science cdec 1313 nita thomason, ed.d.. please touch! please explore! what would happen if...? why?...
TRANSCRIPT
Science
CDEC 1313
Nita Thomason, Ed.D.
Please touch!Please explore!
What would happen if . . .?Why?
What’s in my environment?What effect do I have?
We should nurture young children’s natural curiosity and they need to know why, which
will lead to scientific exploration and enthusiasm.
Science
• Process Skills - how children learn
• Content - what children learn
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
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
Create a Scientific Environment
• Investigate water
• Discover rainbows
• Explore shadows
• Grow plants
• Focus on nature
• Ecology
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
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
Tips for Teachers• Provide hands-on experiences making science a part
of every school day• Preserve and value a child’s 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
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)
Assessment
• Anecdotal records
• Evaluate children’s attitudes, skills, and knowledge
• On-going