At the beginning of the school year in most parts of the country there is a clear slide into autumn. Begin introducing the ideas of scientific study such as observation and writing down what is seen. Then explain about how we have plants that grow in the autumn and that one of the most popular is the pumpkin. Cut the top off a pumpkin and show the kids the seeds inside. In enough small cups for each child to have one, plant several pumpkin seeds. Have the students take turns watering the seeds until they sprout. Explain about growing seasons and how we get food crops. Allow the students to take their sprouts home to plant outside.
As the fall winds into winter, temperatures in most places drop. Create a unit focusing on precipitation and how the cold influences the formation of ice and snow. Explain how people must adapt to the weather in order to go about their daily lives. Use the example of using salt to melt ice in order to clear the roads for safe travel. Give the students small cups with an ice cube inside. Record the length of time it takes the ice to begin melting and then to melt completely. Repeat the experiment, only give the children salt to sprinkle on their ice. Record the melting times. Ask the children where they have seen salt used to melt ice around the school and around their homes.
Spring is the time when many crops are planted throughout the country. Create a unit focusing on the aspects involved in farming crops. Explain about nutrients in the soil and how they can help or hinder the growing season. Give each student a sweet potato, some toothpicks and a small bowl of water. Insert the toothpicks into the potato then immerse one end of the potato in the water. Place in front of a window. Have the children record the growth by measuring the vines that will emerge. Create two potato experiments of your own. Explain about how science has helped farmers by making special plant foods. Dose one of your potatoes with the plant food. At the end of the project measure any noticeable differences between your two plants.
The summer brings heat, as well as the end of the school year. Do a unit on the sun, explaining how it causes the temperature to rise. Tailor the unit to your geographical area, mentioning how location affects temperature. Have students record the daily temperature for an entire month. Have students use an almanac or the Internet to look up the daily temperatures for that month for the past five years, plus the next week after that month. Instruct them to make a chart illustrating the different temperatures. Ask them to predict the next week's temperatures. This will strengthen their data collecting skills and introduce them to the concept of researching.