed

For example, if you observed a bird, you might write:

• "Monday"
• "In the park"
• "Small brown bird"
• "Sang loud song"
• "Question: Where does it live?"

Organizing Your Records 📚

Keeping your records organized helps you find them later:

• Keep your drawings and notes in a special notebook or folder
• Put newer observations on top of older ones
• Group similar observations together (like all your bird observations)
• Ask a grown-up to help you write the date on each page

Sharing Your Records with Others

Sharing your scientific records is one of the most exciting parts of being a scientist! When you share:

• Show your drawings to family and friends
• Tell them what you discovered
• Ask them questions about what they think
• Listen to their observations too
• Compare what you found with what others found

Different Types of Records

There are many ways to keep scientific records:

• Observation journals: A notebook where you draw and write about what you see
• Collection records: Notes about things you collect (like different kinds of leaves)
• Experiment records: Notes about what happened when you tried something
• Weather records: Daily notes about what the weather was like
• Growth records: Pictures and measurements that show how something grew over time

Making Records Fun

Keeping records should be fun! Here are some ways to make it enjoyable:

• Use different colors for different types of observations
• Create a special "scientist badge" to wear when you're recording
• Make up songs or rhymes about what you observed
• Turn your records into a story about your discoveries
• Create a "science museum" at home with your records and collections

Remember, every scientist started just like you – by being curious, observing carefully, and keeping track of what they discovered. Your records are the beginning of your scientific journey!

One of the most important questions a scientist can ask is "How do you know?" This special question helps you think more deeply about information and understand how people learn things. It's like being a detective who wants to know how someone solved a mystery! 🔍

What Does "How Do You Know?" Mean?

When you ask "How do you know?" you're asking someone to explain:

• Where they got their information
• What they observed or experienced
• How they figured something out
• What evidence they have

For example, if your friend says, "That bird is hungry," you might ask, "How do you know it's hungry?" Your friend might answer, "Because I saw it eating seeds from the ground."

When to Ask "How Do You Know?"

You can ask this question in many situations:

• When someone tells you a fact about nature
• When you hear something that sounds surprising
• When you want to understand how someone learned something
• When you're trying to solve a problem together
• When you want to make sure information is correct

Being a Good Questioner

When you ask "How do you know?" remember to:

• Ask in a kind and curious way, not in a mean way
• Listen carefully to the answer
• Ask follow-up questions if you want to know more
• Thank the person for explaining
• Share your own observations too

Learning from Evidence 📋

Evidence is the information that helps us know something is true. Evidence can come from:

• What you see: "I know the flower is red because I can see it."
• What you hear: "I know the bird is nearby because I can hear it singing."
• What you feel: "I know the rock is smooth because I touched it."
• What you smell: "I know the cookies are baking because I can smell them."
• What you measure: "I know the plant grew because it's taller than yesterday."

Explaining Your Own Discoveries

When someone asks you "How do you know?" you should be ready to explain:

• What you observed with your senses
• When and where you made your observation
• What tools you used (like a magnifying glass)
• Who was with you when you discovered it
• What you did to find out

For example, if you say, "The ant is carrying food," and someone asks "How do you know?" you might answer: "I watched the ant for five minutes, and I saw it pick up a crumb and carry it toward the anthill."

Different Ways People Know Things

People learn and know things in different ways:

• Direct observation: They saw, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted it themselves
• Experiments: They tried something to see what would happen
• Reading: They learned from books or other sources
• Asking experts: They asked someone who knows a lot about the topic
• Previous experience: They learned from something that happened before

Building on What Others Know

Science is like building with blocks – each new discovery builds on what other people have already learned. When you ask "How do you know?" you're learning about:

• What other people have discovered
• How they made their discoveries
• What evidence supports their ideas
• How you can build on their knowledge

Making Your Own Strong Explanations

When you make your own discoveries, you can make your explanations stronger by:

• Using evidence from your observations
• Explaining your thinking clearly
• Being honest about what you're not sure about
• Asking others to check your work
• Being willing to change your mind if you find new evidence

Practicing Critical Thinking

Asking "How do you know?" helps you become a better thinker. You learn to:

• Question information instead of just accepting it
• Look for evidence to support ideas
• Think about whether explanations make sense
• Consider different possibilities
• Make better decisions based on good information

Creating a Culture of Curiosity

When you and your friends ask "How do you know?" you create a space where:

• Everyone feels comfortable sharing their discoveries
• People explain their thinking clearly
• Everyone learns from each other
• Questions are welcome and encouraged
• Learning becomes more fun and meaningful

Remember, asking "How do you know?" isn't about doubting people – it's about understanding and learning together. Great scientists are always curious about how we know what we know!