Foundation Phase Science Investigations

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Natural Sciences
INVESTIGATIONS
with Foundation Phase Learners
© Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) 2008

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Natural Sciences
INVESTIGATIONS
with Foundation Phase Learners
A lot of the ideas in this booklet owe their germination to a long collaboration between Alan and
Viv Kenyon. We have shared a passion for primary education and primary teacher development for a
long time. This dates back from the progressive 1960s, when we first started teaching, to the early
1970s together in London. It continued at Lovedale in Alice, and then at Cape College in Fort Beaufort,
where colleagues and students helped grow and contextualise many of these ideas. Subsequent work
with teachers and in classrooms has helped refine the practical relevance of this work.
Layout by Welma Odendaal

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Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Section 1
What’s the best way to make ice disappear? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Investigating Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Investigating Bread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Section 2
Investigating Mini-Beasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Investigating Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Section 3
How many ways can you make a torch bulb light? . . . . . . . . . . 36
Investigating Pushes and Pulls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Section 4
Investigating the Phases of the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Investigating Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
National Curriculum Statement

Natural Sciences – Foundation Phase
Learning Outcome 1
The learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena, and to investigate
relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and environmental contexts.
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Introduction
In 2004 the Foundation Phase teachers from 9 primary schools in the South
district began working with the PSP to develop and trial Natural Science
investigations with their learners, as part of the MSET Project, funded by the
Shuttleworth Foundation. This booklet is an outcome of our work together over
three years.
What is in this booklet?
In this booklet we have set out the 9 investigations that we carried out with
learners. These investigations worked well with learners from Grade R to
Grade 3. You will find suggestions for using readily available, everyday
materials to help you carry out these nine investigations with your class.
How the booklet is structured
We start with a focus on Raising questions. Then the booklet is divided into
four sections. Each section focuses on one of the strands in the Natural Ice, clay, and bread
Sciences National Curriculum Statement.

The strands are
I Matter and Materials
I Life and Living
I Energy and Change, and
I- Planet Earth and Beyond.
The first section focuses on Matter and Materials. In this section you will find
guidelines for 3 investigations: ice, clay, and bread. Mini-beasts and plants
In the second section, Life and Living, we have set out 2 investigations for you
to carry out with your learners: mini-beasts and plants.
The third section, Energy and Change, has suggestions for two investigations:
electricity and movement.
In the last section, Planet Earth and Beyond, we have suggested ways of
investigating the phases of the Moon and the weather. electricity and
movement
Using this booklet
Don’t feel that you have to work through this booklet from beginning to end.
Feel free to dip into it. Choose an investigation to carry out with your learners
that you are interested in, and that you feel will interest them. Also consider
what will fit in with any project or theme your class or school is involved in.
This book is intended to be a help, to provide guidelines. It is not intended to
be a strait-jacket or a set of rules. Trust yourself and your learners.
One thing you will have to consider is the weather and the time of year when
you investigate certain topics. For example, Winter may not be the best time to Phases of the Moon
investigate plants or small animals because they aren’t so accessible. and the weather
We hope you will find the suggestions practical and inspiring. And we hope
INTRODUCTION 3
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that, like us, you will find Natural Sciences is a fascinating and wonderful area
of the curriculum to investigate with your learners. Science can be a powerful
basis and link to good integrated work across the broad Foundation Phase
curriculum.
Raising questions
Often in classrooms teachers tend to be the ones who ask questions. And as
teachers, we expect our learners to answer the questions. We believe that if a
curriculum is to be truly child-centred, we need to give our learners
opportunities to do the actual asking. We need to make sure that they have lots
of chances to ask the questions that they have. And they need opportunities to
investigate their own questions.
You will find in this booklet that we frequently suggest ways to encourage
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4 INVESTIGATING WITH FOUNDATION PHASE LEARNERS

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learners to think and voice their questions, and to even provoke them to ask
We frequently
more questions. And we don’t need to be afraid that the children will raise
suggest ways to questions that we feel unable to answer. We don’t have to answer all their
encourage questions when they raise them.
learners to It is really important that our learners have time to ponder and think about
think and voice some of their questions. They need time to think of possible answers, to puzzle
their questions, over the questions and possible answers. Later on when they are learning more
about whatever it is that they want to know, they will discover the answers,
and to even and true learning will take place. Bruner has said that ‘discovery favours the
provoke them to prepared mind’. Children who have had time to think about things, will be
ask more ready to discover and learn because they have had time to puzzle over
questions. possibilities.
INTRODUCTION 5
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SECTION 1
Matter and Materials
What’s the best way to make ice disappear?
How to make ice

disappear was the
first investigation we
carried out with
Foundation Phase learners
within the MSET Project. It was a
great way to start and involved
investigating something that virtually all children
are familiar with. The question that we began with
(What’s the best way to make ice disappear?) arose from the
questions that teachers elicited from their learners before the first workshop.
Planning and preparing for the investigation
When you carry out this investigation you will need to make sure that you
have enough ice-cubes so that each pair or small group of three learners has an
ice-cube. You will also need to ensure that all the ice-cubes are approximately
the same size. You will have to think how you will keep the ice-cubes frozen
until you want to use them. One possibility is to use a vacuum flask. We found
that it’s also very useful to have enough polystyrene cups so that each pair can
hold their ice-cube in a cup to start with.
6 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

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Making sure the learners are active

We suggest that you read through the whole investigation
a day or two before. What problems do you think your
learners are likely to encounter? What might you need to
do to help your learners? How can you make sure that
your learners are the ones carrying out the investigation?
This is not a demonstration. We have to trust the learners
to be curious, inventive and creative. They have to be the
ones conducting the investigation. They have to own the
activity. Your important role is to guide and support them,
when you have judged that they need help.
If the investigation doesn’t go quite the way you had
hoped or planned, that doesn’t matter. Get your learners to
conduct the investigation again. Scientists carry out their
investigations more than once. They vary, change, adapt
and check what they do, and what happens. So your
learners will be behaving like scientists!
What are your learners likely to do?
You know your learners. Try to predict what they will do. Spend a little time
thinking about what they are likely to think of and try, in order to get their ice-
cube to melt quickly. This will help you prepare. What the children decide and
plan to do might reveal their pre-knowledge. For example, some children may
put the ice in the sun. Others may put their ice-cube on something dark in the
sun. Yet others may crush the ice-cube, or chew it. Some children may even
melt bits on the ground. Be open-minded. Expect your learners to surprise you
by what they do.
What are the best ways to get ice to disappear
completely?
When we plan an investigation we start with a question. Where does ice come
from? Where does ice go to? In this case our question is, What are the best
ways to get ice to disappear completely? Who can get their ice-cube to
disappear the most quickly? It’s a bit like a race.
TASK 1
Begin by gathering your learners around
you. If you have a carpeted area in your
classroom, gather your class on the
carpet. If you don’t have a special
corner for reading and stories, get your
learners to bring their chairs together
and sit down with them for a
discussion.
You could start with a story, or with a
discussion about weather, particularly
hot weather, and leading to ice-cubes.
Ask your learners what they know about
ice. Record their responses on newsprint
or the chalkboard in the form of a spider
web or a mind-map.
LIFE AND LIVING 7

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TASK 2
Grade R and Grade 1
If you work with Grade R or Grade 1 learners, give them very careful
instructions about what you want them to do next. We suggest that you tell
them exactly what you want them to do. Tell them that as a class you are going
to try to find the best and quickest ways to make a cube of ice melt. Then tell
them that you want them to work in pairs and that you are going to give each
pair a cube of ice. Tell them that you are all going to go outside the classroom
and you want them to see who can find the best ways to make ice disappear
completely. Remind them to try to think of the quickest ways.
Take your learners outside. Either tell them to find a
partner, or put the children into pairs. Give each pair an
ice-cube in a polystyrene cup. You will need to decide how
far away from the classroom you take them. You may
choose to work in the playground so that you don’t disturb
the other classes. You may be able to work just outside
your classroom. You will also need to make sure that you
are able to observe every pair. Encourage your learners to
think of different ways to get their ice to melt.
When most of the learners have got their ice-cubes to
melt, take your class back into the classroom to discuss
what they did and what they found.
Grade 2 and Grade 3
If your learners have already been in school a year or two,
we suggest that you give them some time to plan in their
small groups of two or three to carry out their investigation
in two stages.
I First of all, tell them to spend a short while thinking and
talking about what they could do.
I Then tell them that they must draw up a plan of what
they will do. Encourage them to predict what might
happen. Limit the time for these two tasks. Thinking is
important, but you also want them to try out their ideas
and plans.
I Next tell them to carry out their investigation. Tell your
learners that you want them to observe what happens.
Remind them to record what they see.
As with the younger learners, we suggest that you take your
learners outside for this investigation. Give each pair or
group of 3 an ice-cube in a polystyrene cup. Make sure that
you are able to observe what each small group is doing, and
that you are available to prompt and encourage those
learners who struggle.
As they wait for their ice-cube to melt, they need to watch it
and report on its progress: ‘It’s melted a bit’; ‘It’s half-
melted’; ‘It’s completely melted’; and so on. Grade 2s and
Grade 3s can measure the time it takes for their ice-cube to
melt using the clock or a watch.

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What have we learned?

Gather your learners all together again
for a discussion. Remind them to
share their plans.
Ask them:
I What did you think would happen
before you tried to get your ice to
melt?
I What did you find out? Why do
you think it happened as it did?
I What makes the ice disappear
quickly?
I Where does the water go?
I What have we learned?
The Science of Melting and Evaporation

I Melting is a name we give to the process when a solid
substance turns into a liquid. Butter melts. Ice-cream melts.
Chocolate melts. Ice melts.
I Evaporation is the term for the next change in state when a
liquid seems to disappear as a gas or vapour.
Try to get your learners to explain what happened and why.

When they do this, the children are hypothesising – or
developing a theory – about why it happened. What if the
children chew up the ice? If this happens, ask them, Where
did the ice go? And then? Finally you could ask, What
happens when we sweat? This would encourage learners to
The most important
make associations with other experiences. For example, how
thing is to provoke does washing dry on the line?
your learners to Don’t worry about getting all the “right” answers. The most
think, and think some important thing is to provoke your learners to think, and
more. think some more. This discussion is a very valuable part of
the investigation. You are leading the children to think about
and reflect on what they have done, and what they have
found. You are helping them to articulate their experiences
and thoughts. It is the actual doing (process) that produces
powerful learning.
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Investigating clay
The ‘Feeley-Box’ – Integrating Language
and Science
A ‘feeley-box’ or a ‘feeley-bag’ is a very useful piece of
equipment for any primary school teacher. It is a box or bag
with a number of articles inside. The idea is for somebody
to be able to put their hand(s) inside to touch and feel
something, without anybody being able to see what exactly
they are holding. A 5-litre fruit juice box works well. So
does an empty box (with its lid) that has held photocopy
paper. It works best if there are two holes on opposite sides
of the box so that children can put both hands into the box
to get a better sense of what they are holding.
You can use a feeley-box (or feeley-bag) to develop and extend
your learners’ use of descriptive language. And you could use it
for Numeracy, Science, and Life Skills. As this section focuses on
Matter and Materials, a feeley-box is really valuable in terms of
getting young learners to think about the properties of matter and
materials.
Before you use the feeley-box with your learners, plan what you
could put in the box for this occasion. Put in familiar items,
items with different textures and shapes. For Grade 2s and 3s, try
to include items that combine different textures and shapes. For
example you could include a toothbrush, a tennis ball, a sponge
or scourer, a nail brush, a stone, a pencil or pen, a comb.
Investigating matter using touch
All Grades
The first time you use a feeley-box or a feeley-
bag, gather your learners around you. Tell them
that you want them to listen very carefully. Tell
the children that you are going to ask one child
to come and put her / his hands into the box
and to pick up something to touch and feel.
Make sure that the children understand that they
are not to remove the item from the box. They
are only going to use the sense of touch to work
out what they are holding. Tell your learners that
you do not want the child
to tell the rest of the class
whatever s/he is holding.
Instead you are going to
ask some questions to try
to find out what it might A feeley-box is really valuable in
be. You are going to try to terms of getting young learners
guess from the answers
to think about the properties of
s/he gives to your
questions. matter and materials.

