Science is…
Introduction


Science in the early childhood classroom
should be hands-on, experimental,
exciting and fun (Bredekamp & Copple,
1997)
As early childhood educators we often ask
ourselves “what science should be taught?
How should science curriculum be
structured? How should it be taught?”
(Gullo, 2006)
Activity





Please divide into your activity 1 group
Discuss what science is at your school/in
your classroom
Think of a science lesson that you thought
of as a success and discuss with group
Think of a science lesson that you thought
of as a failure and discuss with group
Do the lessons you heard about illustrate
what science is/should be?
What science should we
teach?


The National Science Standards state that
we should teach science literacy to all
students no matter their grade level
Science literacy is considered fundamental
to the teaching and learning occurring
within science education
What science should we
teach: scientific literacy
The standards define scientific literacy to mean, “a person can ask, find, o r determine
answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences. It means that a
person h as the ability to d escribe, explain, and p redict natural pheno mena. Scientif ic
literacy entails being ab le to read with und erstanding articles about science in the popular
press and to engage in social conve rsation about the validity of the conclusions. Scientif ic
literacy implies that a person can identify scientif ic issues und erlying n ational and local
decisions and express positions that are scientific ally and techno logically informed. A
literate citizen should b e able to evaluate the quality of scientifi c information on th e basis
of its source and the methods used to generate it. Scientific literacy also implies the
capacity to pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence and to apply conclusions
from such arguments appropriately” (National Science Education Standards, 1996, p age
22).
What science should we
teach: standards say

Kindergarteners need to have biological,
physical, earth and space science during
the course of the year in order to meet the
science standards set forth by the National
Science Standards
What science should we
teach: inquiry



An important aspect of science content in inquiry
Inquiry refers to the varying ways scientists
study the natural world and suggest
explanations for future study based on their work
It is also the activities where students develop
knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas
and the natural world (Gullo, 2006)
Important inquiry skills









Raise questions
Explore materials, objects and events
Use senses to make observations
Observe in order to classify and define
Use different simple tools
Participate in simple investigations
Record observations, explanations and ideas
through a variety of media
Work with others
Share and discuss ideas (Gullo, 2006)
What science should we
teach: subject matter









From life-from daily experiences of students
Based on science ideas
Developmentally appropriate
Children can directly explore
Children can explore deeply and over time
Engaging, fun and challenging
Reflect local environment and community
Integrate subjects
Allow for inquiry (Gullo, 2006; Bredekamp &
Copple, 1997)
What science should we
teach: big ideas





Look for patterns
See relationships
Notice change
Identify cause and effect
Form relates to function (Gullo, 2006;
Bredekamp & Copple, 1997)
How should curriculums be
structured: simple framework



Students and content direct the
investigation
Make sure engaging, focused exploration
Extend through investigation, books and
other media as well as connecting to daily
life (Gullo, 2006)
Structure





Get familiar
Probe deeper
Extend and enrich
Tie classroom to life
(Gullo, 2006; Heuser, 2005)
How should science be
taught?





Hands-on experiences (Heuser, 2005)
Materials should connect to exploration
Provide sufficient space for
experimentation
Have a schedule
The teacher should be a guide on the side
(Gullo, 2006)
Where should science take
place?

In the classroom-there should be enough space for
students to explore and investigate the science topics

In the real world- students should have experiences
outside in their natural world which help them connect
with the science content matter

In the community- students should be able to tie their
science related experiences from the classroom and the
natural world together in order to be contributing citizens
in their community (Gullo, 2006, Bredekamp & Copple,
1997
What should science be?







Fun
Engaging
Challenging
Exciting
Explorative/experimental
Deep
Collaborative (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997;
Gullo, 2006; Sterling & Frazier, 2006)