Teaching and Learning

OLCG Supplementary Unit

Exploring Air

• A1 — Students understand the nature and behavior of air (molecules)
• A4 - Students observe natural events and identify patterns in weather

• Numeration 1 - Read, write, order and count numbers to 100
• Measurement 1 - Compare and order objects by temperature

• Air has observable properties (takes up space, moves, has temperature, etc.)
• The temperature of objects (including air) can be grouped as high, low, medium.
• Temperature changes but tends to be high, low, or medium in the same months each year.

• Observing

• An aid or parent to help small groups of students record data at first
• Feather for each child
• Styrofoam ball for each child
• Several straws for each child (flex and regular)
• Round balloon for each child
• Small bits of paper
• Pieces of paper of different weights (construction and copier)
• 2-3 plastic bags for each child (thin style with tie closure)
• 1 plastic grocery bag per child
• Several large thick mil garbage bags
• Garbage can with "empty garbage bag"
• Small board
• Books
• Puffed rice
• Large glass or plastic jars with baggies
• Rubber bands
• String
• Sticky dots
• Paper napkins
• Paper clips

• Ask students what they know about air. List and discuss.
• Read a book about air.
• Show bags with exploration stuff and establish rules
• Don’t blow air in another person’s face
• Pass out a plastic resealable bag to each child and ask them what they can discover about air with the bag and the things in their bag (styrofoam ball, cotton ball, feather, straw, small scrap of paper)
• Give students time to explore with the contents of their bag then pass out a balloon to add to explorations
• Explain the rules: students should not to tie off balloons and not to let them go after they are blown up

Generalize

• Have students write and draw one thing that they learned about air on their papers
• Ask students to share what they discovered and discuss as a group
• List observations on a chart

• Ask students to write and draw about one thing that they learned exploring the contents of the bags

• Show students garbage can/bag. Ask for a volunteer to "empty it"
• Ask if they think it is empty after the student emptied it
• Close off top of the garbage bag, remove it, and have a student press on it to show that it is still full
• Ask what students think the bag is full of
• Discuss ideas and reasons for their thinking
• Ask students where else they think there is air. List. Is the air different outside?

• Pass out a baggie to each student and show him or her how to wave bag to catch air.
• Have some students collect air in different places around the classroom and some students collect air outdoors

• Ask if students can see any difference in the air from in and outside the classroom. Ask if the air is the same temperature if it does not come up. Ask why do they think this is
• Have students describe their observations about air and list.
• Ask if they think air can support weight (like their bodies)? If the think air is strong and why do they think so. Discuss possible strategies.

• Let teams try different strategies to support their weight or have each student inflate and close off a garbage bag and put them into a large plastic bag, then close the bag. Let students try to sit on the bag.
• Pass around several plastic bags in jars. Ask students to gently pull on baggie and see how it behaves
• "Blow Up the Student": Pass out plastic bags and taped to straws. Put bags around outside of a small table. Turn over a table onto the table with the bags and straws. Have a student get on the table and hold on. Have other students blow into the bags slowly

• Ask for observations about baggie in a jar set up and discuss
• Ask for observations about board set up and discuss

• Pass out journal page and have students write and draw about one observation

• Ask what students think will happen if I drop a piece of paper
• Pass out pieces of paper and have students drop them and see what happen
• Ask for student observations
• Ask if it mattered how you hold the paper and if it is folded or not
• Continue to explore and discuss observations

• Discuss observations about paper
• Ask for their ideas about what they think might be happening

• Pass out a napkin, four sticky dots, a paper clip, and two pieces of string to each child
• Have students set up the parachute and try dropping it from a high place if possible

• Ask students for their observations
• Ask students what they think was happening

• Ask students if they think air moves and can push things

• Ask what their evidence is and how they could prove that air moves

• Pass out puffed rice cereal to the children and have them drop a book near the puffed rice

• Ask students to share their observations. Discuss why they think the book made the puffed rice move
• Ask when or where else they have seen air move things

• Ask students to write or draw another thing they learned about air

• Have students demonstrate that they understand and can apply the key concepts and skills of this unit in whatever way they wish - using their preferred intelligence(s)