Sharpening Our Observation Skills

DEAR MOM AND DAD,

Today, we delved deeper into being scientists– we talked about our 5 senses that needs to be keen when we are observing something. That’s what scientists do– observe everything around them as they search for answers for their multitude of questions.

Test no. 1: Sense of Sight

Pauline had some close– up pictures of different things in her iPad that we have to investigate and find out what and where it is in the classroom. We guessed that the first picture was a flower. The problem was, where was it? T thought it was the flower from the Lego box, so he quickly grabbed it and compared it to the picture. It wasn’t the same. So he scoured the room and finally found it on Shelley’s desk– a small box of flowers which he happily shared with the class!

The second picture was composed of tiny white circles.

“It’s glue!” K guessed.

“They are water bottles,” B said. After much deliberation—

“It’s the tops of the colored markers!” N said. He was right.

The 3rd picture looks soft.

“It’s green!” E commented.

“It’s a soft toy!” J guessed.

“Oh I know! Cats like it!” B said. He then pointed to a yarn peeking out from the cupboards. It was in the ex-act same color as in the picture– so he was right!

The 4th picture was a—-

“NET!” Everyone exclaimed.

“Smells like socks, oh goodness!” E exclaimed.

Pauline asked our scientists to smell the first item.

“Smells yucky!” M commented.

“Smells like socks, oh goodness!” E exclaimed.

“Smells like blankets?” B said.

“It smells sweet,” S remarked.

“It smells yummy!” Z said. The item that divided our scientists’ opinion was….. Dijon mustard!

“Yum! That’s great for steaks!” Liezel said. That made our stomachs rumble!

The next item garnered an unanimous opinion amongst our scientists.

‘“It smells good… like flowers,” S said.

“It smells yummy,” Z said.

“It smells like… something to eat,” B said.

“Smells very good!” E said.

“It smells like soap,” N said.

“It smells like Pauline,” T added.

The second item was…… Pauline’s perfume called “Clean”! Of course, the scientists’ observations made her beam proudly, hehe.

Test No.2: sense of Smell

Our scientists S, Z, and K, with encouragement from Chiaki and Liezel, found it. It was the one that was hanging from up our ceiling!

The next picture was pretty easy, and Z easily guessed that it was our carpet. He was also able to guess the picture of the basket.

Our next picture looked fuzzy and soft.

“It’s the wings of the peacock,” A said, but then thought about it, because we didn’t have peacocks in the classroom.

“It’s from our animal box,” T said.

“Wait! It’s that one!” Z cried out and he stood up, pointing to our stuffed tiger on top of our kitchen set. He’s right again!

The last picture was like tiny raindrops. Pauline said it was on Shelley’s desk, so B, S, and J went there to inspect, and they found that it was a picture of Pauline’s water bottle!

She then asked us to smell the last item.

“It smells like… soap,” N said.

“It smells like glue in the box,” E said. It was, indeed, glue stick!

Test No.3: Sense of Hearing

“It’s a clock!” S guessed.

“Blocks,” Z said.

“Sounds like… horse!” N guessed. He was right, it was the sound of the horse walking! Time for the next sound…

“Train!” Everyone said.

“A… whale?” B guessed. It was indeed the sound whales under water.

“Shinkansen!” T, J, and E tried to guess the next sound.

“The ocean?” S and Z asked. None of us guessed it right– it was the sound of a strong wind.

The last one was tricky.

“Is it at the airport?” N asked. It was actually a recording that Pauline took of Flowers Class!

Test No. 4: Sense of Touch

“It tickles, it’s moving, like a ball,” Were E’s observations of the first object that we were to guess. It was in a basket covered by a blanket. S, S, and J said that it felt hard, and was like a ball. Pauline opened the box to reveal acorns!

“It’s...butter!” Z said of the second item.

“It’s play dough!” A guessed correctly.

“It’s.. kabutomushi?” S guessed of the third item. He pulled out his hand out of the box, still holding the item. Everyone jumped back in surprise, crying out in a mixture of “WOAH!” and “ARGH!!!!” By this, Pauline was laughing loudly– it was just a toy beetle! We laughed out loud, too– Pauline and S really had us fooled!

That concludes our “Sharpening our Scientist Skills” activity. How about you? How was your day?

LOVE,

All the scientists in Flowers Class