### Kindergarten Science Lesson Plan: Simple Physical Properties
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**Title:** Exploring Simple Physical Properties
**Grade Level:** Kindergarten
**Subject:** Science
**Duration:** 45 minutes
**Objective:**
- Students will identify and describe simple physical properties of objects.
- Students will use their senses to explore and compare different objects.
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**Materials Needed:**
- Various objects with different properties (e.g., rubber ball, cotton ball, rock, feather, piece of fabric, block of wood)
- Sorting trays or bins
- Magnifying glasses
- Chart paper and markers
- Picture cards of objects with different properties
- “My Property Book” - a mini booklet for student recordings
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**Introduction: (10 minutes)**
1. **Greeting and Song:**
- Begin with a cheerful greeting, then sing a song about using our senses to explore the world, such as "Five Senses Song."
2. **Discussion:**
- Introduce the concept of physical properties. Explain that physical properties are characteristics of objects that we can see, touch, hear, smell, or taste.
- Use simple, child-friendly language. For example, "Physical properties are what make things different from each other, like how some things are soft and some are hard."
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**Direct Instruction: (10 minutes)**
1. **Key Properties:**
- Introduce specific physical properties: texture (smooth, rough), size (big, small), color, shape, flexibility (bendable, rigid), and weight (heavy, light).
2. **Demonstration:**
- Show examples of each property using the objects. For example:
- **Texture:** Compare a smooth rock and a rough piece of sandpaper.
- **Size:** Compare a large rubber ball and a small cotton ball.
- **Weight:** Compare a heavy block of wood and a light feather.
- **Flexibility:** Compare a bendable piece of pipe cleaner and a rigid stick.
3. **Interactive Read-Aloud:**
- Read a picture book with a focus on physical properties, like "What is It Made Of?" by Martha E. H. Rustad. Discuss the properties mentioned in the book.
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**Activity: Hands-On Exploration (15 minutes)**
1. **Stations:**
- Set up various stations with different objects for students to explore.
- Provide magnifying glasses, sorting trays, and bins at each station.
2. **Exploration and Sorting:**
- Allow students to touch, feel, and examine the objects. Encourage them to describe what they notice using sensory language.
- Ask students to sort objects based on their properties. For example, create groups of "smooth items" and "rough items."
3. **Recording Observations:**
- Provide each student with a "My Property Book" mini booklet. Assist them in drawing or writing a simple description of one object at each station.
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**Closure: (10 minutes)**
1. **Group Sharing:**
- Gather students together and invite a few volunteers to share their favorite object and describe its properties.
2. **Reflection:**
- Ask open-ended questions such as: “What did you learn about the objects?” “Which property was the most fun to explore?”
3. **Picture Card Matching:**
- Use picture cards of objects with different properties and have students match them to labels or descriptions of the properties.
4. **Wrap-up:**
- Summarize the day’s lesson by reviewing what physical properties are and how we used our senses to explore them.
- End with an interactive chant or song about properties to reinforce the learning (e.g., “Everything has Properties!”).
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**Assessment:**
- **Observation:**
- Monitor and document students’ participation and their ability to describe object properties during activities.
- **"My Property Book":**
- Review students' booklets to check for understanding and accurately recorded observations.
- **Verbal Feedback:**
- Assess students’ comprehension through their responses during group sharing and picture card matching.
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**Extension:**
- **Home Connection:**
- Send a note home suggesting that parents help their child find an object at home and identify its properties to share with the class the next day.
- **Art Integration:**
- Have students create a collage using materials with different textures and colors, discussing the properties as they work.
By fostering exploration and discussion about simple physical properties, this lesson aims to build foundational science skills while engaging young learners in hands-on discovery.