One of today’s spelling dictation sentences in the W.I.S.E. guide was “Steam, ice and water, these three are one.” M said, “They are? Do you mean there is water in a boat?” I think he meant a steam boat.
So after spelling dictation, I pulled out an ice cube, and a sauce pan. On high heat, the ice cube melted rapidly. It also slid around amusingly. Then, while the ice cube was still melting, the water began to bubble. I held a metal mixing bowl upside down over the steam with barbecue tongs, to catch the steam and condense it back to water. I checked that it wasn’t too hot, then had M feel the condensed steam and agree that it was water. Then I put the bowl into the freezer. By the time we’d finished playing Cuisinart rod games, and reviewing memory verses, the water drops had frozen. M felt the ice drops, but needed some help narrating what had happened.
Figuring that I should inject something familiar, I asked him if Lego bricks were Lego bricks if they were loose in a box. He nodded yes. Then I asked if Lego bricks were Lego bricks if they were connected to make a model. He nodded yes. Finally I asked if Lego bricks were Lego bricks if they were flying through the air because his sister had knocked over a container. That caused some enthusiastic kinetic narration, because it was almost time for run around outside time; but now he began to get how water, ice and steam could be the same stuff.
Thank you Wanda Sanseri!
What a great idea linking the idea of legos to your water experiment. A fantastic teachable moment! Great job, Mom! Thanks for sharing on the SWR Yahoo Group, too.
Liz FitzGerald
Dear Christine,
What a great lesson — using the sentence from the WISE Guide as a springboard. Now you've also covered science for the day! Thanks for sharing this with the SWR yahoo group! Britta
P.S. How ARE the kitchen curtains! :)
Ha, I love the lego analogy, that's brilliant!