How to read science

Explain to children that they will be more successful in learning science if they understand what is written on each page. That is, they need to know how to read science. Tell them that there are certain skills that make reading easier. In each chapter, they will practice one of these reading skills. Before Reading Tell children that for each chapter, they will have the chance to preview what they will read. Begin with the “Build Background” pages. Have children look at the vocabulary introduced on these pages along with the pictures and think about what they will be learning. Discuss what they might already know about the subject of the chapter. Have children follow along as you walk through the chapter. Have them look at the pictures and read the captions with you. Have them discuss what they think the chapter is about and what they think they will be learning. The “How to Read Science” page identifies a target reading skill that will be revisited throughout the chapter. Target Reading Skill Demonstrate for children how to identify the target reading skill. (It is always located at the top of the page next to a target icon.) Discuss with children the target reading skill for the chapter. If children are unfamiliar with the chapter target reading skill, provide some explanation and elaboration. Tell children that they will get more practice with the target reading skill throughout the chapter. Inform children that the target reading skills they will encounter in the science chapters are the same reading skills they will be learning about and practicing in Reading. In each chapter, children receive introductory instruction in a reading skill, have two opportunities to practice the skill, and are assessed on the skill over the course of the chapter. By connecting science skills with reading skills, improved scores and comprehension in both Reading and Science can be achieved. Each chapter in your book has a page like this one. This page shows you how to use a reading skill. Before reading First, read the Build Background page. Next, read the How To Read Science page. Then, think about what you already know. Last, make a list of what you already know. Target Reading Skill Each page has a target reading skill. The target reading skill will help you understand what you read. Real-World Connection Each page has an example of something you will learn. Graphic Organizer A graphic organizer can help you think about what you learn. xx Real-World Connection Explain to children that there are a variety of ways in which science information can be presented and learned. These ways include stories, diagrams, and pictures. In each How to Read Science feature, one of these ways will be used to present science information to children. A story usually consists of several sentences about a topic. It is often accompanied by a picture. Sometimes information is presented entirely in a picture. Often a diagram with labels is used to explain a concept. Tell children that being familiar with each of these ways will help them learn. xx GRADE 2 • How to Read Science Graphic Organizer Tell children that a graphic organizer is a way for them to organize their thoughts about what they have read or seen. A graphic organizer identifies the important ideas and shows how they are related. Explain to children that there is a graphic organizer for each chapter target reading skill and that it can be used to help them understand what they have read or seen. During reading After reading Use the checkpoint as Think about what you have you read the lesson. This learned. Compare what you will help you check how learned with the list you made much you understand. before you read the chapter. Answer the questions in the Chapter Review. Target Reading Skills These are some target reading skills that appear in this book. • Cause and Effect • Draw Conclusions • Alike and Different • Picture Clues • Put Things in Order • Important Details • Predict xxi During Reading Tell children that answering questions you ask as they read the lesson is a good way for them to check their understanding of what they have read. Ask children questions as they read so that you and they can assess their level of understanding. Tell children that it is always a good idea for them to think about what they have learned in one lesson before going on to another lesson. In this way they can be sure they have understood what has been presented. Suggest that children share what they have learned with a partner and/or the class. Tell children that they can check what they have learned by answering the checkpoint questions. After Reading After children have finished reading the chapter, ask them to think about what they have learned. Have them answer the questions in the “Chapter Review and Test Prep.” You may want to preview the target reading skills in the chart to assess children’s knowledge of these concepts. GRADE 2 • How to Read Science xxi Read aloud the introductory paragraph on page xxii. Remind children that a process is a way of doing things. Observe Tell children that their five senses are seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting. Explain that scientists use their five senses to find out about objects, events, and living things. Ask children to use words to tell about the picture. (Possible answers: Red land, rocks on the land, a machine made of metal, no living things) What sense did you use to observe the picture? (Seeing) Caution children that when they are doing science activities, they should not taste or smell things unless you specifically tell them to. A scientist who wants to find out more about space observes many things. You use your senses to find out about things too. Scientists classify objects in space. You classify when you sort or group things by their properties. Scientists use process skills to find out about things. You will use these skills when you do the activities in this book. Suppose scientists want to learn more about space. Which process skills might they use? Classify Explain to children that properties are things that can be observed, such as how something looks, feels, or