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Then choose one child who has listened carefully, to come

and stand next to you. Ask questions that will tell you
something about the shape, texture, hardness and even the
use of the item (in other words about the properties of the
item). For example,
I What’s the shape of the thing you’re holding?
I Is it hard?
I Can you squeeze it?
I What do you think it’s made of?
Remember, the child cannot see the item. S/he is making
guesses, based on what s/he is touching. As s/he feels and
touches the item, s/he uses language to describe what
s/he can feel.
As you ask questions, gradually encourage the rest of the class to ask
questions, too. After you and the class have successfully guessed what the first
item is, invite another child to come and find something in the box. Again
encourage the other children to ask questions. Encourage the child holding
something in the feely-box to answer questions about whatever it is s/he is
holding. Gradually encourage your children to ask questions like those you
have asked. They will enjoy being involved and taking ownership of the task.
They will learn the important skill of asking questions that elicit useful
answers.
Grade 2s and Grade 3s
You can extend this activity with Grade 2s and Grade 3s by giving each group a
feeley-box with some things inside. Each person gets a chance to put her hands
inside the box, to choose something, touch it carefully (observation), and
describe it (reporting). The rest of the group tries to guess what it is that the
person is holding (interpreting – making inferences) by asking questions.
Investigating matter using all our senses
What you will need
I A small dish of dry powdered clay for each group
I A small dropper for each group
I A piece of A3 paper with a mind-map drawn on it for each group (Grade 2
or Grade 3)
I 2 different coloured crayons for each group (Grade 2 and Grade 3)
I A sheet of newsprint with mind-map lines drawn on it (Grade R or Grade 1)
I 2 different coloured koki-pens (Grade R or Grade 1)
You can get dry powdered clay from a shop that sells craft materials, or pottery
materials. (You will find an address of a supplier in Cape Town in the Appendix
on page 82.)
If you have small droppers, the children can add very small quantities of water
to the dry substance in the second part of the investigation.
Observing and recording
Give each group a sheet of paper with the lines marked on it, and a small dish
holding some dry powdered clay. Ask your learners to observe the substance.
Tell them to touch the material, to feel it between their fingers. Ask them to
compare it with other similar-looking substances.
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Ask them,
I What does it look like?
I What does it feel like?
I Have you seen anything that looks like this?
Tell them to talk about what they see and feel

If you work with Grade 2s and Grade 3s, ask them to
record their observations on the mind-map (colour,
texture, heaviness, etc). If you are working with Grade
Rs or Grade 1s, we suggest that you move around from
group to group so that you can check how your learners
are getting on. Then have a class discussion with your
Grade Rs or Grade 1s about what they have observed.
Record their observations on the mind-map on the
newsprint that you have prepared.
Another possibility is to give each group a bank of
words to choose from and some prestik. This is what the
teachers at Northwood did. Then they asked the children
to stick down the words that they felt best described the
texture, colour etc on their mind-map.
Discussing and Communicating
Ask your learners to tell you what they found. This is an
important science process skill that will help your
learners develop confidence in speaking in front of the
whole class. They will also be learning to listen to one
another and will hear what their peers think and say. As
they share their observations, record your learners’
contributions on a larger mind-map on the board. We
found that most classes guessed what the substance
was. Children who had spent time in rural areas, even
for holidays, recognised the dry clay.
Predicting and recording
Before you hand out droppers with
water, ask your learners to think about
I What will happen if we add a few
drops of water?
I How will the water change the clay?
If you work with Grade 2s or Grade 3s,
ask them to record their predictions in
one colour on their mind-map. If you
work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, use
one of the koki-pens to record your
learners’ predictions. Again, ask the
groups to share their ideas with the
whole class and add their ideas to the
mind-map on the chalkboard.

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Investigating, observing and recording

Now hand out the droppers and a small quantity of water
to each group. Ask your learners to add just a few drops of
water to the powder. Tell them that you want them to
record their findings on their mind-maps in a different
colour from their predictions. Ask your learners what they
found. Then record their findings on the mind-map on the
board.
Communicating
Ask your learners,
I What did you think (predict) would happen?
I What changes did you see and feel?
I What happened to the water?
I Were your predictions correct?
Add your learners’ observations and findings to the whole
group mind-map using different coloured koki-pen.

Finally ask your class, “What have we learned?” This is important feedback in
terms of getting your class to evaluate the investigation. You can get the
children to record what they think they have learned in the form of a drawing.
Ask Grade 2s and Grade 3s to label their drawings. Don’t worry if they don’t
spell all the words correctly. We want to encourage emergent writing.
Extending the investigation
You can extend your learners’ experience and investigation of clay by giving
each child some ‘wet’ clay. Wet clay is dough-like so that you can mould it or
make something. It isn’t so wet that it just looks like mud. It’s firm. You can
pinch it or press it, and shape it into something.
Give each child some clay and ask them to roll out a small snake from the
damp clay. Tell them to measure their snakes and to record the length on a
small piece of paper. Ask your learners to predict what might happen. For
example, “What do you think will happen to your snakes when the clay dries?
Why?”
Changing Properties of Matter

Then put the snakes somewhere safe where they can dry
Clay is a particularly fine form of soil. The particles slowly and without danger of being broken. Put some
(the teeny-tiny bits) are very small and smooth. plastic covering over the snakes so that they don’t dry too
The properties of dry powdered clay are changed quickly. If the clay dries too quickly, the clay will break
when it is mixed with a liquid like water, which binds
very easily and even crumble. Later, when the snakes are
the particles together. A small amount of water will
produce a substance that can be moulded. More
dry, get your learners to measure their snakes again. They
water will make a paste. can label their drawing. Were their predictions correct?
What do they think happened to their snakes? Why?
MATTER AND MATERIALS 13

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Investigating bread
What you will need

We would suggest that you have no more than 6 children
in any group. But if you have just 4 children in a group,
more children will have a chance to participate actively.
For the first part of the investigation, you will need some
flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water and oil, and a small dish for
each group. Before you carry out this investigation with
your learners, put a small quantity of one of the
ingredients in each small dish.
Make sure that each group has some-
thing different. This is important. You
don’t want to give each group all the
ingredients. You want to give your
learners something of a surprise! If
each group has something different to
observe and investigate, there is a real
reason for them to share their
observations. This is the science
process skill of communication.

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Investigating the properties of materials

When you have prepared the dishes, give each group a
small dish with one of several different ingredients. If you
teach Grade 2s or Grade 3s, give each group a piece of A3
paper together with a pen so that they can record their
observations. We have suggested some questions that you
can ask to provoke them to observe, and think carefully
about the substance in the dish on their table. You also
want the children to predict what will happen if they add a
little water, or if they add a lot.
I What does it look like? Why do you think this?
I How does it feel?
I What does it smell like?
I How does it taste?
I What do you think would happen if you added a little
water to it? What if you added a lot?
Ask Grade 2s or 3s to record their observations on the sheet of paper you have
given them. If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, ask each group to share
their observations. Then record their observations on a class mind-map on flip-
chart paper or on the board.
If nobody suggests what you could do with all these ingredients together, ask
your learners what they think we could make with them if we put them all
together. We think you will find that somebody will suggest that you can make
bread!
What do we know about bread?
Before you have a discussion with
your learners, spend some time
thinking about what you think your
learners will know about bread. Bread
is still made in many homes on a
regular basis. Think about different
kinds of bread. What about bread for
special occasions? How is bread used
for religious and cultural customs or
rituals? Is bread always cooked in the
same way? You may also decide to
collect several different wrappings
(plastic bags, etc) from different
breads to show your class.
Don’t omit this investigation because there isn’t

an oven at your school. Even if you do all the
preparation at school with learners, you can bake /
cook the bread dough at home. The next day, you
can share the bread together.
When you decide to have your discussion, take a sheet of flip-chart paper and
either some thick koki-pens or wax crayons. Gather your learners around you
and ask them what they know about bread. Record everything that they tell
you in the form of a spider-web or a mind-map.
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Making bread – an opportunity for integration

We really hope you will decide to make bread at school with your learners.
This was one of the highlights of the investigations we carried out, and which
we all enjoyed. It is also a real way of integrating the three areas of the
curriculum of the Foundation Phase: Literacy, Life Skills and Numeracy. When
we make bread with learners, they have to measure volume, mass and time.
What you will need
For each group you will need:
I a mixing bowl
I a wooden spoon
I a jug or cup, and
I some measuring cups or spoons
I bread flour
I yeast
I sugar
I salt
I oil, and
I water
You may also decide to have some
additional ingredients (eggs, milk, etc)
so that the groups can make different
kinds of bread. This is what Jean
Grooter did at Dietrich Moravian
Primary School in Philippi.
It is also a good idea to make sure

that the children have some kind of
aprons. You could even use clean
dustbin bags and cut a hole at the
bottom, with two smaller holes at the
sides near the bottom. Then you can
turn the dustbin bags upside down,
and put them over the children.
A Remember that plastic bags that
have not had holes cut into them
can cause children to suffocate.

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Shared reading
Make a copy of a recipe for each group, even if you are working
with the youngest learners. We want them to become used to
seeing print around them. And although their mothers, aunts,
grandmothers, and sisters may not use recipes, recipes are
another genre (type) of printed text that is a real part of life.
Even if you feel that this is a waste of time because your
learners “can’t read yet”, we suggest you provide them with a
recipe. It is another way of making language and literacy a real
and meaningful part of this investigation. Make a large version
to put up on the wall. Then, read the recipe aloud to your
learners. Ask them to join in and read with you as you read the
recipe again.
Cooking / baking the bread dough
You will need to think about how the bread will be cooked. Most of the schools
we worked with did not have stoves. But they made arrangements to either
make vetkoek, rooster brood, or even brought in portable ovens to their
classrooms. You will need to decide how to solve this problem in your school.
You may decide to make the bread dough with your class towards the end of
the day, then take it home yourself to bake. You can bring the cooked results
back to your class the following day to share with your class.
If you take the bread dough home to cook, you could cook it in different ways.
This would enable you and your learners to compare textures and flavours.
Tasting (and testing) the baked bread

This is a wonderful way to integrate language into your science investigation.
Share the bread as fairly as you can with your children. You want each child to
have something to taste – enough to be able to describe what the bread looks
and tastes like.
You also want to get your learners to compare the appearance, texture and taste
with commercially produced bread. And whether all the bread is the same, or
whether there are different kinds (ie vetkoek, roosterbrood, white bread, brown
bread, bread made with milk, bread made with egg). This is an opportunity to
get learners observing and reporting on their observations and findings.
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When each child has a piece of bread, ask the children to

look carefully at it. Ask them,
I How shall we describe it?
I What does it look like?
Then give the children some time to look and think and
talk to one another. You could record their responses, or
you could keep this as an oral discussion.
Then ask,
I In what ways does the bread you’ve got look like bread
from a shop or supermarket?
I How does it look different?
Again, give your learners time to observe and think about
the piece of bread they’re holding. If you are recording
their responses, record their responses to these questions,
too.
Next, ask your class,
I What does your bread taste like?
I Why do you think that is?
I What is the texture like?
Once again give your learners time to taste and think
about the bread they have.
If you have made different kinds of bread or cooked it in
different ways, get your learners to compare the different
breads, cooked in different ways, and their different tastes
and textures.
Recording what we have learned – Shared writing
Afterwards, reflect with your class on what you have done
together, and what they have learned. Take a sheet of flip-
chart paper, and tell your children that you want them to
help you write what they did when they made the bread.
I Ask them to tell you what they did first. Be prepared to
wait while they think.
I Ask the question again in a different way (for example,
How did we begin when we made our bread?).
I When one of the children makes a suggestion, even if
it’s just a phrase, praise that child. It’s very important
to encourage your learners. If that child’s suggestion
isn’t the very first thing that the children did, remind
them that you want to write everything that they did.
What was the very first thing we did?
I Encourage your learners to give you their sentences,
their words. Try your best not to write your own words.
Write down what the children tell you.
After you have written each sentence, get your learners to
read the sentence with you. As you add more sentences,
encourage the children to read with you all that you have
written down. As you prompt them, try to encourage the
children to think about the sequence of what they did.

