**Lesson Plan: Simple Investigations**
**Grade Level**: Year 2
**Subject**: Science
**Duration**: 60 minutes
**Topic**: Simple Investigations
**Learning Objectives**:
1. Understand the concept of a scientific investigation.
2. Develop skills in forming a hypothesis, making observations, and recording data.
3. Learn how to draw simple conclusions from collected data.
**Materials**:
- Whiteboard and markers
- Chart paper
- Magnifying glasses
- Measuring cups or spoons
- Thermometers
- Notebooks and pencils
- Various objects for investigation (e.g., leaves, rocks, water, soil samples, small plants)
- Printable worksheets for recording observations
**Introduction (10 minutes)**:
1. **Greeting and Overview**: Welcome students and introduce today's topic – Simple Investigations.
2. **Discussion**:
- Ask students if they know what it means to investigate something.
- Explain that scientists ask questions, make observations, and collect data to learn about the world.
3. **Purpose**:
- Emphasize that today they will become young scientists by conducting a simple investigation.
**Activity 1: Formulating a Hypothesis (10 minutes)**:
1. **Explain**:
- Introduce the term “hypothesis” as a question or guess that can be tested.
- Provide an example: "I think plants grow faster in sunlight than in the shade.”
2. **Class Participation**:
- Ask students to come up with their own hypothesis related to simple, observable phenomena.
- Write a few of their hypotheses on the board.
**Activity 2: Conducting Investigations (25 minutes)**:
1. **Explain and Demonstrate**:
- Show how to use magnifying glasses, measuring cups, and thermometers.
- Explain how to record data in notebooks.
2. **Group Work**:
- Divide students into small groups and assign them one of the given objects to investigate.
- Provide each group with a worksheet to record their observations (e.g., appearance, measurements, temperature).
3. **Investigate**:
- Allow students to explore and make observations about their assigned object, guiding them as needed.
- Students should discuss their findings within the groups and complete their worksheets.
**Activity 3: Sharing Findings (10 minutes)**:
1. **Group Presentations**:
- Each group will present their findings to the class, stating their hypothesis, observations, and any interesting discoveries.
- Encourage students to explain how their observations help support or refute their hypotheses.
**Conclusion (5 minutes)**:
1. **Recap**:
- Summarize the key steps of a scientific investigation: forming a hypothesis, making observations, and recording data.
2. **Class Discussion**:
- Reflect on what they learned and how they felt conducting investigations.
3. **Connect to Real Life**:
- Discuss how they can use these investigation skills in everyday life (e.g., observing weather changes, plant growth, etc.).
**Assessment**:
- Observe students’ participation and engagement during activities.
- Review students’ worksheets and recorded observations.
- Evaluate their group presentations for understanding and communication of their findings.
**Homework**:
- Ask students to select an object or phenomenon at home and conduct a simple investigation, following the steps learned in class. They should write about their hypothesis, observations, and conclusions in their science notebooks and bring it back to share in the next class.
**Extension Activities**:
- For students who finish early or need extra challenges, provide additional objects or scenarios for investigation.
- Encourage them to think about how they could further test and explore their initial observations.
By the end of this lesson, Year 2 students will have a grounding in simple scientific investigations, building a foundation for future scientific inquiry.