Materials
Gummy dinosaur candies Large clear plastic jar
Blackboard with chalk or chart paper and marker Small counting cups, one for each child
Instructions
Work in small groups. Ask the children to wash their hands before this activity.
1. Put the gummy dinosaurs into the clear plastic jar and ask the children to guess how many there are. Write their guesses or estimations on the blackboard or on chart paper.
2. Ask the children whether they think there are more dinosaurs of one color than there are of the other colors. Which color is it? Write the guesses.
3. Ask the children to think of ways you could find out how many there really are.
4. Pour the dinosaurs out of the jar and ask the children to sort them by color.
5. Make a graph to show which is the color of most of the dinosaurs. Talk about which type is longest, shortest, the same size as another type, etc.
6. Check these findings against the original hypotheses or guesses.
7. Ask the children if there are other ways to sort the dinosaurs.
8. Regroup the dinosaurs into one pile and ask the children to guess how many there are.
9. Working together as a group, count ten dinosaurs into each cup. Leave leftover dinosaurs on the table.
10. Show the children how to count the dinosaurs by tens.
11. Add the remaining dinosaurs to your total to find out how many dinosaurs there are.
12. Check your findings against the original hypotheses or guesses.
13. Have the children dictate a sentence each telling about your findings.
14. As an option, you could tell the children that they may have the gummy dinosaurs if they can figure out a fair way to distribute them.More to doMore science: This method can be used at different times of the year with gummy worms, gummy bears, animal crackers, M&M's or jellybeans.Snack: For snack, give the children dinosaur graham crackers.