acts. Scientists classify things based on how they are alike or not alike. Scientists might classify the rocks in the picture. What else might scientists classify in the picture? Choose some common classroom objects, and ask children to classify them into groups based on properties such as size, shape, or color. Ask volunteers to tell their method of classification. Estimate and Measure Tell children that two ways to measure are by using a standard measure, such as a meter or an inch, or by using a nonstandard measure, such paper clips. Ask: What things might scientists estimate and measure in the picture? (Possible answers: The rocks, the size of the machine) Provide children with different nonstandard units and metric and standard rulers. Ask them to measure the length of different classroom objects using both standard and nonstandard units. Infer Tell children that since scientists do not see any plants in this picture, they might infer that no animals could survive here. Ask children what else scientists might infer. Have them explain their inferences. Help children understand the meaning of infer by doing the following activity: Ask a volunteer to come to the front of the class. Tell the volunteer to shut his or her eyes. Place an easily identifiable object, such as an apple or a toy car, in the child’s hands. Ask the child to use his or her other senses to gather information about the object. After the child has gathered information, ask him or her to infer what the object is. Scientists build machines to explore space. First scientists make a careful guess about the size or amount of the parts of the machine. Then they measure each part. Scientists are always learning about space. Scientists draw a conclusion or make a guess from what they already know. xxii Science Background You Are a Scientist! The word science comes from the Latin word scire, which means “to know.” Scientists observe the world around them in order to know more about it. They observe, question what they see, wonder what makes the world the way it is, and try to find answers to their questions. Anyone who observes the world around them and questions what they see is a scientist! xxii GRADE 2 • Science Process Skills First scientists tell what they think will happen. Then they do an experiment. Scientists might make and use models of a machine to use in space. Models show what scientists already know. Scientists use what they know to tell what something means. xxiii Predict Discuss what the word predict means. Explain that scientists use what they observe and what they can infer to help them predict. Tell children that scientists can predict how the machine will move based on what they know about the machine. Tell children that they can predict too. Hold up an eraser and ask: What do you predict will happen if I let go of this eraser? (Possible answer: It will fall to the floor.) Make and Use Models Explain that a model is something that can be used to represent an object, event, or living thing. A model can even represent a place or idea. Scientists might have made many models of this machine before they sent the machine into space. Explain that scientists often make and use models to represent or learn about real things. Tell children that even pictures or drawings are kinds of models because they are used to represent something. Explain to children that many toys are models. Ask children for examples of models they have seen. (Accept all reasonable answers.) Make Definitions Ask children where they find definitions. (In a dictionary) Explain that scientists make definitions. Scientists use observations and investigations to help make definitions. The machine in the picture moves, or wanders around the surface of the planet. Scientists might define the machine as “something that wanders about, or roams.” GRADE 2 • Science Process Skills xxiii Make Hypotheses Tell children that a hypothesis should be in the form of an “If…/then…” statement. Ask children what questions the scientists in the picture might have about space. Write the questions on the board. Ask children to change each question into a hypothesis by making it an “If…/then…” statement. (Possible answers: Why do scientists wear spacesuits? If scientists wear spacesuits, then they will be able to breathe and stay safe in space.) Collect Data Explain to children that data are facts or information. Tell children that it is important to record what they observe and measure when they do science activities. Recording what you observe and measure is called collecting data. The scientists in the picture are collecting data about space. Graphs, charts, pictures, words, lists, diagrams, and tables can be used to help collect data. Interpret Data Tell children that interpret means “to explain the meaning of something.” Making charts or graphs help scientists to interpret the data they collect. The scientists in the picture will interpret the data they are collecting while they are outside their spacecraft. Think of a question you have about space. Make a statement that you can test to answer your question. Scientists record what they observe and measure. Scientists put this data into charts or graphs. Scientists use what they learn to solve problems or answer questions. Suppose you were a scientist. You might want to learn more about space. What questions might you have? How would you use process skills to help you learn? xxiv Science Background Experimental Variables and Controls • In all scientific experiments, only one factor can be tested at one time. This factor is called the variable. It is the only part of the experiment that can be changed. By testing only one variable at a time, a scientist can be fairly certain that the experimental results are caused by one and only one factor. • All scientific experiments must have a control experiment. A control experiment is set up exactly like the one that has the variable, but it does not have the variable. Nothing in the control experiment changes. Setting up a control experiment eliminates the possibility of hidden or unknown variables. xxiv GRADE 2 • Science Process Skills ... - tailieumienphi.vn