Science

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Science

• CDEC 1313
• Nita Thomason, Ed.D.

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Please touch!Please explore!What would happen
if . . .?Why?Whats in my environment?What
effect do I have?
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We should nurture young childrens natural
curiosity and they need to know why, which will
lead to scientific exploration and enthusiasm.
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Science

• Process Skills - how children learn
• Content - what children learn

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Strands of Science

• Life science - study of living things, people,
  plants, and animals
• Ecology - the relationship between living things
  and their environment
• Physical science - study of non-living things
• Earth and space science - study of earth
  materials, objects in the sky and changes in the
  earth and sky

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Learning about Science through Discovery

• Provide open-ended opportunities to investigate,
  self-discover, and problem solve
• Use the hands-on, minds-on approach
• Be guided by the interests of your students

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Create a Scientific Environment

• Investigate water
• Discover rainbows
• Explore shadows
• Grow plants
• Focus on nature
• Ecology

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Science Materials and Equipment

• aluminum foil pans
• aquarium
• ant farm
• binoculars
• bird house and feeders
• collection boxes net
• compass
• corks, plugs, and stoppers
• disposable cameras
• dried plants
• egg beaters

• eye droppers
• feathers
• flashlights
• food coloring
• fossils
• garden hose
• kitchen timer
• magnets
• magnifying glasses
• pinecones
• pipe cleaners

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Science Materials and Equipment

• plants
• plastic bottles, jars, trays
• prisms
• rain gauge
• rocks
• seashells
• rulers, tape measure
• yard stick
• scales
• seeds and catalogs
• sieves, sifters, funnels

• Shallow pans
• soil samples
• stethoscope
• sundial
• tape recorder cassettes
• telescope
• terrarium
• thermometers
• tongs and tweezers
• watering cans
• x-rays

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Tips for Teachers

• Provide hands-on experiences making science a
  part of every school day
• Preserve and value a childs natural curiosity
• Avoid telling them about science, involve them in
  experiencing science
• Give them time to discover, make mistakes and
  learn
• Ask open-ended questions
• Integrate science across the curriculum

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Sharing Science with Parents

• Look at science around you - plants, insects,
  animals, rocks, sunsets
• Go for walks in the park and woods
• Feel trees and discuss parts of the tree
• Collect all kinds of nature objects
• Help your child use her senses - sight, smell,
  touch, hearing and taste
• Let child water plants
• Recycle (involve child in process and why)

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Assessment

• Anecdotal records
• Evaluate childrens attitudes, skills, and
  knowledge
• On-going