Investigating Sea Shells

One of the awesome grandparents from my classroom bought in some sea shells from the Florida keys.  When she asked me if I would like some shells I was excited about the offer.  I was amazed when she bought them in...... I was wonder how one person could collect so many, there were a bazillion(a new mathematical term)  shells in that bag. Even better, they were washed and sorted too.

The children were so excited and couldn't wait to become investigators and inspect the shells.  I put the shells in the sensory table with some water.  The water makes the shells look more vibrant.

Here are some great pictures of my little scientists at work.

Skills

The children were using so many different skills they amazed me. Here are some of the things I observed.

• sorting by color, shape, size, texture and patterns
• comparing sizes
• experimenting with sinking and floating
• measuring and pour
• using magnifying glass
• fine motor skills picking up very small shells
• talking about the creatures that lived in the shells
• sharing beach experiences
• role playing the "Little Mermaid"