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When you have written up the experience, read aloud the

whole text that you and your learners have co-created. Ask
the children if they are happy with what they have created.
Is the sequence correct? Can they think of a better way to
say something? This is a chance for you and your learners
together to edit what they have dictated. It is part of the
process of writing. Your learners will be thinking and
acting like writers. Take a different coloured koki or wax
crayon to make changes to the text. Later on, you can
write out a neat, edited version to put up in your
classroom. You could even start a book of your learners’
favourite recipes with the children.
Shared Writing is a good way to incorporate meaningful literacy practices into
science work in your classroom. The children will be interested and understand
what you write and what they are reading because they have been actively
involved in the process of making bread, and because they have helped to
create the text. Even if your learners are just beginning to read, this is a
valuable experience, and the children will learn important lessons about
reading, writing and print (texts).
When scientists Other language activities that can come out of this experience
describe investigations I Writing out sentences on sentence strips for the children to put in a logical
that they carry out, order, which follows the sequence of what they did.
they use the following
I Making a book about how to make bread.
words to describe the
process: I Reading the print on packets of ingredients we use to make bread.
First, I Collecting stories and poems about bread – (5 loaves and 2 fishes)
Next, I The story of the Little Red Hen – critical literacy – asking learners “If the Pig
Then had told this story (or one of the other animals), in what ways would the
After that,
story be different?”
And then,
Finally, I Tracing back the story of bread –
k Start with a sandwich, and then get your class to tell it’s story backwards.
k The sandwich came from 2 slices.
k The 2 slices were cut from a loaf.
k The loaf came from a shop.
k The shop bought the loaf from a bakery.
List of changes
k The loaf was baked in an oven. etc. (The Technology of processing
In Science we consider materials)
how properties I Encourage your class to draw and write about different occasions when
change. When we different breads are made and eaten.
make bread, and
combine different Extending the investigation
ingredients, the pro-
perties of the different Further questions to think about with learners
ingredients change. I What happens to bread
The properties change – after some time?
when we mix them,
– if you leave it in a dark cupboard?
and the properties
change when they are – if you leave it out / unwrapped?
heated (cooked). – if it gets wet?
Heating (baking or I Why does some bread go mouldy? What is mould? What other things go
cooking) results in mouldy?
changes that we can’t
I What can we do with bread? We can make
usually reverse.
toast; bread and butter pudding … and ???
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SECTION 2
Life and Living
Investigating mini-beasts
However you feel about mini-beasts, we hope that you will investigate
the range of small creatures available in your neighbourhood, with
your class. Young children are often fascinated by the different
creatures in their environment and mini-beasts provide a
wonderful resource for investigations.
You will have to think about the time
of year that you choose to
investigate these creatures. We
chose late Summer /early
Autumn, when there are
quite a lot of different
creatures around.
But this is not

the only time. You
may find that late
Spring / early Summer is
just as good a time.

FP Sc pp1-27 2/9/08 11:25 AM Page 21
What are mini-beasts?
What do we mean by ‘mini-Beasts’? Mini-beasts are small creatures, also

known as goggas or izinambuzane. They include grasshoppers, flies, dragon-
flies, beetles, ants, spiders, slugs and snails, worms, lizards, chameleons,
geckos, in fact anything that is a small animal. However, if we are going to
study mini-beasts with young learners, there are some creatures that would be
dangerous to investigate. The children could get stung, or bitten. Although we
want to encourage our learners’ curiosity, we don’t want them to come to any
harm. But that is not an excuse to avoid this aspect of Science.
Introducing the investigation
There are different ways that you can introduce this investigation.
It would be wonderful if you could take a lead from your learners.
In other words, if a child brought in a small creature that s/he had
found, you could use the creature as a starting point to investigate
and find out more about that creature, and small creatures
generally.
Working with Grade 2s and Grade 3s
You will need a sheet of flip-chart paper and
some thick koki-pens or wax crayons. Prepare
for the discussion by writing the word, “Mini-
beasts” in the middle of the sheet, and then
drawing lines out from the centre, creating a
spider-web / mind-map around the word. Try
to find some pictures or picture books about
mini-beasts to share with your learners. You
could display the pictures on a wall of the
classroom, or put the books out on a special
table for your learners to look at quietly when
they have finished a task.
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Begin by gathering your learners

around you. You could use a
story, a picture, or a mini-beast
that one of your children has
found, or a selection of different
mini-beasts that you have
found. Whatever way you
choose to start this
investigation, when you have
introduced the topic, ask your
learners,
I What do we know about
mini-beasts?
I What mini-beasts do you
know?
As the children respond, record their responses on the mind-map that you have
prepared. Use whatever language the learners give you. If they mix languages,
that’s fine. You could always use this as an opportunity to extend and develop
their first language or an additional language.
Observing mini-beasts
What you will need
First of all, for all Grades you will need blank paper and pencils for your
learners to draw what they see. Then, if you teach Grade 2 or Grade 3 learners If you work
you have a choice. You could either focus on one mini-beast at a time, or you with younger
could get each group to investigate a different creature. learners, it is a
When you have decided how you will approach this investigation, you will good idea to
need enough mini-beasts so that each group of learners can observe one of the guide their
creatures easily. You could find a few specimens yourself, or you could take
observation
your learners outside to collect mini-beasts.
Crickets
Milliipede

FP Sc pp1-27 2/9/08 11:25 AM Page 23
If you are working with Grade R or Grade 1 learners, we would suggest that
you focus on one mini-beast at a time. You will probably need to collect a
number of specimens of whatever creature you have decided to focus on.
Whatever you collect will depend on the time of year and the locality of your
school. But you will need enough so that you can give each group a few to
observe.
Whichever Grade you teach, and whether you collect the mini-beasts or your
learners collect them, you will need to prepare ‘hotels’ for the creatures to stay
in while you investigate them. This links nicely with Technology and you could
involve your learners in the construction of the ‘hotels’.
We have found that clean, used, plastic 2-litre cool drink bottles work well. You
can cut off the top carefully, and then invert the top so that the creatures have
air, but are less likely to “check out” of the hotel before you and your learners
have investigated them. You can also use clear plastic freezer bags full of air.
You can keep the mini-beasts for a day or two before releasing them.
Observations with Grade 2 or Grade 3
If you have collected mini-beasts for your learners to
observe, give some (in their ‘hotels’) to each group. If your
learners have collected their own mini-beasts, they can
observe them in their clear plastic bags. Tell the children to
look very very carefully at their mini-beasts. Tell them that
you want them to draw what they see. You will need to
give your learners time for this task so that they can make
careful drawings. Drawing requires us to observe really
carefully and provides evidence of just how carefully
somebody has observed something, whether or not they
are ‘good at drawing’. You could also ask your children to
label their drawings.
Observations with Grade R or Grade 1
If you work with younger learners, it
is a good idea to guide their
observation. First of all, place some
mini-beasts on the tables of each
group for the learners to observe.
Then, with your learners gathered
around you, tell them that you want
them to look really carefully at the
creatures that you have placed on
their tables. Send the children back to
their groups and ask them to look at
their mini-beasts, and then you will
call them back to tell you what they
have seen.
Move from group to group to draw your learners’ attention to different aspects
of the mini-beasts you have put out. When you are satisfied that the children
have had a reasonable chance to look at the creatures, call them back to you.
Ask your class what they saw, what they noticed. We are sure that you will
find that young children are quite observant. But you may wish to draw their
attention to certain aspects.
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When Cheryl Johannes from

Northwood Primary School
investigated grasshoppers with her
Grade 1s, this is what she did. Cheryl
discussed the grasshoppers with her
learners and then sent them back to
their tables to look more closely for
specific details. When the children
had had some time to look closely
again at the grasshoppers, they came
back and reported additional things
that they had observed. Record what
your learners tell you in the form of a
mind-map, as Sarah Genever did with
her Grade 1s at Dietrich Moravian.
Then let your learners return to their tables and give them time to draw
carefully what they see. This is not a ‘soft option’. Drawing is work, too.
Especially if it is done with care and thought. You may be surprised at how
carefully some of the children carry out this task. Display your learners’
drawings on a wall of the classroom, or paste some of them into a book about
Mini-Beasts.

FP Sc pp1-27 2/9/08 11:25 AM Page 25
Collecting mini-beasts
If you decide to let your learners collect mini-beasts for themselves, you need
to give them some very clear instructions before they go to look for them. You
may also wish to discuss what the children might find when they collect mini-
beasts.
You need to remind the children that some creatures can sting or bite. Tell them
not to try to catch bees and wasps or spiders. If they think a mini-beast might
be dangerous, encourage them to ask you to help them.
Remind your learners to be careful when they collect ants. Also remind them
that some spiders are poisonous and that it’s wiser to leave spiders alone.
And you will need to give the children something to collect their mini-beast in.
We found that small clear plastic freezer bags work very well.
An extended observation
After this preliminary observation, we would encourage you to investigate mini-
beasts in greater detail. Begin by having another discussion with your learners.
We suggest that you prepare for this discussion by making a K-W-L Chart
You will find examples
(What do we Know? What do we Want to know? What have we Learned?), or a
in the Appendix on
page 74 and page 75. K-W-T-H-L Chart (What do we Know? What do we Want to know? What do we
Think? How can we find out? What have we learned?).
This is a good way to make sure that the investigations you guide your learners
through, focus on their knowledge and interests. At the end of the investigation
you can ask your learners what they have found out, and what they think they
have learned. So this is a way of recording your planning and assessment of a
particular focus.
K-W-T-H-L Chart
Planning an Investigation with Foundation Phase Learners Gather your class around you.
What do we What do we What do we HOW can we What have we
If you haven’t used a
KNOW? WANT to know? THINK? find out? LEARNED? K-W-T-H-L Chart before,
introduce your children to it.
Ask them what they know
about a particular mini-beast.
Write up what they tell you
under the column, ‘What do
we Know?’ You may be
surprised by the children who
can supply information. Then
ask your learners, ‘What do we
Want to know?’ Again write up
the children’s questions or
what they want to find out.
Then ask them, ‘How do you
think we can find out?’
If you work with Grade 2s or Grade 3s, you may ask your learners to work in
groups to first discuss and plan what they could do. Ask them how they could
find answers to their questions.
If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s you will probably discuss this with the
whole class, and record their suggestions on a sheet of newsprint.
LIFE AND LIVING 25

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Some possible questions for investigation Some creatures go

I What do these creatures do? dormant in the colder
I What do they like to eat? What about drinking? months of the year.
I When do they hide or rest? They hide and are in a
lower active state.
I Where do they like to hide or rest?
I Do they turn into anything else?
I How do they change?
After your learners have carried out their investigations, arrange a time to
discuss what you have learned. If you work with Grade 2 or 3s, give each
group a chance to report on their investigation, what they planned to do, what
they actually did, what they found, and what they think they have learned.
If you work with Grade Rs or Grade
1s, gather your children together and
ask them to think about what they
have just done. Ask them,
I What did we do first?
I What did we do next?
I And then what did we do?
I What did we do after that?
I What happened?
I What did we find out?
In this way you will be encouraging
your learners to reflect on this
scientific experience, and you will be
encouraging them to go over what
they did in the correct sequence. This
is very useful in terms of recording
science later on in their school career.
What questions would we like to ask our mini-beast?
While the mini-beasts are in your classroom, you could have a further
discussion with your learners. You could ask the children what questions they
would like to ask one of the mini-beasts. Then you could write up your
learners’ questions. These could be a starting point for further investigations, or Even if you
research. You could invite the Science Co-ordinator in your school to come and work with
talk to the children and answer their questions. Alternatively you could invite a
high school science teacher to come and talk to your learners.
very young
learners, you
Science Journals
Even if you work with very young learners you can get your learners to keep can get them
Science Journals. This is what Karen Gallas, a Grade 1 teacher in America, to keep
does. At the beginning of each year, she gives each of her Grade 1 learners a Science
Science Journal. The children she teaches are used to having journals in Grade Journals.
R. They know that their journal is a place where they can draw and important
thoughts and questions can be recorded. “For many children, the process of
writing in the journal gives them a place to ask questions and then possibly try
to answer them.” (Gallas, 1994:80)

