Grade 1/2 Shaker Experiment

Grade 1/2 students have been building and decorating their very own eggs shakers!

This may seem like a crafty little activity. And for sure, students are excited to get into the paint and get their hands dirty as they try to manage holding and painting a 3D object. But not only is this a great fine-motor activity, it began as a scientific experiment in making predictions.

Students were shown a variety of different materials and asked to make a hypothesis about what material would make the best sound inside a shaker. They were then given the materials to test and make observations, which became a language arts lesson in itself.

Finally, students made their conclusions and began the construction of their egg.

To see the pride, and to listen to their plans of how they will use them is exciting. At one point handing out the materials, the students had a full on shaker dance session as they grabbed paint brushes and paper towels. One group of girls has already planned a get together at home to play their shakers together.

I plan to further explore instrumentation with them, and will keep you updated with how it goes!