What do we call a baby dog?
a puppy
What do we see in the sky during the daytime?
the sun
Which season usually has the most daylight hours?
the summer
Name one way a baby plant is like its parent plant
It has the same kind of leaves (or same color flower, or grows the same kind of fruit—any reasonable observable similarity)
What do you see in the sky at night?
the moon and stars
Which season usually has the fewest daylight hours?
Winter
Give one way a baby animal might be different from its parent
It might be smaller, have different spots/stripes, or a different color when young
The moon looks different some nights. What word describes how its shape changes over time?
The phases
If you record the time the sun rises and the time it sets each month, what are you measuring?
Daylight hours (or length of the day)
You observe a kitten and its parent. List two things you could observe that show they are similar
Shape of ears, fur color, eye shape, body parts like tail or whiskers (any two observable traits
If tonight you see a full moon, what might you predict about the moon in a few nights?
It will change shapes
How could you show that days get longer or shorter as the seasons change? Give a simple observation students could make.
Record sunrise and sunset times each week or month, or note how long it’s light after school; compare the times to see if daylight increases or decreases
Describe how you could use observations to show that baby plants are like but not exactly the same as their parent plant
Watch the parent and baby plant. Write or draw what looks the same (like leaf shape or flower color) and what is different (baby plant is smaller or has fewer leaves). Use these observations to explain how they are similar but not identical.
Describe one pattern you can use to tell day from night and one pattern you use to tell where the moon is in its cycle
Day has sunlight and we can see the sun; night is dark and we see the moon and stars. The moon's pattern: it changes shape over many nights (new, crescent, full, etc.
Pose a short investigation students could do to connect the amount of daylight to the season. Include what they would record and one thing they might conclude.
Investigation: Each Monday for a month, write the time the sun rises and sets or draw a picture of whether it’s light or dark at 7 AM and 7 PM. Record the daylight minutes or observations. Conclusion example: In summer we record more daylight minutes and see light earlier and later; in winter we record fewer daylight minutes and see it get dark earlier