FP Sc pp1-27 2/9/08 11:25 AM Page 27
Even though most of the young children can’t

yet read and write, they are able to record
(through drawing) their experiences and
thinking in journals specifically for science.
Karen Gallas describes how even children
who are confused about what exactly Science
includes, gradually come to realise what it
includes through drawing and writing in their
Journals.
Below you can see some examples of a
Foundation Phase learner’s work from a book
by Ellen Doris called, Doing What Scientists
Do: Children Learn to Investigate Their World.
In this example, you can see that Ginger has
recorded his observations and thoughts about
the bulb he planted. Journals can play a very
important role in developing children’s
scientific understanding.You will find
Observation Sheets which you can copy for
your learners to record (draw and write
about) what they have seen, in the Appendix
on page 65–73.
Making little information books

After investigating mini-beasts, you
may like to get your learners to make
a small information book about each
of the mini-beasts that they
investigate. Each page could have a
drawing with a sentence underneath.
This is what Cheryl Johannes did as
she worked with her Grade 1s at
Northwood.
“Die Slak” from Northwood
LIFE AND LIVING 27

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Investigating plants
iStock Photos
Preparation
Before you begin an investigation of
plants with your learners, spend some
time at the end of the school day
walking around the school grounds.
Sometimes we think that there are no
plants in a particular environment.
Perhaps this is because we do not
think the plants there are useful or
beautiful. But we are sure that you
will be able to find some plants if
you keep an open mind. The time
of year will also influence what you
find in the school grounds.
It is a good idea to find
some books on South
African plants to display in
your classroom. If you are
unable to find any amongst the books at your school, visit your local library.
Ask the children’s librarian, and explain that you are going to investigate plants
with your learners. Most children’s librarians are very helpful, and will help
you find some suitable books. You may even find some picture story books.

What plants do we know?

Start by making a list of all the plants that your learners can think of. You will
need a sheet of flip-chart paper and some koki-pens or wax crayons. Ask your
learners to close their eyes for a few moments and to think of all the plants that
they have seen that day. Give them a few minutes to talk to a partner and to
share what they know. Then ask your learners to tell you all the plants that
they know and can think of. As the children tell you what they know, write
their responses in the form of a list on the flip-chart paper. If you gather your
learners around you, everybody will be able to see clearly whatever you record.
When you have a substantial list, go through the list with your learners and ask
them to tell you which of the plants are trees. Mark these plants with a
different coloured koki or crayon. Are there any other trees your learners know
or can think of? Add names of these trees to the list.
What can we find in the school grounds?
Organise your learners into pairs and
take them out to investigate what’s
growing in the school grounds. Don’t
spend too long outside. You just want
your learners to have a preliminary
look. You want to continue to grow
their awareness of the plants in their
environment.
When you return to the classroom,
you can add the names of other plants
to the list you made with your class. If
you take another colour crayon or
koki for this, you will have a clear
record of the 3 stages of this first
activity. This will provide you with a
record of continuous assessment.
You want them What do we know about plants? What do we want to know?
to write down Grade 2s and Grade 3s
what they know Give each group an A4 sheet of paper with a K-W-L Chart on it (see page 74).
Ask your learners to talk about What they know about plants, and What they
about plants,
want to know about plants. Tell your children that you want each group to fill
and what they in the chart that you’ve given them. You want them to write down what they
want to know. know about plants, and what they want to know.
LIFE AND LIVING 29

74
Pl an n in g a n I nv est i ga ti on w it h F ou n da ti on P h ase Le arn ers
When your learners have completed the first two columns What do we KNOW? What do we WANT to know? What have we LEARNED?
of the chart, either get each group to share what they have
written, or put each group’s chart on the wall of the
classroom. This is something that Grade 2s and Grade 3s
should be able to do independently. Tell your learners that
they don’t need to worry about spelling and how neatly
they write. You just want them to get their ideas down.
And if they work in a group, they should be able to carry
FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

out this task.
Grade Rs and Grade 1s
If you teach Grade Rs or Grade 1s, carry out this part as a
discussion. Gather your learners around you and put up a
large K-W-L Chart on flip-chart paper. Ask your learners to
tell you everything they know about plants. You may be
surprised what some of your learners know. Children who
have lived in rural communities often have a wealth of
knowledge about plants and animals. Record the
information your learners give in the What we know about
Plants column.
Then ask your learners to tell you what they would like to
know about plants. Again, record your learners’ questions
on the chart in the column, What we Want to know about
Plants. Then put the chart on a wall for the children to be
able to see while they are investigating plants.
Close observation of a plant
You have a number of choices for this observation task.
You could bring in some samples of plants into your
classroom so that each group has a few plants to look at.
Alternatively, you could ask your learners to try to remember to bring in a
plant, or plant product into the classroom. This could include fruit, vegetables,
flowers or something made from a plant. You could leave this to your learners
to think of something and bring it in. You may be very surprised at what your
learners bring in, and it will give you insight into how much they already
know.
You will need a blank sheet of paper for each child, as
well as some pencils. Try to persuade your principal to buy
some good pencils especially for drawing. Drawing is a
wonderful way to get children to observe really carefully.
And it is easier to draw with ‘soft’ pencils (2B, 3B, etc)
than with ‘hard’ pencils (2H, 3H, etc). Keep these special
“soft” drawing pencils in a safe place. Then whenever you
want your learners to observe something and to draw, you
can provide them with appropriate materials.
Encourage your learners to see drawing as work. It isn’t
something to rush through. Careful drawing takes time.
Give your learners time to look really carefully at their
plants and to draw what they see. They could also add any
information that they know or perhaps a question they
have about the plant.

When your class have finished their drawings, put them up on the wall. Give
your learners time to look at each other’s work. We have found that children
learn to respect one another’s work if we give it status and model respect.
When learners see the work of their peers, they learn important lessons about
how a particular task can be done differently. We all see differently. And
drawings reflect this. You will also be integrating Arts and Culture with Natural
Sciences. And you will have valuable and aesthetic evidence of what your
learners’ can do.
Exploring the school grounds
Before you take your learners out to explore the school
grounds, tell them that you want them to look at the
plants more carefully. Tell them that you want them to
look at the plants very carefully to find evidence of how
plants make more plants.
Group your children and allocate a particular area of the
school grounds to each group. Then take the children out.
While your learners are observing the plants, move from
group to group. Listen in to what they say to each other
about what they’re noticing.
When you return to the classroom, have
a discussion with your learners to share
what they found. Ask the children,
I What did you find?
I Do you know different names for
these plants?
I Have any of the leaves been eaten
in anyway?
I Who ate them?
I How do we know?
I Who saw flowers, or fruit, or seeds?
Get your learners to choose one plant to
focus on. Grade 1s and 2s could
measure the length and breadth of the
leaves.
LIFE AND LIVING 31

How do plants make more

plants?
Another way to find out how plants make
more plants, is to get your learners to look
at different fruits. Take in a lemon, an
orange or an apple, a few grapes and a
tomato. A small gem squash or butternut
would also be good. If you decide to
include a banana and a strawberry, they
are very interesting fruits. (The seeds of
strawberries are on the outside of the
fruit!)
Give each group one of the fruits, and cut
it in half. Ask the children to look for the
seeds. Then ask your learners, “Do all
plants have to grow from seed always?”
You may be surprised by what your learners know.

Children who have lived in rural communities will
probably know quite a lot.
I Where did this plant come from?
I What happened before this?
I And what happened before that?
I And before that?
I And before that?
I And before that?
I So, how did it begin?
Then you can get your
learners to draw the
different stages of a
particular plant and
arrange these in order,
from how the plant
began to when it makes a
new plant, or perhaps
dies.


After the investigation, spend time
with your learners reflecting on
what the children think they have
learned. Discuss what they did and
what they found out. Record what
your learners tell you on the Class
K-W-L Chart. This will provide you
with evidence of what you and
your learners have done, and serve
as a reminder to them.
Other things to think about

Why does water go green?
Put some water in a jar without a lid near a window. Let
the water go green. Then ask your learners, What’s going
on? Why did the water go green?
How can we find out?
Then there are interesting possibilities for investigations.
For example,
I Can you sieve off the green stuff through a tissue?
I What’s left if we let the water evaporate?
I Will boiling kill the green? (Will the green stuff die and
sink to the bottom?) If you can kill it, it might have
been alive!!
Growing things
Some plants grow from a part of the plant. For example,
you can grow an African Violet plant from a leaf. Cut or
snap off a leaf at the stem of the plant. Put the stalk end
into some soil in a pot and water it. Keep the leaf in a
warm dark part of the classroom. Keep the soil damp. The
leaf will put down fine roots into the soil.
A potato plant will grow from a potato. If you take a carrot
top and put it in a saucer with some water, it will sprout
and a carrot plant will grow.
Many indigenous plants like succulents (fat leaved plants,
whose leaves store water) will grow from a sucker from
the ‘mother’ plant. Some aloes grow in this way.
LIFE AND LIVING 33

Pet plants
If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, ask each group of
learners to choose a plant in the school grounds and to
look after it throughout the year. Get each group to keep a
diary of watering and caring for the plant. Your learners
could complete a monthly chart (like a calendar) and draw
what they have done on the appropriate day.
Make sure that the children watch

their plant carefully and notice
changes. Regular discussions
throughout the year will encourage
them to maintain an interest and to
remember to care for their plant.
At the end of the year, you could help
each group to put together some of
their drawings from regular intervals
throughout the year to make a book
about that plant. Make sure that you
include drawings that show significant
things that happen or that the learners
observe.

Leaf rubbings
You will need some thinnish paper
and thick wax crayons (bright green,
brown, orange, red). Then get your
learners to help you collect a variety
of leaves (preferably ones that have
fallen from a plant) for this activity.
Take the leaves back to the classroom.
The children need to place the paper
over a leaf, and then rub with a wax
crayon over the place where the leaf is
underneath. The outline and pattern of
the leaf should appear.
Get your learners to experiment with the top and the underside of leaves.
I What do they notice?
I What do they find?
This is likely to raise interesting questions and comments and generate
awareness naturally of the need for names for different leaf margins and vein
patterns. This could lead naturally to some challenging sorting and classifying.
Our very first own book of plants
At the end of the year, ask your learners
I What have we learned?
I What could we make a book about?
I What would we include?
I What would we leave out?
I How could we do it?
Each pair or group of 3 children could think of
something and then draw a picture of whatever plant
they’ve chosen. With the teacher’s help they could put
their work together and order the pieces. Then they
could help their teacher stick each piece of work on to
a page of the book.
LIFE AND LIVING 35

SECTION 3
Energy and Change
How many ways can we
make a torch bulb light?
There are a number of different ways that you can introduce this investigation.
You could start off with a discussion about day and night, and when we need
something like a torch. Or you could tell a story.
Or you could do what the Foundation Phase teachers at

Northwood did.
iStock Photos
Introduction
During the break (interval) preceding the investigation, the
teachers covered the windows in a classroom with black
paper. They also brought a variety of different lamps to
school. The teachers began by taking the class into the
darkened classroom. It was quite quite dark. You couldn’t
even see your hand in front of your face! They asked the
children what they could see. Then they asked the learners
what would help them. The children gave a variety of
answers, and slowly the teachers switched on one or two
lamps. On the wall at the back of the classroom the
teachers had put up black paper and stuck on some stars.
It was spectacular!!
Now and then
The teachers got the children to sit down on the mat and led a discussion
about what we could use to help us see in the dark if we didn’t have lights to it’s worth
switch on. Eventually somebody suggested that we could use a torch. spending time
This was a really exciting way to introduce the investigation, and we felt very to plan and
privileged to be present and to share the experience. Of course, a teacher can’t prepare
do this kind of thing every day. But now and then it’s worth spending time to something a
plan and prepare something a little different and special. Your class will really
little special.
appreciate this.

