Shingwàkons 3s and 4s

This page contains links and ideas for Science activities you can do at home to support our learning in the clasroom this year. It has been organized in the basic order of what we will be learning, but can be used at any time during the year.

GRADE 3

SOIL IN THE ENVIRONMENT 🌱🪏

go for walks in nature and ask your learner about what they observe (e.g., Do they see the signs of Fall? Do they notice different types of soil?, etc.) There are amazing NCC trails just a few minutes away from our community that you can check out.
while walking, have them ask questions about what they see around them. See if you can find the answers together.
take some gardening gloves with you when going for a walk and try digging into the soil to see if it's the same all around us
Check out the resources and activities available on TVO Learn:

GROWTH AND CHANGES IN PLANTS 🌳

go for walks in nature and ask your learner about what they observe (e.g., Do they see the signs of Fall? Do they notice different types of soil?, etc.) There are amazing NCC trails just a few minutes away from our community that you can check out.
while walking, have them ask questions about what they see around them. See if you can find the answers together.
determine the needs of plants that are around them in this part of the province
compare what you see around you here with things you know from other parts of the province/country/world
try growing some plants together at home. Talk about the needs of the plants and ask your learner if these plants could grow outside in the winter.
Check out the resources and activities available on TVO Learn:

FORCES AND MOTION 🚶🏻

discuss how forces help create movement in the world (e.g., we use our muscles to move our bodies, magnets stick to the fridge because of magnetic force, etc.)
try some fun experiments outside in the winter: Sledding experiment; Springs Experiments; Let it Snow; Snowflake Diary
check out videos about forces in English on YouTube
Check out some of the resources available on TVO Learn:

STRONG AND STABLE STRUCTURES 🏗️

Go on a community walk and see what kind of structures you can find. Ask questions like, what is the purpose of this structure? What is the load (la charge) on the structure. For example, they might say a bridge is built to help people cross over something else and the load are the cars/people on the bride.
build structures together and then see if a homemade earthquake (e.g., shaking the table) will break the structure
Check out some of the resources available on TVO Learn:

GRADE 4

ROCKS AND MINERALS 🪨

go for walks in nature and ask your learner about what they observe (e.g., Do they see the signs of Fall? Do they notice different rocks?, etc.) There are amazing NCC trails just a few minutes away from our community that you can check out.
while walking, have them ask questions about what they see around them. See if you can find the answers together.
take a road trip to some amazing geological sites around the Ottawa area
start a rock/mineral collection! Practice describing rocks by talking about their colour, durability, flexibility, transparency, etc.
try making your own rock cycle at home
Check out some of the resources available on TVO Learn:

HABITATS AND COMMUNITIES 🏕️🏝️

go for walks in nature and ask your learner about what they observe (e.g., Do they see the signs of Fall? Can they see evidence of animals living in the area?, etc.) There are amazing NCC trails just a few minutes away from our community that you can check out.
while walking, have them ask questions about what they see around them. See if you can find the answers together.
determine the needs of living things that are around them in this part of the province/country
compare what you see around you here with things you know from other parts of the country/world
take special notice of the plant and animal species that live around us. Talk about how these plants and animals survive in our area during the winter.
Check out the resources and activities available on TVO Learn:

MACHINES AND THEIR MECHANISMS ⚙️

point out the simple machines that you use in everyday life (e.g., the caps on a water bottle are screws, the driveway is a kind of ramp, etc.).
try some fun experiments outside in the winter: Sledding experiment; Springs Experiments; Let it Snow; Snowflake Diary
check out videos about machines in English on YouTube
Check out some of the resources available on TVO Learn:

LIGHT AND SOUND 💡🔊

learn together about how light and sound work
Take note of all of the items in your everyday life that use light and/or sound. Ask questions like: how would our life be different if we didn't have light and sound?
Check out some of the resources available on TVO Learn: