What is a Scientist?

An Introduction to Science and Science Careers for Early Childhood Audiences

Overview

This lesson explains what science is to preschool and kindergarten students, and also lets them explore and pretend to be scientists. Students will dress up like scientists and practice using some of the tools of scientists. This short lesson is a great way to introduce students to the topic of science and also the idea of science as a career.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the lesson, students will be able to:

  • Have a better idea of what science is as a subject.
  • Explain that being a scientist is a career option, and also know that not all scientists look the same or study the same questions. The clothes the scientist wears are specific to the type of system the scientist is working in.

Length of Lesson

30-45 minutes, depending on how much time left for exploration at the end.

Grade Levels

Preschool-kindergarten

Standards Covered

Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations:

  • S.IP.00.14 Manipulate simple tools (for example: hand lens, pencils, balances, non-standard objects for measurement) that aid observation and data collection.
  • S.IP.E.1 Inquiry involves generating questions, conducting investigations, and developing solutions to problems through reasoning and observation.

Michigan Science Standards:

  • K-2-ETS1-2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Materials

  • Book: What is Science? By Rebecca Kai Dotlich
  • Science dress up clothes
  • Herpetologist (snake person): tall boots and snake tongs
  • Soil scientist: soil probe, bucket
  • Fossil hunter: Hat, paint brush, trowel
  • Herpetologist (frog person): waders or boots and head lamp
  • Stream ecologist: Waders and D net
  • Lake ecologist: Life vest, net, sechi disk
  • Ornithologist (bird person): Vest, bucket hat, binoculars
  • Laboratory chemist: Lab coat, goggles
  • Fire ecologist: Safety hat, backpack sprayer, Nomex clothes, face mask
  • Insect scientist (entomologist): insect net and brown shirt, bag, hat
  • Meteorologist (weather person): thermometer, rain gauge, rain coat
  • Forester: Hard hat, neon vest
  • Mammologist: Bowl hat, thick gloves, live trap
  • Tools for students to explore: magnifying lenses, measuring cups, tweezers, scales/balances, or handheld nets.

Background

Preschoolers are naturally wonderful at asking questions about the world around them, and these science activities and experiments for preschoolers give young minds the skills they need to seek answers and view the world scientifically.Science is the process of acquiring knowledge and establishing rules for how the natural world works based on observation and experimentation. For most students at this age, they will have had limited exposure to science, although they may have seen nature shows or the Magic School Bus on television. At this age, it is most important for them to think of science as the process of asking questions and trying to observe or collect information to answer questions. It is also useful for them to meet scientists in person, as this is a type of occupation students will have very little if any experience with. If possible, it is best to bring in several scientists of different genders/races/ages/etc. so that they may be able to see that not all scientists look the same.

Activities of the Session

  1. Start by reading the bookWhat is Science? By Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Stop as needed to explain the pictures and engage the students in questions about what is happening.

  1. Discussion of what is a scientist and science: Start by asking the students if they have ever done science before at school. They may or may not have been exposed to science in school. Ask students what they do in science? Ask if they had to explain science to a friend, what would they say that one does in science. Explain that science is the process of asking questions and trying to observe and collect information to answer those questions. Ask them if they think you could do science as a job? Explain that many people “do science” as their job, and that people who do science for a living are called scientists.
  2. Dress up students as different kinds of scientists: Transition from the idea of scientist asking questions to the idea that scientists might ask different types of questions. Have some pictures of different scientists in their outfits with their tools. Ask students what they would wear if:
  3. They wanted to study frogs that were active at night (herpetologist): Dress up a student with a head lamp and some waders/boots
  4. They wanted to study snakes that lived in tall grassy swamps: Dress a kid in some tall boots and give them a snake tong
  5. They wanted to study animals that live in streams (freshwater scientist): Dress them in waders and give them a D net
  6. They wanted to study animals that live in lakes (freshwater scientist): Dress them in a life vest, net, and sechi disk
  7. They wanted to study birds (ornithologist): Dress the student in a vest and bucket hat and give them binoculars
  1. They wanted to learn how people can get well when they get sick (medical laboratory person):Dress the student in a lab coat, goggles
  2. They wanted to learn how wildfires work (fire ecologist): Dress the student in a safety hat, backpack sprayer, Nomex clothes, face mask
  3. They wanted to study the soil (soil scientist): Give the student a soil probe, bucket
  4. They wanted to hunt for fossils: Dress the student in a hat, paint brush, trowel
  5. They wanted to study how wildfires behave(fire ecologist): Dress the student in a safety hat, backpack sprayer, Nomex clothes, face mask
  6. They wanted to study insects (entomologist): Give the student an insect net and brown shirt, bag, hat
  7. They wanted to study the weather (meteorologist, weather person):Give the student a thermometer, rain gauge, rain coat
  8. They wanted to study trees (forester): Dress the student in a hard hat, neon vest, tape measure
  9. They wanted to study the squirrels and rodents living in Michigan (mammologist): Dress the student in a bowl hat, thick gloves, live trap
  1. It is nice to be able to give kids time (at some point in the activity) to try on the different outfits.

  1. Let students explore tools that scientists use, including magnifying glasses and other simple tools. Start with magnifying glasses and have the students examine different things in their classrooms. Remind students that they are using their eyes to collect observations.

Resources

Extensions and Modifications

  • The dress up clothes could be used for the group activity, but could also be set up as a dramatic play station during free choice time. Include pictures of the different types of scientists with their outfits and tools.
  • The scientist tools could be integrated into a sensory table activity, where students are looking at things in the sensory table using hand lenses, tweezers, and other simple tools.
  • A small group activity could be having the students explore a simple balance for comparing weights of different objects.

Updated: 10/15/2015Pierce Cedar Creek InstituteWhat is a Scientist?