Observing torches
What you will need
You will need a working torch for this discussion. We also suggest that you
have a sheet of flip-chart paper with a simple drawing of a torch in the centre.
Draw some lines in the form of a spider-web or a mind-map.
Observation
Ask your learners how they think a
torch works. What are all the parts
torches have? What makes the bulb
light? Record your learners’ ideas on
the mind-map. We think you will find
that the children have a good idea of
what is inside the torch, even if they
are not sure how exactly it works. As
the discussion progresses, take the
torch apart so that they see the torch
cell (what we often call ‘a battery’)
and the small bulb. Ask your learners,
So how does the torch bulb light up?
Finding out how the torch bulb lights up
What you will need
For each group, you will need
I a 1,5v torch cell (battery)
I a torch bulb
I two plastic covered wires about 20
cm long each
You can ask the Science Co-ordinator
• Start by just giving
each group one at your school to order these materials
wire. from Rutland Industries. The address
• Later on you can is in the Appendix on page 82. Make
give each group sure that all the cells and bulbs are
another wire.
working before you start.
You will also need to give each group
I a sheet of paper
I 5 coloured torch cell shapes
I 5 torch bulb shapes
I some Prestik
I and a pencil
Your learners can use these to record

their findings. You will find a page of
torch cell shapes which you can
photocopy and cut on page 76 out in
the Appendix. (We copied the shapes
onto blue card.) You will also find a
page of torch bulb shapes on page 77
in the Appendix, which you can photocopy and cut out.
(We copied the bulb shapes onto yellow card.)
ENERGY AND CHANGE 37

Investigating
Tell your learners that you are going to give
each group a 1,5v torch cell, a torch bulb,
and a length of wire. Then give each group a
torch cell, a torch bulb and a wire. Tell your
learners you want them to investigate how
they can make the torch bulb light.
Move from group to group to see what your
learners do. We found that the children were
very curious and persevered. As they tried
different ways, we encouraged them. As they
persisted, we also noticed how well they
worked together to help hold the wires, the
cell and the bulb tightly. Everybody wanted
to join in.
Recording
As soon as a group has managed to
make their torch bulb light up, give
them
I 5 blue torch cell shapes
I 5 yellow torch bulb shapes
I a small piece of Prestik, and
I a sheet of paper.
Show your learners how to stick down
the blue torch cell shape on their
piece of paper in a similar position to
the position it was in when the bulb
lit up. Then ask the children to show
you where the bulb was. Stick down
one of the yellow bulb shapes on the
sheet of paper, in the same position it
was in when the bulb lit up. Then ask
the children to draw in the position of
the wire.
When you have helped your learners make this picture of
what they did, ask the group to find another way to make
the bulb light up. Tell them that there are several ways,
and you want them to find as many as they can. Ask them
to call you when they’ve found another way.
Work in this way with all the groups. Even if you have a
very big class, it is possible to carry out this investigation
with young learners.
Encourage each group as you move around your class.
Offer help where you think it is absolutely necessary. But at the same time try
to let the children do the investigating. No matter how much you want to try
yourself, or show them how, DON’T. Let your children do the practical work of
investigating. We are sure that you will be surprised at the scientific behaviour
they demonstrate, and which you are fostering.

Communicating
When all your groups have found
more than one way, give each group a
chance to share their methods to
make the bulb light up. Stand by the
children as they speak to support
them. Get them to hold up their
pictures of what they did. This is an
important part of the investigation.
Not all the groups may have found the
same way to make their torch bulb
light up. The other children will get
ideas of other ways to make the bulb
light up.
Finding more ways to get the torch bulb to light up
Give your learners more time to try to
find other ways. There are at least 5
ways to make the torch bulb light up.
(You can find these ways in the
Appendix on page 79.) If you work
with Grade 2s or 3s, encourage them
to try to find all 5 ways. If you work
with younger learners, you may feel
that they have spent long enough. You
could always give the children an
opportunity to do this on another day.
It would be interesting to see if they
remember some of the ways they have
found, or whether they find
completely new ways.
Get your learners to write their names on the pictures they have made. Then
display these on the classroom wall.
Close observation of a torch bulb
In this activity, you want your learners to observe the torch bulb more closely.
What does the bulb look like? What are it’s features?
Preparing for the observation
You will need to make a large 2-D (flat) model of a torch
bulb for this activity. (We have provided the parts for this
model in the Appendix on page 78. You can photocopy
this, and cut it out. Again, we used yellow card for the
torch bulb and blue card for the torch cell.)
I Cut out the large bulb shape.
I Cut out the other shape for the metal base of the bulb.
I Glue the bottom of the bulb to the right side rectangle
so that it fits over the shaded triangle.
I Use a large black crayon or koki-pen to draw the two
thick wires, as shown.

I Cut out a small oval bead shape from a coloured picture in a magazine and
paste it over the black lines you have drawn. (This represents the glass bead
that prevents the two thick wires from touching.)
I Make a filament from a coil of thin wire, and fasten it
across the ends of the thick black lines. One way is to
stick the ends of the coil of wire through the cardboard
and to use sticky tape on the wrong side (back) to
fasten them down.
I Fold the left-hand side of the base of the bulb over the
right-hand side. Now your model of a torch bulb is
nearly complete.
I Use blobs of Prestik to represent the metal solder mark
on the side of the case, and the bottom metal tip of the
torch bulb.
I Finally, shade the trapezium shape between the metal
case and the metal tip of the torch cell. This shows the
layer of black plastic that separates the metal cylinder
from the metal tip.
This model is specially designed so that you can demonstrate the arrangement
of the inner parts of the bulb. What happens inside a light bulb will always be
a strange mystery to learners unless they have thought about what the
arrangement of the wires might, and then had a chance to find out.
Working with learners
Draw a face on the chalkboard. Ask
your learners,
I What features do we have on our
faces? What are the different parts?
Even very young learners will be able
to give you their suggestions. As they
offer their suggestions, draw in the
features and label each one.
Now tell your learners that you want
to do the same thing with the torch
bulb.
I What are the features or parts of a
bulb?
Give the children a few minutes to
observe carefully. While they do this,
draw the outline of a torch bulb on
the board. When you think your
learners are ready, ask them to tell
you what they see. As they tell you
the different features that they’ve
noticed, draw and label those parts.

Start with the round glass ball and then ask,

Electricity
I What do we see here?
Electricity is a form of
energy. I What do we see inside the glass ball?
From electrical energy I What do we see between the two thick wires?
we can get: I What do we see between the two thick wires near the base / at the bottom?
• heat energy (stoves I What is below the glass bulb?
and heaters)
• sound energy
I What can we observe on one side of the metal case, near the top?
(radios, cell ‘phones I What is at the bottom of the torch bulb?
and doorbells), and I What can we observe between the metal case and the metal base?
• the energy of I Is there anything else you have observed?
movement (a fan, a
toy car). Then put up the model of the torch bulb that you have made. Ask your
learners,
I What do you think we would find if we could open up the metal case?
I What would be inside?
I Where do the two wires go?
Give them some time to think. What do they predict will
be the arrangement of the wires? Encourage them to make
thoughtful guesses. Then open up your model and show
them how one wire is joined by solder to the metal case,
and how the other wire goes to the metal tip at the bottom
of the torch bulb.
Now use your model to demonstrate that there is a
complete pathway, or circuit, for the electricity when the
bulb lights. The electricity is free to travel in a complete
pathway. It travels from the torch cell, through the wire to
the metal case, and then to the one thick wire. From there
it goes through the thin wire filament. It causes the
filament to light up, and goes back down the other thick
wire to the torch cell again.

Finally, make time to reflect on this
experience with your learners. Use
the mind-map that you created at the
beginning of this investigation when
you got your learners to observe a
torch carefully, and to think about
how it works. Go over the concept
map with your learners, reading
around the map together.
Then get your learners to talk about
what they did and what they found
out when you gave each group a torch
cell and a torch bulb. Try to
encourage the quieter learners to
participate.

Investigating pushes and pulls
iStock Photos
What you will need
You will need enough old magazines so that there is at
least one magazine between two children. You will also
need lots of suitable items that your children will be
familiar with from their homes and daily lives. Try to make
sure that you have a variety of items so that you can give
your learners different experiences to emphasise how
much pushes, pulls and twists are a part of their lives.
We included play-dough, clay, balloons,
stones, some metal, some wood, elastic
bands, Prestik, sponges, small soft balls, a
spring, paper, empty plastic containers with
lids to twist on or off, empty containers that
had lids to pull off or push on, and so on. Put
these things you have collected into a large
box or basket so that you will have them
ready for the first part of the investigation.
Make sure that you also have some marbles,
some balloons, some small toy cars, some
smooth planks of wood, and two or three
bricks. If you work with Grade 2s or Grade
3s, we suggest that you also have some
measuring tapes or very long rulers.

Introducing the investigation

Pushes and Pulls are a part of our daily lives. In fact, as
Audrey Dryding observed at the workshop, “Everything we
do involves a push, a pull or a twist!” We found a picture
story book to introduce this investigation: The Great Big
Enormous Turnip. This is a traditional tale from Russia
written by Leo Tolstoy. We used the version that has been
illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.
In the story, an old man plants some turnips. One of the
turnips grows really enormous, and when the old man
tries to pull it up, he can’t. So he calls his wife. In the end
his grand-daughter and a number of animals help him, and
the turnip comes up out of the ground. The language of
the story is simple, and there is a lot of repetition. So it is
ideal for the Foundation Phase.
You will find the story in the Appendix on page 80.
When do we push and when do we pull?
When you have read or told your learners the story that you have chosen, talk
to your learners about pushes and pulls. Ask them,
I When do we push?
I When do we pull?
You may ask them to move different things in the
classroom. For example, you may ask one of the children
to open a window or the door. When the child is doing
that, ask her / him, “What are you doing? Are you pushing
or pulling?” Or instead of asking the child who is carrying
out the action, tell the other learners to watch very
carefully. While the child is opening or closing a window
or door, ask the rest of the class, “What is s/he doing? Is
s/he pushing or pulling?”
Next, take the box or basket with the different items you
have collected. Give several different things to each group.
Tell the children that you want them to investigate what
they must push, and what they must pull. It is very likely
that the word, twist will come up at this point. For
example, when we ring out a cloth (twist), it’s a combi-
nation of a push (one hand) and a pull (the other hand).
Word-Burrs
You will need 3 sheets of flip-
chart paper and either some
thick koki-pens or wax
crayons for this activity. In
the middle of each sheet
write one of the following
three words:
I Push
I Pull
I Twist

Draw a circle around the word, just as you would if you

were making a concept map. But instead of making a
concept-map, you will be making a word-burr. The idea is
to get your learners to think of all the words (probably
mostly verbs) that involve the movement described in the
word on the page. If you have written the word Pushes in
the middle of the paper, try to get your
learners to think of all the words that involve
a push.
This is a useful way to get your learners to
think about words, to extend and develop their
vocabularies. And as they think about the
actions that involve these three movements, you
are preparing them for the next task.
Looking for examples of pushes

and pulls
I You will need lots of old magazines for this
task. You need to have at least enough to be
able to give each pair of children one
magazine to look through. You will also need
at least enough pairs of scissors so that you
can give your learners one pair between two.
I Ask your learners to look for pictures in
which they can see either a push or a pull.
If you work with younger children, you
could ask your learners to just look for
pictures with a push. Or they could just
look for pictures with a pull.
I When your children report back and share
their pictures, all the children will see all
the pictures, and there will be pictures
with people or things pushing, and other
pictures with people or things pulling.
Older learners could label each movement.
Different work stations

Another way that you could provide your learners with rich investigation
experiences is to set up different ‘work stations’. Although this involves careful
planning and preparation, it is an exciting way to give your learners rich
experiences. For one thing, they will have been involved in different
investigations around the same focus. When the learners report on what they
have done, their classmates will want to hear what the other groups did.
First of all, read through the four suggested investigations below. Then gather
together the materials you will need. Remember you are carrying out Science
investigations with your learners. Approach the Science Co-ordinator or your
Principal about buying some equipment. Schools have a budget for purchasing
materials that are to be used for teaching and learning.

