Kayle Richardson
Employee Development Coordinator
Capital Area Head Start
Objectives
• To understand the basics of recent science
research
• To recognize the importance of science
education in early childhood
• To discover new and interesting ways of
using science
Please…
• Substitute different materials for those
suggested
• Write notes to yourself about what did or
did not work
• Record new ideas
• Be creative
• Have fun!
Group Shot!
Adapting Art into Science
Shake Painting
From ScienceArts
Straw Painting
From ScienceArts
Materials:
1. Construction Paper
2. Scissors
3. Paint
4. Large Jar with Lid
Materials:
1. Drinking Straws
2. Paint, thinned and watery
3. Paper
4. Muffin Tin
Art Experiment:
1. Cut the paper small enough to fit
inside the jar and place it in the
bottom.
2. Put several drops of paint in the jar.
3. Put on the lid and shake the jar.
4. Open the jar and remove the Shake
Painting.
Art Experiment:
1. Dip one end of straw in paint while
holding a finger over the top end of
the straw.
2. Move straw to paper and release
finger on top of straw to release
paint.
3. Follow process several times.
Science Skill: Energy, Absorption
Science Skill: Pressure
Burrowing in the
Sand & Water Table
Legos & Water
From Sand and Water Play
Materials:
1. Water
2. Food Coloring (optional)
3. Legos
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Put 5” of water in sensory table
2. Color water if desired
3. Place Legos in water
Science Skill: Design and
Construct
Tongs & Balls
From Sand and Water Play
Materials:
1. Water
2. Food coloring (optional)
3. Variety of balls (small enough to fit
through openings of containers)
4. Containers
5. Tongs
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Fill table half full with water
2. Put balls & containers in table
3. Encourage children to use tongs to
pick up balls and place in container
Science Skill: Experimentation, Float &
Sink
Cracking the Code of
Math & Science
How Many Seeds?
From Bite-Sized Science
Materials:
1. Fruits or Vegetables with Seeds
2. Chart Paper
3. Markers
4. Knife
Math Activity:
1. Choose several fruits or vegetables
with seeds
2. Before cutting, have children predict
how many seeds are in each piece
3. Record their answers on chart paper
4. Cut the fruit or vegetable and count
the number of seeds together
Science Skill: Predicting
Sand Stew
From Sand and Water Play
Materials:
1. Objects from nature
2. Sand
3. Paint Smocks
4. Water Cans
5. Sticks
6. Paper and Pens
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Go outside and help gather
“ingredients”
2. Pour sand in table
3. Encourage kids to add water and
other ingredients to the sand. Mix
with sticks.
4. Ask kids to create a recipe for their
concoction.
Science Skill: Identify objects in nature,
Respect the environment
Diffusing Boredom at Home
Foil Molds
From Bite-Sized Science
Materials:
1. 3 pieces of aluminum foil
At Home Activity
1. Give child 3 pieces of aluminum
foil and ask her to find items
to mold in the foil.
2. Place the foil around the item
and mold the foil to the item
with your hand.
3. Try to guess what item made
each mold. Give the other
person hints if you need to.
Science Skill: Memory & Recall
Magnify It
From Bite-Sized Science
Materials:
1. Zip-top plastic bag made for
freezing
2. Water
3. Masking Tape or Duct Tape
4. Book or Newspaper
At Home Activity:
1. Fill bad with water and seal with
tape.
2. Place bag over book or
newspaper to show effect.
3. Use on other items around the
house.
