Guiding Science Experiences

1
Guiding Science Experiences

• Chapter 23

2
What is Science?

• science study of natural processes and their
  products
• Way of viewing universe
• Must explore and question
• Hands on for process and product
• Creative field of study
• Requires development of curiosity and imagination
• Gain understanding of why events happen
• No preset ideas
• Start to group info and generalize

3

• Why Study Science
• Enhance curiosity
• Build skill in picking out similarities and
  differences
• Vocab improves
• Improve language skills and general knowledge as
  concepts
• Promotes reading readiness
• Fine-motor and hand-eye coordination
• Math skills enhanced

4
Planning Science Activities

• Most successful unplanned
• Need to plan
• Focus on theme helps structure and organize info
• Can use in current centers
• Give children time to examine and explore

5

• Science activities should offer
• Observe and explore
• Note differences and likenesses
• Make predictions and solve problems
• Collect samples
• Develop new interests and skills
• Listen to sounds
• View videos
• Look at books
• Collect pictures

6

• Science Area
• Set apart from others
• Best near kitchen
• May have outdoor science area
• Equipment and Materials
• Questions to answer during selection
• Is the item safe?
• Do the children have the skills to use this item?
• science table- used to display science related
  items
• Should have a focus
• Collection should provide direction for advancing
  learning
• Concept related literature books included
• Children can be encouraged to bring own items
• Change items often

7
Role of the Teacher

• Offer space, materials and activities
• Provide constant supervision
• Know when to help
• Need ample materials
• Provide many opportunities for practice observing
• Use effective questioning techniques
• open-ended questions- promote discussion and
  require decision-making skills
• closed-ended questions- few decision making
  skills needed usually get a yes or no
• Give time to answer
• Positive response given to all answers
• Use better answers by showing how they add to
  others
• Listen and show that they are heard
• Base activities on children's questions
• Let the children do the activity, read, listen,
  watch and use process skills

8

• Activities should promote development of 5 basic
  process skills
• Observing objects using five senses
• Drawing conclusions from observations based on
  past experiences
• Classifying objects into sets based on one or
  more observable properties
• Comparing sets of objects by measuring and
  counting
• Communicating by describing objects,
  relationships, and occurrences

9
Developing the Childs Understanding of Senses

• Feelings
• feely box- can be made by cutting a circle in a
  box large enough for a child to put their hand in
• Can also use a feely bag
• Put several different items in have each child
  feel and try to guess
• Give clues as to what used for if cant guess
• Also can use different textured things to feel on
  table (group likes)

10

• Smelling
• Use common items and have them name/describe
  things by smell
• Seeing
• I spy
• Name what is missing
• Hearing
• Tape recorder
• Record voice of each child
• Play tape to group when all recorded and have id
  voices
• Tasting
• Tasting party
• Blindfold give sample

11
Using Color to Teach Science Concepts

• Naming
• Grouping
• Mixing colors

12
Using Water to Teach Science Concepts

• Concepts taught with water
• Water flows when poured
• Water dissolves some foods
• Water takes many forms
• Water makes objects wet
• Water can be held in a container
• Some items float on water
• Some materials absorb water

13

• Equipment and accessories
• If no water table can use other containers large
  enough to hold water
• Need accessories
• Funnels, spoons, sprinkling cans, nesting cups,
  plastic containers, egg beaters, measuring cups,
  strainers, corks, sponges, plastic tubing, soap,
  food coloring
• Protect floor
• Plastic aprons to protect clothes
• Fill water to level depending on age
• Younger 2-3 inches

14

• Activities
• Freeze water
• Ice is frozen water
• Ice can melt
• Melted ice is water
• Ice can be picked up
• Ice melts in warm places
• Some materials absorb water
• Use sponges, terry cloth, tissues, paper towels,
  cardboard, plastic wrap, waxed paper, newsprint,
  finger paint, plastic
• Make chart
• Floating
• Make chart
• Water dissolves
• Supply items that dissolve and that dont
• Ask what happens when you add
• Paint with water

15
Using Foods to Teach Science Concepts

• Bread both process and product
• Read recipe
• Collect ingredients, pans, utensils
• Mixing correct ingredients
• Setting correct oven temp
• Checking when bread should be removed
• Activities should
• Prepare foods in different ways
• Use different tools
• Examine insides
• Observe way foods change during preparation
• Food varies in size shape color weight

16
Using the Childs Own Body to Teach Science
Concepts

• Use photographs and drawings
• People recognized by way they look
• Unique physical traits
• Growth chart used to teach measurement or weight
• Outline draw color each child life sized and
  stuff

17
Using Gardening to Teach Science Concepts

• Seeds and food
• Talk about one type of seed at time
• Ask questions to help them explore
• Introduce new seeds one at a time
• Compare new seeds to previously introduced seeds
• Seed Party
• Compare seeds by shells, where grown, taste,
  which are nuts, texture etc.

18

• Observing seeds
• Nature walk
• Give each child bags with names to collect with
• Use magnifying glass in science center
• Compare shapes sizes, colors and textures
• Planting Seeds
• Try and use transparent containers
• Name on containers
• Supply garden soil, have children fill container
• Choose seeds they want
• Add seeds cover with soil water and label
• Place in warm area when sprout children should
  learn
• Seeds planted in soil and given water warmth and
  sunshine grow
• Some seeds germinate earlier than others
• As plants grow, their size changes

19

• Dish garden
• Cut off pineapple, turnip, carrot or beet tops
• Place in bowl with shallow water and sand
• Observe growth
• Vase garden
• Onion, potato, sweet potato, or avocado pit
• large jar to hold vegetable
• Suspend veg on toothpicks
• Add water from time to time
• Watch roots grow
• Bulletin board garden
• Soak paper towel fold place or put soil in
  plastic bag with child's name on it
• Add bean seed or flower seeds
• Outdoor garden
• If permitted grow outside garden share work and
  results with children

20
Using Air to Teach Science Concepts

• Teaching about air
• Balloons
• Bubbles
• Blow in water, bubbles
• Teaching About wind
• Streamers to help teach that wind moves
• Using weather
• Felt board
• Clothing and symbols to represent weather

21
Using Magnets to Teach Science Concepts

• Best learned by hands on and teacher guidance
• Need variety of magnets
• Observe
• Magnets pull some things, but not others
• Some magnets are big others are small
• Some magnets are stronger than others
• Magnets pick up objects made of iron

22

• Build concepts
• Collection of objects picked up by magnets and
  some not
• Have children pick up each object and say if
  magnet picks it up or not
• Give variety of magnets to use

23
Using Wheels to Teach Science Concepts

• Use of wheels to learn
• Wheels are round
• Wheels roll
• Wheels usually turn on an axis
• Wheels make work easier for people
• Expose to many types of wheels

24
Using Field Trips and Walks to Teach Science
Concepts

• Promote curiosity
• supply opportunities for discovery
• encourage interaction with the environment
• Short walks with a focus

25
Using Animals to Teach Science Concepts

• Classroom pets
• Care of Animals
• Humane care and treatment
• Provide for basic needs
• Value of Animals
• Teach following concepts
• Many kinds of animals
• Fun to watch
• Require care
• Depend on humans for proper care
• Many kinds of animals some large some small
• Different body coverings
• Move in different ways
• Different number of legs
• Different sounds made by animals

26

• Animals as classroom pets
• Hamsters
• Snakes
• Toads and frogs
• Fish
• Rabbits
• Guinea pigs

Care of the Earth

• Keep it clean
• Recycling in the classroom