WORK STATION 1
What needs a push, what needs a pull, and what
needs a twist?
You will need to collect a variety of different things that
are familiar to your learners. Look around your home
and the classroom. You could include a plastic bottle
with a screw-top lid, something with a lid that you
push on and pull off, a pen / pencil, an eraser, a
paper-clip, small soft balls, string, a rubber band,
some balloons, Prestik, play-dough, stones, something
made of metal, something made of wood, a spring,
and so on. Put all the materials in a fairly large
shallow box (the lid of a box of photocopy paper
works well) so that a group of children can easily
get hold of something to find out whether you have
to push, pull, or twist.
Ask your learners to investigate the materials, to find out whether they have to
push, pull, or twist. Tell them that you want to sort the materials into 3 groups:
those we have to push, those we have to pull, and those that need a twist. If
you work with Grade 2s or 3s, you could make a Task Card with instructions. If
you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, you will probably rely on giving them
oral instructions.
A sample Task Card
If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, you
could also ask your learners to record
their findings. You could either
provide them with a table with 3
columns for them to record each item
under the appropriate column, or you
could ask them to draw their findings.
Push Pull Twist A sample table

Grade Rs and Grade 1s could also
record their findings by drawing each
item under one of three columns.
Then when the learners report on
what they have found out, they will
have a record to remind them of what
they found out.

WORK STATION 2
What makes a toy car go faster?
You will need at least 6 different small toy cars. You
should be able to buy these quite cheaply in one of the
supermarket chains. They are often available in sets of 3
or 4 making them quite inexpensive. However, do try to
choose a variety of cars, 4 x 4s and trucks. This will
mean that the children can think about
I what causes one vehicle to move more quickly than
another? or
I what causes one vehicle to go further with the same
push?
Part 1
I Mark out a part of the classroom
where the group can carry out this
activity.
I Mark a starting line for the learners
to start their races.
I Tell the group that you want them
to find the fastest vehicle.
I Make it quite clear to the children
where they may “race” their cars.
I Tell them to make sure that they all
start from the starting line.
I Tell the children that one child
must tell the others when to start.
I Then give each child in the group one of the vehicles.
I As soon as that child says, “Go!”, each of the other children must give their
car a single push to get it rolling.
I Which car goes the fastest? Why?
I Which car goes the furthest? Why do they think this is?
Grade 2s and Grade 3s can measure the distance that their cars travelled.
Part 2
In the second part of the investigation
you will need to make a ramp. You
can use 1 or 2 bricks to raise the
height of one end of a stiff board or
plank. And you will need to make
space in your classroom for your
learners to ‘race’ their cars.
I Tell your learners to take turns to
release each car from the top of the
ramp, without a push.
I Which car goes the furthest? Why
do they think this?
I Ask them to record the informa-
tion. Grade 1s can draw the car
that goes the furthest. Grade 2s and
Grade 3 could complete a table.

I Grade 2s and Grade 3s can measure the distance that their cars travelled
from the bottom of the ramp.
I Get the group to repeat their investigation several times. Ask the children to
record the results each time.
I If they change the slope of the ramp, what difference does it make? Do the
cars go further? Encourage your learners to try to explain any differences.
I If the children put a block of wood at the bottom of the ramp, does it stop
the cars? Or do the cars move the block? What happens if they add another
block of wood?
If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, make
sure that your learners record their
findings. They can do this by drawing,
or in the form of a table, or even a
graph.
I Which car went furthest without
the ramp?
I Which car went furthest when the
children used the ramp?
When your learners report to the rest
of the class on their findings, ask
them,
I What makes the cars go faster?
I Do the cars go faster when you
send them down a ramp?
I Does the slope of the ramp make a difference? Why do you think this is so?
They can also think about how you can give the same ‘push’ to 2 different cars.
WORK STATION 3
Starting and Stopping
You will need a bag of marbles and some straws for this
investigation.
Give a group of learners the marbles and let them play
with the marbles for a short time. Then ask your learners
to investigate how they can get the marbles to move.
Ask them,
I How can you make a marble move?
I What do you do to make it move?
I Are there different ways to make a marble move?
I Is there one way that is better than others?
I Why do you think this is so?
Give your learners some time to think about how they make the
marbles move. Then encourage them to think about what they do,
and also, what they can do to stop marbles moving.
Ask them
I How many ways can you find to stop a marble moving?
I Which way works best?
I What makes something start to move?

Next give your learners straws and ask them to use their straws to make their
marbles move. Can they use the straws to stop the marbles moving? Give the
children time to experiment and find as many ways as they can to use the
straws to move their marbles, and to stop them.
WORK STATION 4
What do magnets ‘pull’ towards them?
You will need to collect a variety of items made of different materials. Try to
collect lots of different things that your learners are likely to find either in their
home environment, or in the school. Put these different items on a large tray or
in the shallow lid of a large box so that all the learners in a group can reach the
items to investigate their properties.
You will also need a magnet for each learner. It
is best if all the children in a group can
investigate at the same time, so that nobody
waits for a turn to use a magnet.
Place the tray with the different items on the
table, and give each child a magnet. Ask your
learners to investigate the different materials
and to find all the things that the magnets
attract, or that the magnets ‘pull’ towards
them. Ask the children to make two sets. They
need to make a set of items that the magnets
attract. And they need to make another set of
items that the magnets don’t attract. Ask your
learners to record their findings either by
drawing, or in the form of a table with two columns.

Again, if you teach Grade 2s or 3s, you could write the

instructions on a Task Card. Add a few additional
questions, such as:
I One magnet will pull certain things towards it. What
does it pull towards it?
I What doesn’t it pull?
I What happens if you take two magnets and put them in
different positions?
I Turn one magnet around. What happens now?
If you work with Grade Rs or Grade 1s, make sure that you
spend some time moving around, supporting and
encouraging the children. Make sure that they too record
their findings. Even young children can draw what they
have found in their investigations.
A final word
Pulls are part As we discovered at the workshop, pushes and pulls are part of our daily lives.
Two teachers involved in the project used a Physical Education lesson to
of our daily
provide an investigation of pushes and pulls for their learners. This was really
lives. interesting and clearly demonstrated just how much pushes and pulls are a part
of every movement we make.

SECTION 4
Planet Earth and Beyond
Investigating the phases of the Moon

One of the strands of the Natural Sciences curriculum focuses on Planet Earth
and Beyond. In other words, we are encouraged to investigate and find out
more about the Earth and the sky. People have always been fascinated by what
they see in the skies, both during the day, and at night. Months have been
named after arrangements of stars (constellations). For example, the month of
June is named after the Pleiades in isiXhosa – iSilemela. And in many cultures
stories have been told to explain particular groups of stars.

This investigation focuses on the different phases of the Moon. You will need to
get your learners to observe the Moon over a period of at least 30 days. But if
they are interested, continue the observation for even longer. We were excited
to find that even Grade 1s at the beginning of the year were able to sustain
such a long observation. And they were able to record what they saw!
What you will need
76
Moon Watch C alend ar

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
What will you need? We have provided a sample
Moon Watch Calendar in the Appendix on page 83
which we suggest you photocopy and enlarge for
your learners to record what they see. We also
made a long zigzag book as an additional way of
recording the way the Moon looked. And we put
up an African Moon Calendar which shows the
changing phases of the Moon for the whole year.
These calendars are produced by, and available
from Clip-Clop, a small company in Cape Town.
You will find their contact details on page 82 in

the Appendix.
You will also need to think about

the time of year when you carry
out this investigation. We
observed the phases of the Moon
during the first term of the year,
when the skies are usually clear
in the Western Cape. You will
need to think about when the
skies are likely to be clearest for
you and your learners. It can be
frustrating if there is a great deal
of cloud and the children cannot
see the Moon.
PLANET EARTH AND BEYOND 51

What do we know about the Moon?

First of all, find out what your learners know about
the Moon. You will need a sheet of flip-chart paper
and some thick koki pens or wax crayons. In the
middle of the sheet of paper write the word Moon,
and draw a circle around the word. Then add some
lines to make a mind-map (concept web) of what
your learners tell you.
Gather your learners around you and ask them what
they can tell you about the Moon. You can expect
them to tell you things like:
I The Moon isn’t always the same shape.
Sometimes it’s round, like a circle or a ball.
I At other times it’s the shape of a
banana, like half an orange, or
even like a rugby ball! (There is a
very nice link here with the
language of mathematics.)
I Some children may also remark
that the Moon isn’t always in the
same position. It seems to move.
(Although the Moon seems to be
moving in an arc across the sky
throughout the night, in fact it is
only moving very slowly. It takes
the Moon 29 ¢ days to travel round
the Earth once. It is the spin of the
Earth that makes the Moon seem to
move faster.)
I The children may tell you that the Moon rises and sets like the sun in a 24-
hour cycle. (In fact this is because the Earth is spinning once every 24 hours.
It is not because the Sun and Moon are moving.)
I You can also expect the children to tell you of different images that they see
on the face of the Moon. We found that some children said that they saw a
woman carrying a bundle of wood on her head, a baby on her back, with a
dog walking beside her. One of the children told us that he saw a horse!
I And the children will probably talk about the colours of the Moon. We found
that the children mentioned silver, golden, and reddish orange.
Some children said that they saw

a woman carrying a bundle of
wood on her head, a baby on her
back, with a dog walking beside
her. One of the children told us
that he saw a horse!
Rabbit… Lady … Beetle.

What do we want to know

about the Moon?
Next, find out what your learners
want to know about the Moon. Take a
clean sheet of flip-chart paper and
write What we want to know about
the Moon at the top. Then write up
your learners’ questions. Some
questions your children are likely to
ask will probably include:
I What happens to the Moon?
I What is the Moon?
I What is it like on the Moon?
I Can you see the Earth from the
Moon?
I Why does the Moon look different
on different nights?
I How far away do you think the
Moon is from us?
I How can we find out?
You will not be able to investigate all
your learners’ questions. But you may
be able to investigate some. In some
cases, you may find books at your
local library that answer some of your
learners’ questions. You could also
arrange a visit to the Planetarium. You
will find the ‘phone number and the
address in the Appendix on page 82.
Tell your learners that if they want to
find out more about the Moon, they
will need to observe the Moon each
evening for a few weeks. Put up an
enlarged copy of the Moon Watch
Calendar (see page 83) and ask your
learners to make a point of looking for
the Moon that evening. Remind them
that you will ask them the next day
what they saw, and what shape the
Moon was.
Then for the next 5 weeks, remind
your learners at the end of each day
that you want them to observe the
Moon. Tell them that you expect them
to report on their observations the
next day. Each day get your learners
to draw what they saw the night
before on the Moon Watch Calendar.

Gradually you and your learners will see a pattern emerging. And if you
continue the observation for 5 weeks, they will begin to see that the pattern
repeats itself.
Perhaps not all your learners will remember to observe the Moon. But some
will. And we are sure that you will find that as the time goes by, more and
more children will remember to look for the Moon.
Working with Grade 1s
Sukaina Mitchell, a Grade 1 teacher in
the Project, got her learners who had
only been in school for a few weeks
to sustain this long observation. With
Sukaina’s support, these young
children recorded their findings on the
Moon Watch Calendar as well as in a
zigzag book. Sukaina also used this
investigation to link with shape, thus
integrating Mathematics with this
Natural Sciences investigation.
Some things to think about
and discuss with your learners
I You could also suggest that your learners ask their
families what they know about the Moon. Then they
could share this information with the rest of the class.
This information may include cultural lore (knowledge
and beliefs) about the Moon. For example, some people
believe that the best time to plant seeds and seedlings is
when the Moon is getting bigger (waxing). They believe
that seeds and seedlings do not grow so well if they are
planted when the Moon is getting smaller (waning).
I Some people say that when the Moon is in a particular
position, it means that there will be rain.
I Why do dogs howl when there’s a full Moon?
The Moon
The Moon has phases.
We see the Moon
because it reflects the
light of the Sun.

Investigating weather
At the beginning of the Project, teachers asked their learners what they would
like to find out about their world. Amongst the questions the children raised,
were several about weather and natural phenomena.
I Do clouds actually move? How? (Grade 1)
I What makes lightning? (Grade 2)
I What causes thunder? Why is it so loud? (Grade 2)
I Where do clouds come from? (Grade 3)
In response to these questions, our 9th investigation focused on Weather.
There are many ways you can
introduce Weather as a focus of
investigation. You could link this topic
to work on the changing Seasons, or
you could investigate the Weather as
an extension of your daily recording of
weather with your class.
One way to start
If you decide to link Weather to the
Seasons, we suggest that you begin by
having a discussion about the
Seasons. Get your learners to think
about what the weather is like at that
time. Ask them what it has been like
for the past few weeks (warm, cool,
wet, windy, hot, etc).

