Sea shells, Sea shells...

Inspired by our recent trips to the beach and shell collecting I wanted to build on the girl's interest and use their passion for these natural treasures. So, as I keep reminding them, maths isn't just about numbers it's about classification, organisation, grouping, comparison etc. First, we used our science observation skills (our 5 senses) and considered the appearance, size and texture - so we talked about ridges, rough, smooth, horizontal and vertical lines etc. Even 3 year old G was eager and involved. We used a very simple classification chart that all 3 girls loved using and we were able to classify all including the conch, scallop, triton and nautilus shells with nearly 100% accuracy. Since we are living in a place famous for its pearls (well at least here) and with an ancient tradition of pearl diving, we looked at You tube videos of how pearls are made and farmed. The girls are fascinated (as am I) about the humble origins of these precious and beautiful jewels. Since E had been snorkelling only a few weeks earlier and the girls had collected the shells themselves, this activity was even more interesting to them. They also enjoyed playing with the shells in water, in sand and with some little plastic sea creatures. We also tried to sketch our own shells, listened and tried to say the old "seashells, seashells by the seashore" tongue twister and explored the various mollusc creatures who live inside the shells. As part of our beach swimming day we also considered the power of salt and how it is easier to float in sea water than a chlorinated swimming pool. To demonstrate this, we experimented with an egg in water which begins to float when salt is added (about 6tsp). After this day of learning, E enthusisatically concluded that she would like to become a conchologist when she grows up. I had so much fun I think I might add this to my list too.