Flat Creek

Vocabulary: Alike, Different, Group, Match, Same, Observe, Look, Feel, Senses, Sight Words, Touch Words

Materials: Different types of rocks

Activity: Sort the rocks into groups using one characteristic. Sort the rocks into new groups using another characteristic. Rocks can be classified by color, shape, size, whether they make mark, and other characteristics. Groups can have multiple members, or only one member. Sort items into bowls, if you need distinct boundaries. Create a rock match game, by forming a collection of pairs of rocks. Gather a variety of rocks, from a local landscaping company.

Measurement: Measure the volume of a rock by making a play-dough model of it.

Resource: Williams, R. Author of Preschool Scientist (2010) and Science Adventures (2008) (Buy on Amazon)

oBig Ideas from Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines

	Properties of Matter: How does the way an object feels affect whether it goes in the circle?
	Force and Motion: How does the shape of a rock affect how it rolls?
	Earth Science: How are natural rocks and manufactured rocks similar and how are they different?
	Characteristics of Organisms: How are a variety of frogs similar and how are they different?
	Life Cycles of Organisms: How do frogs change size (measured with lump of clay) over time?
	How Organisms Interact with the Environment: How does the type of food (protein-poor or protein-rich) affect frog growth? (Find more about frog food on http://www.naturenorth.com/spring/classrm/wfclass/Fclaswf.html)
	Tools and Measurement: How does the volume of a rock affect it's shape? (Can some long skinny rocks have the same volume as short fat ones?)