Activity 1

Learn Predicting – Drops of Water

Material

N  Coins – 5 sen, 10 sen, 50 sen, and RM 1

N  Dropper

N  Beaker of water

Method:

1.      Use the dropper to drip drops of water on a 20 sen coin.  Do this carefully until water starts to flow off the surface of the coin.  Counts the number of drops.

A 20 sen coin can hold                                  *drops of water.  Record the number of drops in the space marked * in the table below.

2.      Compare the 20 sen coin with the other coins in terms of size and shape.  Predict the number of drops the other coins will probably hold.

Coin	5 sen	10 sen	20 sen	50 sen	RM 1
Prediction
Actual			*

3.      What factors did you consider when making the predictions?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.      Test your predictions by dropping water on each coin.

5.      If the number of drops of water you predicted differ from the actual number, what do you think caused the difference?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Practice Predicting – The Shortest Day

Material

N  Data sheet (below) concerning time of sunrise and sunset

N  Graph paper

Method

1.      The following data sheet shows the time the sun rises and sets every sixth day in a region in the northern hemisphere (30(N).

Date Month-Day	Sunrise a.m.	Sunset p.m.	Daylight      *Only a few calculations are necessary (hour, minute)
11-13	6:23	5:05
11-19	6:28	5:02
11-25	6:33	5:00
12-01	6:38	5:00
12-07	6:42	5:00
12-13	6:47	5:01
12-19	6:51	5:03
12-25	6:54	5:06
12-31	6:56	5:10
1-06	6:57	5:15
1-12	6:57	5:20
1-18	6:56	5:25

2.      In pairs, draw and label a graph for each time of sunrise and time of sunset.  From the graphs, obtain the dates when the sun sets the earliest and when it rises the latest, respectively.

____________________________________________________________

3.      From the two graphs, predict the date of the shortest day.  Remember, you can put one of these graphs over the other.  Explain how you make your prediction.

____________________________________________________________

4.      Calculate the lengths of the shortest day by taking into account the length of the day several days before and several days after the date of the shortest day, and record your findings in the column marked * in the table given.

____________________________________________________________

Activity 1

Practice Making Inference - Footprints

The diagram below shows three strips of footprints one after another, i.e. strip 1 followed by strip 2 and then strip 3.  The series of footprints is seen on a beach.  The dots around the prints in strip 2 shows that the shoes have left deep prints.

1.

2.

3.

Based on the diagram, write your observations on each strip of prints and record your inferences.  You can make more than one inference in each case.

OBSERVATION	INFERENCE
Strip 1
Strip 2
Strip 3

Compare your list of inferences with those of your friends.  Do you feel your inferences are better?  Why?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Activity 2

Apply Making Inference – Heating and Cooling

Science Year 5

Field of Study:  Investigating the Physical World

General Objective:  Understanding that temperature shows the degree of heat

Specific Objective:  Measuring temperature accurately with a thermometer

Suggested Learning Experience:  Making inferences about relationship between
                                                         temperature change and increase or decrease in heat

Material:  Thermometer, Beaker, Water, Gas burner, Tripod stand, Wire gauze, stopwatch, Glass rod

Method:

1. Fill a beaker with water.  Use a gas burner to heat the water.  Record the temperature of water, every two minutes for 10 minutes in the column marked ‘Heating’.

Time/minute	Temperature/º C
	Heating	Cooling
0
2
4
6
8
10

2. Turn off the gas burner.  Record the temperature of the water every two minutes for 10 minutes in the column marked ‘Cooling’.

3. Make an inference about the change in heat in the two processes mentioned.

Process	Observation of Temperature Change	Inference about Heat Change
Heating
Cooling

4.   Why is it that your conclusion on heat change is an inference and not an
      observation?

      __________________________________________________________________

      __________________________________________________________________

Activity 1

Practice Measuring Activity

Can you measure the volume of a drop of water?

Materials:

Water, 10 ml measuring cylinders, beakers

Method:

Fill a measuring cylinder with 50 drops of water.  Read its volume.  Repeat the procedure three times to get a more accurate reading.  Record the volumes in the table below.

	1	2	3
Volume of 50 drops of water
Volume of  one drop of water
Average volume of a drop of water

Using the same procedure, you can also measure the weight of a very light thing such as paper clip, feather, etc.

Activity 1

Learn observing – sweets

Method:

1. Smell the sweet.  Describe the smell.

Smell:____________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. Taste the sweet.  Describe the taste.

Taste:_____________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. Look at the sweet carefully.

Colour:___________________________________________________________

Shape:____________________________________________________________

4. Use a ruler to measure the sweet.

Length:________________ Width:_______________ Height:  _______________

5. Feel the sweet with your fingers.  Describe it.

Texture: __________________________________________________________

6. Drop the sweet onto the table, and describe the sound you hear.

Sound: ___________________________________________________________

7. Drop the sweet into the cup of water and stir the water.  Record your observation.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Communicating

Data

Three Ways

Activity 1 – Compare the following sets of data below.  Then tell which data set communicates the information better.  Give reasons for your choice.

Data Set Number One

Our sun has a surface temperature of about 5538ºC.  The innermost planet is Mercury.  It has a surface temperature of about 327ºC. The next planet, Venus, has a surface temperature of about 482ºC.  Our home planet Earth is next.  Its surface temperature is about 14ºC.  Mars is the fourth planet and its surface temperature is about -23ºC.  Jupiter comes after Mars.  Jupiter has a surface temperature of about -151ºC.  Saturn is next with a surface temperature of about -184ºC.  Uranus is after Saturn.  Its surface temperature is about -207ºC.  Next is Neptune whose surface temperature is about -223ºC.  Pluto is the outermost planet.  It is so far away from the sun that its surface temperature has not been measured but it is estimated to be about -230ºC.

Classifying Activity 1

Materials : 12 different screws

Method

1.  Sort the screws given into two groups.  Draw the shape of the screws in the space  
     below:

Label:                                                              Label:

How are the screws in each group alike?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2.  Sort the screws given, but use a different criterion.  Draw.

Label:                                                              Label:

How are the screws in each group different?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Classifying Activity 2

Material:

A set of shapes made from manila paper – red triangle, blue triangle, red square, yellow square, red circle, green circle

Method

1. Classify the coloured shapes in the following way:

Shapes

                                   

                                 Red                                                             Non-red

                                                Other than                                                       Other than

                                                red triangle                                                      blue triangle

           

                                                                                                                       

Key: R = Red, B = Blue, G = Green, Y = Yellow

2. Classify the six coloured shapes using another criterion.  Draw in the space below.

3. How does  your classification in (2) differ from the classification in (1) above?      

_____________________________________________________________________

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