Next ask your learners,

I What time does it begin to get light in the morning?
I And what about the evening? What time
(approximately) does it get dark in the evening?
Record what your learners tell you on a sheet of flip-chart
paper. This could be in the form of a mind-map, or
perhaps a table. If you work with younger children, it’s
important to record the learners’ information in a clear
way, and preferably in the form of a diagram. If you make
a list, make sure that your writing is large and clear.
If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, you could get your learners to observe and
record the time that it begins to get light, and the time it begins to get dark.
They could also check in a newspaper. And this could lead to a focus on Day &
Night.
Another way
If you decide to extend your daily record keeping of the weather with your
learners, you could also have a discussion. Ask your learners,
I Does the wind always blow in the same direction?
I What are the different words people use when they talk about the wind’s
movement? (eg breeze, gale) You could make word burrs of these words.
I How much rain do we get in a week / a month (at this time of year)?
I Are our shadows always the same size?

Working with Grade Rs

Early one spring morning, Nigel, a Grade R teacher in London, took his learners outside to
draw round one another’s shadows on large sheets of paper. The children coloured in their
own shadows, cut them out, and hung them up.
A few weeks later, Nigel took the children outside again. This time he took them out at about
noon. When the children got outside, they couldn’t see their shadows. The shadows were
much smaller. Some of them were quite worried!
When Nigel told his colleagues about this afterwards, one of the Intermediate Phase teachers
said, “O good! Now you can explain why their shadows were so small, or had ‘disappeared’.”
“No,” said Nigel. “I’m not going to do that. I want them to go on thinking about it, and then
when they’re older and learning about the movement of the Earth, this experience will help
them to understand.”
This is important. We want our learners to go on wondering. Then later on they will learn
why their shadows seemed to disappear.
Grade 2s and 3s could measure their shadows. In this way you would be integrating your
science investigation with Maths.
If you teach Grade Rs or Grade 1s, you could do what Nigel did, and let them
draw round each other’s shadows and then hang them on the walls of the
classroom. The children could measure their shadows using their feet or hand
spans as a measure.
Investigating weather
You will need to decide how long you want this investigation to continue. You
may decide that your learners should investigate the weather for a period of a
month. Or they could continue the investigation for a whole term. The choice
is yours. The important thing is that you encourage your learners to “think
and act like Scientists” (Skamp, 1998).

So what do Scientists do? They observe and record something regularly for a Talk to your
period of time. If you want to encourage your learners to think and act like
learners about
Scientists, you need to get your learners to record the weather at least 3 times a
day. Discuss with your learners what you want them to do. Encourage them to the way
suggest when would be good times to check the weather. Then set 3 times in Scientists work.
the day when the children will check on the weather regularly for a pre- Tell them that
arranged period of time.
you want them
Investigation planning boards to think about
When you discuss how you will conduct the investigation with your learners
what they can
you may find it useful to use a ‘Planning Board’ with your learners. We found
two good examples of a Planning Board in a book from Australia, Teaching find out and
Primary Science Constructively (Skamp, 1998:44). measure.
You could use one of these Planning Boards, or you

could adapt one to use with your class. Talk to your
learners about the way Scientists work. Tell them that
you want them to think about what they can find out
and measure. You could use the following questions to
guide your discussion:
I What will we measure? (Direction of the wind;
Amount of rain; Size of shadow)
I Will we need to change anything? (The place where
we measure)
I What will we keep the same? (The time of day when
we measure)
I How will we record our results? (On a chart / graph)
I What will we need? (a wind vane / wind sock; a rain
gauge; paper and chalk / crayons / pencils)

Observing and recording

weather
After the first two or three days of
observing and recording the weather
information, you could draw up a
roster. This will enable the children to
take turns to check on the weather
and record their observations on the
Weather Chart. (You will find a
sample Weather chart in the Appendix
on p 84.)
After a week, encourage your learners
to look for patterns. Ask them to
predict what the weather will be like
the following day or over the
weekend. Encourage your class to
listen to the weather report on the
radio or watch the weather report on
TV. Ask them to listen / watch for the
minimum and maximum temperatures
forecast for Cape Town, and the
direction of the wind. The children
can check if the forecast is correct
with the class / phase wind-sock! And
they could measure rain with a
‘home-made’ rain gauge. (We have
included instructions to make one
below.)
The children could also look for Weather forecasts in newspapers. Not all
Community Newspapers include a weather forecast for the weekend. Perhaps
you and your learners could contact the newspaper office to ask them to
include this information. The Cape Times weather forecast is very clear.

One way to make a wind sock

You will need
I The top of a leg from some panti-hose
I A thin stick (a dowel about 80 or 90cm in length)
I Some thin wire (a length of about 75cm)
I A bottle (for the stick to stand in)
1. Stretch the panti-hose leg a bit so that it is big enough

for the wind to blow through.
2. Thread the wire through the top of the leg of panti-hose
just as you would a needle when sewing a running
stitch on some fabric.
3. Make sure you keep the circle.
4. Twist the short end of the wire around the long end.
5. Wind the long end of the wire around the top of the
stick.
6. Put the stick in the bottle.
7. Choose a fairly open space in the school grounds where the wind sock will
be safe. Place the bottle firmly in a shallow hole in the ground.
8. Make sure that the opening of the wind sock attached to the stick is wide
open.
One way to make a rain gauge
You will need
A plastic bottle with a fairly flat bottom and
flat sides.
1. Cut off the top of the bottle and invert the
top to make a funnel. Place the ‘funnel’
back in the bottle.
2. You could get your learners to mark the
side of the bottle in centimetres with a waterproof koki-
pen.
3. Choose a fairly open space in the school grounds where
the rain gauge will be safe. Place the rain gauge firmly
in a hole in the ground.
4. Each morning (when it is raining) get your learners to
remove the bottle and check how much rain has
collected in the bottle. When they have recorded the
amount, ask them to pour out the rain water, and re-
place the rain gauge.


You could extend this investigation by focusing on a local natural phenomenon,
for example, heavy rain in winter, veld fires in summer. Or you may wish to set
a problem as a context for your learners’ investigation. One successful way you
can do this is through the use of pictures.
Using pictures with learners
You will need to collect pictures of different examples of weather to use with
your learners. You will need at least 20 pictures. You will also need flip-chart
paper and a koki-pen.
Start by choosing one picture to demonstrate what you want your learners to
do.
Put the picture up on the flip-chart paper. Gather your learners around you and
get them to talk about the picture. If you are working with Grade Rs or Grade
1s, write up their comments in the form of a mind-map around the picture.
If you work with Grade 2s or 3s, ask them to think of

questions to ask about the picture. Write up their
questions in the form of a mind-map / spider-web around
the picture. When your Grade 2s or 3s have thought of a
number of questions, get them to try to think of possible
answers to the questions that they have raised.

Further work with Grade 2s and 3s
I Next, spread out the pictures on the

tables. Then tell your class that you
want each person to look at the
pictures, and you want each one to
find the one s/he likes the best. But
make it very clear that nobody is to
pick up a picture and keep it. They
must leave the pictures on the
tables.
I Then each child must choose a
partner and introduce their partner
to the picture that they chose. This
will mean that each pair talks about
two pictures.
I Then each pair must join up with
another pair and share the 4
pictures that they have chosen.
I After this, each group of 4 must choose just one of the 4 pictures. Tell your
learners that they will work with this one picture as a group.
This process is tricky, but well worth the trouble. The children will have to
think and make decisions. They will have to negotiate when it comes to
choosing just one picture. And then if more than one group want to work with
one picture, this will mean more negotiation. But these are skills that your
learners will need in life.
Now ask your learners to discuss the picture that they have chosen. Give each
group a large piece of paper and a small piece of Prestik so that they can stick
their picture to the paper. Each group will also need a crayon or a pen. Tell
your learners to think of all the questions that they can think of. Get them to
think of questions that begin with What, Where, When, Who, How, and Why.
Tell them to write down their questions.
When all the groups have managed to record some questions, get each group to
share their picture and questions with the rest of the class. You could also get
the class, or different groups, to think of possible answers to the questions that
they raise.

Thinking about heavy rain and flooding

What happens when there is heavy rain?
I What are the effects?
I How do you think people feel?
I What could they do to avoid flooding?
I What did they do in the past?
I Effects of the built environment – paving –
run-off
I Grade 3s could write to the City Council.
When the period of this investigation has come
to an end, have a discussion with your
learners to talk about what the class has
learned. Go through the Planning Board you
used with your learners for this investigation.
Get your learners to talk about and report on
their findings. What have they found out?
What have they learned? What else would
they like to know? How could they find out?
This is a very important part of the investiga-
tion. It is something that Scientists do when
they are carrying out their investigations. If
we are serious about getting our learners to
think and act like Scientists, we cannot
afford to omit this part.
This set of pictures is available

from the PSP.

Conclusion
We hope you have found this booklet useful, and that you
have been inspired to share Science with your learners. We
hope that you have enjoyed the investigations together
with your learners. And we hope that the suggestions we
have made, have encouraged you to investigate other
questions your learners have.
We know that many Foundation Phase teachers encourage
their learners to explore and study their world. This is so
important. Young children are so ‘wide awake’ and
interested in what is around them. We need to make space
in the busy school day, and even create opportunities for
our learners to pursue their questions and explore further,
with our support.
In this booklet, we have suggested ways of integrating the

investigations into other learning areas. The National
Curriculum urges us to integrate learning areas. And
Science offers us rich opportunities to link with Literacy
and Numeracy. We can bring stories into a Science
investigation. Science can provide vocabulary and
opportunities for us to extend and develop our learners’
language use. When it comes to developing and extending
our learners’ language and literacy, we need to give them
interesting and ‘real’ texts to work with. Science can
provide the content for those texts. And of course, many
investigations require us to measure, and use number
concepts and skills.
If we make space for our Foundation Phase learners to
explore and investigate their world, they will be interested
and excited about this aspect of the curriculum. And we
will be preparing them for further experiences in the
Natural Sciences that they will meet further on in their
school careers. And who knows? One of the children we
teach may become an eminent scientist in the future. We
simply need to be open to supporting them as they explore
and discover more about their world.

APPENDICES
O b s e r v a t i o n S h e e t s – Afrikaans
Naam van Wetenskaplike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ek kyk na ..................................................
Ek het opgemerk
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
APPENDIX 65
Naam van Wetenskaplike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ek kyk na ..................................................
Ek het opgemerk
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Waarneming
Datum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ek kyk na
..........................................................
..........................................................
’n Prent van wat ek sien
Hier is ’n paar dinge wat ek opgemerk het
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
APPENDIX 67
O b s e r v a t i o n S h e e t s – English
Name of Scientist ............................................
I looked at .................................................
I noticed
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Observation
Date ...................
I looked at
..........................................................
..........................................................
A picture of what I saw
Here are some things I noticed:
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
APPENDIX 69
Name of Scientist ...........................................
I looked at .................................................
I noticed
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................

O b s e r v a t i o n S h e e t s – isiXhosa
Igama loSonzululwazi .........................................
Ndajonga ..................................................
Ndaqaphela
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
............................
APPENDIX 71
Igama loSonzululwazi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ndajonga ..................................................
Ndabona
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Endikuqapheleyo
Umhla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ndajonga
..........................................................
..........................................................
Umfanekiso wento endiyibonileyo
Nazi izinto endiziqapheleyo:
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
APPENDIX 73
K-W-L Chart
74
FP Sc pp28-end
Planning an Investigation with Foundation Phase Learners

What do we KNOW? What do we WANT to know? What have we LEARNED?
2/9/08
11:46 AM
Page 74

K-W-T-H-L Chart
APPENDIX
FP Sc pp28-end
Planning an Investigation with Foundation Phase Learners

What do we KNOW? What do we What do we THINK? HOW can we What have we
2/9/08
WANT to know? find out? LEARNED?

