WINTER
SCIENCE CONTENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS:
Page 3: Winter Sink or Float: A recording sheet to use with any winter object(s).
Students will need timers or a stopwatch, or you can perform these as a class
with just one loud timer. Each student/group/whole class will need a large bowl or
bucket of room temperature water-if it’s a tiny bit warm, that will help various
items to sink, which is great! Examples to help get you started: cranberries, gift
bows, evergreen tree leaves, candy canes, snow, eggnog, ice, poinsettia petals,
ornaments, pinecones, gloves, marshmallows, fallen branches/twigs, tea light
candles, ice, holiday cookies/treats (flour based treats will all mostly sink
before/after the 2 minute mark, so they will work great with the recording sheet-
YOU CAN EVEN TURN THIS INTO A COOKIES FOR SANTA SINK OR FLOAT
EXPERIMENT USING VARIOUS COOKIES!), slices of apples, slices of fruit cake,
round peppermints, plastic winter/holiday themed small toys, etc.
Page 4: Which Liquids Will Freeze in the Winter Weather: A recording sheet to
use with any liquids that you have. If you do not live in an area where the
temperatures get to freezing, simply place the students items into a freezer and
pull them out again the following day. Examples to help get you started: water,
saltwater,
maple syrup, apple juice, vinegar, milk, cooking oil, apple cider, etc.
Page 5: The Changing Pine Cone: A recording sheet to complete as students
watch a pinecone open or close depending on its environment. You will need to
have 1 open pinecone per student/group/or whole class, so if the ones that you
have collected are closed, warm and dry them first to open their scales. *If you
are using the extension idea(s) on page 2, then each student will need their own
individual pinecone in addition to the ones for the given activity. Send a letter
home asking for pinecones or go outside in the days prior to collect pinecones as
a class.
Bring them inside so that they open in time for the activities!
Page 6: Senses Winter Walk: A recording sheet to use outdoors (for taste, have
students “taste” the cold air, snow, and/or snowflakes or bring outside hot
chocolate or minty candies/holiday treats).
Page 7: How Arctic Animals Stay Warm: Students will learn all about how blubber
helps to keep arctic animals warm in the winter by using shortening and ice cold
water.
Pages 8-9: Engineering A Snowball Launcher STEAM Activity: If you do not live in
a snowy
environment, use foam balls in place of the snow. Allow creativity by
giving your students free reign over their chosen supplies from your “supply
They can build, test, and rebuild as needed. Once everyone is happy with
table.”
their designs, take their launchers outside (or stay inside) to use with snow or
foam snowballs and have fun! Examples of supplies to have: balloons, scissors,
glue, plastic cups, Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, plastic spoons, tape, cardstock
paper, paper plates and/or bowls, etc. Print these two pages double-sided.
Page 10: Related Resources Links
WINTER SCIENCE CREDITS
AND EXTENSION IDEAS:
Amy Lynn Teaches copyrights all activities within. These pages are not to be resold
or shared in any form. The clip art from this set, including the cover, are from:
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Pinecone Extension Ideas:
Have student’s collect/bring in an additional pinecone to observe while they
wait for their pinecones to open/close in the included activity. If their extra
pinecones are open, make winter bird feeders! Begin by discussing what
birds eat (worms, nectar, seeds, etc.). Ask how snow/winter environments
might hinder a birds search for food. Explain that you will now help your
schoolyard bird friends during this season by creating a food source. Using
nut free butter (VERY IMPORTANT IF YOU HAVE KIDS WITH
ALLERGIES!), have each student cover their extra pinecone using Popsicle
sticks or plastic knives. They will then roll their pinecones in plates of
birdseed.
Tie twine or string around the tops of each pinecone and go
outside to hang each one on branches, limbs, etc. Or, if their pinecones
are closed, allow students to paint their entire pinecone white. When they
reopen, only the tips will be painted and it will appear as if snow has lightly
fallen onto the tips of a tree. Hang these around your classroom for a fun
winter decoration! DO BOTH ACTIVITIES IF DESIRED USING THE
PINECONES FROM THE EXPERIMENT!
Which Winter Name: _______________
1) Record your winter items.
Items Will Sink 2) Make predictions on if each item
will immediately sink or float.
and/or Float? 3) Test each item by placing it into
the bowl of water. Record
immediately if it sinks or if it floats.
