Playing with symbols

This activity contributes to:

•  Consolidate knowledge of the three states of water.
• Introduce symbols for ice, water, steam, warmth and cold.
• Practise understanding and using the symbols.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTIVITY

1. The children stand in a circle and follow these verbal instructions:

Next, tell the children they are going to play the game again, but this time, with
special cards that they will tell them what to do. First, we are going to discuss the symbol cards for heat and cold, using questions to help the children make the connection between the symbol, the processes represented, and the required actions:

We shoul play several rounds of the game showing first one of the symbol cards, then the other while the children transform from ice to water, from
water to steam, from steam to water, and back to ice again...

Continue to give verbal instructions: "Heat! lce turns to water! Swim!" "Hot!" Water turns to steam! Hiss!"...
Then, tell the children that they are going to play the game without anyone using any words at all.

2. Show the children the symbols for ice, water and steam and use questions to help the children recognise what each symbol represents (the blue square looks like hard, cold ice;the waves and bubbles look like water, the white fluffy cloud looks like steam):

Next, we are going to play the game again using the symbols to prompt the children's actions