11:46 AM
Page 75
75
Torch cells

Torch bulbs
APPENDIX 77
Model of a torch bulb

Five ways to get a torch bulb to light up
APPENDIX 79
The Great Big Enormous Turnip

Leo Tolstoy
Once upon a time an old man planted a little turnip and said,
“Grow, grow, little turnip, grow sweet. Grow, grow, little turnip, grow strong.” And
the turnip grew up sweet and strong and big and enormous.
Then, one day, the old man went to pull it up. He pulled and he pulled again, but he
could not pull it up. He called the old woman. The old woman pulled the old man.
The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled again, but they could not
pull it up.
So the old woman called her granddaughter. The granddaughter pulled the old
woman. The old woman pulled the old man. The old man pulled the turnip. They
pulled and they pulled again, but they could not pull it up.
The granddaughter called the black dog. The black dog pulled the granddaughter.
The granddaughter pulled the old woman. The old woman pulled the old man.
The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled again, but they could not
pull it up.
The black dog called the cat. The cat pulled the dog. The dog pulled the
granddaughter. The granddaughter pulled the old woman. The old woman pulled the
old man. The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled again, but still
they could not pull it up.
The cat called the mouse. The mouse pulled the cat. The cat pulled the dog. The dog
pulled the granddaughter. The granddaughter pulled the old woman. The old woman
pulled the old man. The old man pulled the turnip. They pulled and they pulled
again, and up came the turnip at last.

Task cards
APPENDIX 81
Useful addresses
Clay Supplier Clip-Clop
Kiln Contracts (Pty) Ltd Fiona & Chris Berensford
11 Celie Road PO Box 2735
Retreat Clareinch
7945 Cape Town 7740 Cape Town
Tel: (021) 701-6682 Tel: (021 671 6686
Fax: (088) 021 671 6686
Science Equipment
Rutland Industries Planetarium
PO Box 27036 Iziko South African Museum
Benrose 25 Queen Victoria Street
2011 Johannesburg Gardens
Tel: (011) 618-3646 8001 Cape Town
Fax: (011) 614-9810 Tel: (021) 481-3822
Kirstenbosch Outreach Greening Programme South African Astronomical Observatory

Tel: (021) 799-874; (021) 799-8670 Observatory Road
Observatory
7935 Cape Town
Tel: (021) 447-0025

Moon Watch Calendar
APPENDIX
FP Sc pp28-end
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

2/9/08
11:46 AM
Page 83
83
84
FP Sc pp28-end
Our Weather
2/9/08
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Forecast What Forecast What Forecast What Forecast What Forecast What
11:46 AM
really really really really really

happens happens happens happens happens
Weather
Page 84
Minimum
Maximum
Wind
Weather
Minimum
Maximum
Wind
Weather
Minimum
Maximum
Wind
Weather
Minimum
Maximum
Wind
Weather
Minimum
Maximum
Wind

Learning Outcome: Scientific Investigation

The learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena,
and to investigate relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and
environmental contexts.
Grade R Level Grade 1 Level Grade 2 Level Grade 3 Level
Planning Investigations
Learner contributes Learner plans an Learner plans an Learner uses materials
towards planning an investigation investigation as part of selected by the group
investigative activity. independently. group. in order to
communicate the
group's plan.
Conducting investigations and collecting data

Learner participates in Learner independently Learner participates in Learner participates
planned activity. participates in planned planned activity constructively in the
activity. independently or as activity with
part of a group. understanding of its
purpose.
Evaluating data and communicating findings

Learner thinks and Learner thinks about Learner shows and Learner explains and
talks about what has what has been done explains what was reflects on what action
been done. and says what has intended and how it was intended, and
been found out. was done. whether it was
possible to carry out
the plan.
APPENDIX 85
Natural Sciences Core Knowledge and Concepts for Foundation Phase
Matter and Materials

Properties and Uses of Materials Structure, Reactions and Changes of Materials
Unifying statement: We can classify materials by Unifying statement: We can modify materials in
their properties, in order to establish types and ways we choose, through our understanding of
patterns. Properties determine the selection of their sub-structure.
materials for particular uses.
I Materials have different properties such as I Substances can be mixed and sometimes
texture, colour, strength and heaviness, and changes can be seen, such as the dissolving
can be classified by these properties. “We of a solid or new colour when food
make things with materials which have the colourings / paints are mixed.
properties we want.
Life and Living

Life Processes and Healthy Interactions in Environments Biodiversity, Change and
Living Continuity
Unifying statement: Living Unifying statement: Organisms Unifying statement: The huge
things, including humans and in ecosystems are dependent for diversity of forms of life can be
invisibly small organisms, can their survival on the presence of understood in terms of a
be understood in terms of life abiotic factors and on their history of change in
processes, functional units and relationship with other environments and in
systems. organisms. characteristics of plants and
animals throughout the world
over millions of years.
I Many of our body parts I We depend on plants and I There is a large variety of
correspond to parts of animals for food, and we plants and animals, which
animals, such as limbs, breed certain animals and have interesting visible
heads, eyes, ears, feet, and grow certain plants as crops. differences but also
in many cases animals use I We see cultural diversity in similarities, and they can be
them for the same purposes the kinds of food people like grouped by their similarities.
we do. to eat. I Plants and animals change
I Animals and plants have I Some animals, like flies and as they grow, and as the
needs similar to ours, for ticks, carry germs which years pass, and as the
food, water and air. can make people sick. seasons change.

Energy and Change

Energy Transfers and Systems Energy and Development in South Africa
Unifying statement: Energy is transferred and therefore we need to know how to control
through biological or physical systems, from energy transfers.
energy sources. With each energy transfer, some Unifying statement: Energy is available from a
of the energy becomes less available for our use,
limited number of sources, and the sustainable of work.

development of countries in our region depends I People who do not have enough food or the
on the wise use of energy sources. right kind of food to eat, feel tired and lack
I When we say we feel ‘full of energy’, we energy.
mean we feel ready to move fast or do a lot
Planet Earth and Beyond

Our Place in Space Atmosphere and Weather The Changing Earth
Unifying statement: Our planet Unifying statement: The Unifying statement: The Earth
is a small part of a vast solar atmosphere is a system which is composed of materials which
system in an immense galaxy. interacts with the land, lakes are continually being changed
and oceans and which transfers by forces on and under the
energy and water from place to surface.
place.
I Many different objects can I Weather changes from day I Soil and rocks vary in
be observed in the sky. to day in ways that can be appearance and texture from
Examples are birds, clouds, recorded and sometimes place to place. By investi-
aeroplanes, the sun, stars, predicted. There are gation, learners can find out
the moon, planets and occasional unusual weather that some soils erode more
satellites. All these objects events like storms, floods or easily than others do, while
have properties, locations tornados which impact on some soil types support
and movements that can be people’s lives. plant life better than others.
investigated with a view to They could investigate what
determining patterns, some of the factors involved
relationships and trends. might be.
APPENDIX 87
Foundation Phase Teachers who participated in this 3-year project

ALPINE Ms Mgumane Ms Petersen
Ms Lavona Allies Ms T Ngudle Ms Jackie Roman
Ms Cheryl Bocks Ms Mandisa Peko Ms Sharifa Smith
Ms Valencia Daniels Ms Rorwana Ms Anna-Marie Willemse
Ms Shahida Davids
LINGE PHILIPPI K (ZANEMFUNDO)
Ms Audrey Dryding
Ms Ntombizodwa Galo
Ms Ida George Ms Ntombodidi Cabane
Ms Nomonde Gxabela
Ms Zelma Johnson Ms Nosipho Dondolo
Ms Noxolo Hina
Ms Faldielah Khatieb Ms Hombakazi Kula
Ms Nothemba Jay
Ms Sukaina Mitchell Ms Nokuthula Mandindi
Ms Mandisa Lali
Ms Rosina Pontac Ms Lillian Mankayi
Ms Alicia Lupuwana
Ms Belinda Tarantal
Ms Nozuko Maqungo Ms Phumza Mgetu
Ms Magdelena Weitz
Ms Nonyameko Ncosani Ms Mutiwe Mguzulo
Ms Linda Wildeman
Ms Ntombomzi Ntozini Ms Nozuko Mtshekexe
DIETRICH MORAVIAN Ms Vinah Qhina Ms Ntombizilungile Ndzube
Ms Kathleen Boltney Ms Ntombi Veleko Ms Thobeka Notshulwana
Ms Jean Cloete Ms Nombulelo Xhego
Ms Nomvuyiseko Ntshonga
Ms Sarah Genever
NOMLINGANISELO Ms Feziwe Nyengane
Ms Teresa Jacobus
Ms Nontobeko Malotana Ms Nontombizanele Potwana
HILLWOOD Ms Nomonde Manyelana Ms Theliswa Sibawu
Ms G Basson Ms Nonkumbulelo Mayeki
Ms Bulelwa Sibozo
Ms Maria Botha Ms Nontombi Mdani
Ms Nomaindia Sotondashe
Ms Kathleen Bouwer Ms Patiswa Mpetsheni
Ms Felicia Clayton (Klein) Ms CN Msebe UKHANYO
Ms Wilma Cloete Ms NC Ndevana Ms Zola Bonga
Ms Martha Damons Ms TC Nontulo Ms Lumka Gcuze
Ms Martha Julies Ms Ntamo Ms L Jafta
Ms Marlene Levine (Esterhuizen) Ms Lindiwe Plam
Ms Bulelwa Koni
Ms E Manasse Ms N Windvoel
Ms Phumzile Luthuli
Ms Reginette Marais Ms NM Yekiso
Ms C Matthews Ms Bongiwe Mtintsilana
NORTHWOOD Ms Ndileka Mvandaba
Ms Freda Mellem
Ms R Adams Ms Siphokazi Ntinga
Ms Marlene Morgan
Ms Bonita Daries
Ms Nosipho Nyaba
INTSHINGA Ms De Bryn
Ms Nonkosi Daweti Ms Avril Dixon Ms Linda Nyengane
Ms N Madlingozi Ms Danree Hector Ms Dolly Pudumo
Ms Maureen Makiva Ms H Hull Ms Kholeka Sishuba
Ms L Matiwane Ms Cheryl Johannes Ms Thozama Songwiqi
Ms N Matrose Ms Amina Patel Ms Nobalindi Yukutwana

Foundation Phase Science Investigations

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Foundation Phase Science Investigations

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FP Sc cover 2/9/08 11:42 AM Page 2

with Foundation Phase Learners

© Western Cape Primary Science Programme (PSP) 2008

Layout by Welma Odendaal

National Curriculum Statement

Sciences National Curriculum Statement.

How does water

Where does the rain come from?

4 INVESTIGATING WITH FOUNDATION PHASE LEARNERS

How to make ice

6 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

Making sure the learners are active

LIFE AND LIVING 7

8 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

What have we learned?

The Science of Melting and Evaporation

Try to get your learners to explain what happened and why.

LIFE AND LIVING 9

10 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

Then choose one child who has listened carefully, to come

LIFE AND LIVING 11

Tell them to talk about what they see and feel

12 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

Investigating, observing and recording

What have we learned?

Changing Properties of Matter

MATTER AND MATERIALS 13

What you will need

14 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

Investigating the properties of materials

Don’t omit this investigation because there isn’t

LIFE AND LIVING 15

Making bread – an opportunity for integration

It is also a good idea to make sure

16 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

Tasting (and testing) the baked bread

LIFE AND LIVING 17

When each child has a piece of bread, ask the children to

18 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

When you have written up the experience, read aloud the

LIFE AND LIVING 19

But this is not

20 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

What are mini-beasts?

What do we mean by ‘mini-Beasts’? Mini-beasts are small creatures, also

LIFE AND LIVING 21

Begin by gathering your learners

22 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

LIFE AND LIVING 23

When Cheryl Johannes from

24 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

LIFE AND LIVING 25

Some possible questions for investigation Some creatures go

26 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

Even though most of the young children can’t

Making little information books

“Die Slak” from Northwood

LIFE AND LIVING 27

28 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

What plants do we know?

LIFE AND LIVING 29

FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE

30 FOUNDATION PHASE SCIENCE