4) Make predictions on if each item
will sink or still float after 2 minutes.
5) Wait two minutes and record if
your item is still floating or if it sank.
1) This winter 2) I think that 3) 4) After 2 minutes, 5) Results after
item is a... this item will Immediate I think that this item 2 minutes:
immediately.... result: will...
My __ winter items sank immediately.
__ winter items sank only after 2 minutes.
Totals:
__ winter items floated the entire time.
© Amy Lynn Teaches
Name: _______________
Which Liquids 1) Record all liquids being tested.
Will Freeze in 2) Make predictions on if each
item will freeze or if it will remain
the Winter
a liquid when left outside
overnight in the winter weather.
Weather?
3) Record the results.
1) This liquid is ... 2) When left outside 3) My results:
overnight, I predict that
this liquid will...
In this experiment, I learned... ________________________
________________________________________________
______________________________________________
© Amy Lynn Teaches
Pinecones
Name: __________
Materials List:
The scales of a seed-
bearing pinecone will move
1 open pinecone depending on the weather
that it is placed in. When
Cold water with ice in a large they are warm and dry,
bowl or a large bowl of snow
pinecones will open up to
An oven
or a warm and dry release the cone’s seeds.
environment When a pinecone is wet or
*If you
are using an oven,
you cold, the scales will close
will also need a cookie sheet back up. Let’s investigate!
(to avoid a sappy
and foil mess)
Step One:
Explain what happened
to your open pinecone:
Draw what
Place your open your pinecone __________________
pinecone into a bowl of now looks like:
cold water or snow. __________________
Wait for an hour, and
then record your __________________
observations.
__________________
Step Two:
Explain what happened
to your closed pinecone:
your closed
Place Draw what
pinecone
onto a foil lined your pinecone __________________
cookie sheet. An adult will now looks like:
bake these at 200° for 30 __________________
minutes. Or, place your
closed pinecones in a __________________
warm, dry spot overnight.
Record your results. __________________
__________________
© Amy Lynn Teaches
Exploring
Name: ______________
Use
your 5 senses outside to
explore the season of winter.
Winter
I see _____________
Using my
___________________
___________________
Senses ___________________
___________________
I hear
____________ I smell ___________
___________________ ___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________ ___________________
I touch
__________ I taste __________
___________________ ___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________ ___________________
© Amy Lynn Teaches
How Arctic
Name: ______________
In the winter, we wear layers
of clothing to protect our
Animals
bodies from the harsh, cold
weather. But how do arctic
animals stay warm? Easy-
they all have extra layers of
Stay Warm
blubber (fat) that keep the
cold air out. Let’s investigate!
Materials List: Step One:
per table or group
1 bowl Place your bare hand into the bowl of
that is filled with cold water ice water for as long as you can.
and many ice cubes Record your notes here:
1 empty
Ziploc sandwich I lasted ___ seconds. It felt ____
bag per student
____________________________
1 Ziploc
sandwich bag filled
with shortening per student ____________________________
____________________________
Step Two:
Fully complete this thought:
Place your bare hand into an Having my hand heavily covered
empty Ziploc bag. Then, place by a material that is similar to
this bagged hand into the
arctic animals blubber taught me...
Ziploc bag that is filled with
shortening. Finally, place this ________________________________
heavily covered hand back
bowl of ice water for ________________________________
into the
as long as you can. Record
your notes here: ________________________________
______________________________
I lasted ___ seconds.
________________________________
© Amy Lynn Teaches
Engineering
Name: _____________
1) Observe all of the supplies on the
a Snowball
supply table.
2) Collect the supplies that you
believe will help you to build the best
snowball launcher.
Launcher
3) Build, test, modify, and repeat until
you are happy with your launcher!
I used these materials: A drawing of my launcher:
I predict that my launcher will __________________________________
because _______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
First Launch Results: ________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Continue on the backside....
© Amy Lynn Teaches
Modify your
launcher as needed and try again. Results: ___________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
I added these materials (if any): A drawing of my modified launcher:
I took
off these materials (if any):
Modify your launcher one more time and try again. Results: _________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
I added
these materials (if any): A drawing of my modified launcher:
I took
off these materials (if any):
My concluding thoughts: ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
© Amy Lynn Teaches
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