Science Skill: Magnification
Environment: Designing Your
Classroom
• A variety of interesting materials for
children to explore & manipulate
• Unstructured time for children to develop
& test their own ideas
• A social climate that tells the children that
questions and experimentation are as
valuable as knowing the right answers
Factors of Scientific Thinking
• Involves children in the process of finding out
• Leads children to make their own discoveries
• Children ask questions, conduct investigations,
collect data, and search for answers
• View children as active learners versus recipients
of knowledge
• Give children the time, space, and materials to
exercise their curiosity
Guiding Student Exploration
• Observe
• Model Behavior
• Make-Believe Play
• Animism and Artificialism
• Sharing Views
Harvesting Plant Life
Sticky Tape Body Art
From Science Adventures
Materials:
1. Two sided sticky tape, Masking
Tape, or Duct Tape
Science Experiment:
1. Take children outside and place
tape circle on wrist, sticky side
out
2. Ask children to wander,
observing and choosing items to
stick to their tape
3. When every child has finished,
ask children to discuss the
characteristics of the objects
they chose and what drew them
to the objects
Science Skill: Observing, Life
Sciences
Nature Match
From Science Adventures
Materials:
1. Chart of leaves or other
collectibles with label and
picture
2. Glue
Science Activity:
1. Teacher makes a chart of
common nature findings.
2. When outside, children collect
nature objects.
3. Back inside, the children glue
their findings under the
appropriate headings.
4. Teacher discusses the term
“classifying” as it applies to
sorting by characteristics.
Science Skill: Observing, Classifying
Investigating Science Processes
• There are 4 processes which, according to
research, are developmentally most
appropriate for very young children.
–
–
–
–
Observing
Communicating
Comparing
Organizing or Classifying
Jurassic Park Perhaps??
Fossils
From Sand and Water Play
Materials:
1.
Small Figures
2.
Plaster of Paris
3.
Sand, rocks or pebbles
4.
Plastic knives or popsicle sticks
5.
Paper
6.
Markers and Crayons
Sensory Table Activity:
1.
Create homemade fossils by placing small figures in
plaster of Paris. Allow the plaster to harden
overnight.
2.
Place these plaster of Paris covered figures in the
sand and water table and cover them with sand,
rocks, or pebbles.
3.
Give the children plastic knives or Popsicle sticks.
Encourage them to chip away the plaster of Paris
from the object.
4.
When the children have chipped away enough to
expose the object, have them draw a picture of
what they’ve exposed.
5.
Ask them to predict what is still hidden and
complete their drawing using their imagination.
Science Skill: Prediction
Wild and Wacky Dino Dig
From Sand and Water Play
Materials:
1. Small Photos of Classroom Dino
Figures
2. Laminate
3. Medium (Sand, Large buttons, Paper)
4. Paintbrushes
5. Dino Figures
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Take photos of classroom dino
figures. Print and laminate.
2. Place photos in bottom of table.
Pour medium over photos.
3. Ask kids to use paintbrushes to
brush away the sand from hidden
photos.
4. Encourage children to search,
identify, and match the photos of
the actual dino figures.
Science Skill: Scale
Knowing the Right Answer
• Not one of the primary objectives of science
• Passive virtue with limitations (Duckworth, 1987)
–
–
–
–
–
No decisions
No risks
Makes no demands
Automatic
Thoughtless
• Objective: Answers about the world can be discovered
through children’s investigations
• Involves coming up with ideas of one’s own; Developing the
ideas and submitting them to someone else’s scrutiny
Shedding Light on Art & Science
Ice & Salt Sculpture
From ScienceArts
Materials:
1. Large chunk of ice
2. ¾ cup salt
3. Food coloring
4. ½ cup warm water
5. Spray bottle (on Stream)
6. Baking Pan
Art Activity:
1. Place ice in baking pan
2. Mix warm water with food coloring
plus salt in spray bottle
3. Pour cup of water over ice to make
slick.
4. Squirt warm salted colored water on
ice chunk.
5. Try to create caverns, holes, cracks,
and designs.
Science Skill: Melting Points, Dissolution
Crystal Paint
From ScienceArts
Materials:
1. Freezing night, or Freezer
2. Water
3. Watercolor Paint and Brushes
4. Plastic Wrap
5. Cookie Sheets
6. White Drawing Paper
Art Activity:
1. Paint clear water on white paper. Paint
wet paper with watercolor paint, letting
colors run together.
2. Immediately cover with plastic wrap and
place on cookie sheets.
3. Leave outside to freeze or place in
freezer.
4. Next day, pull plastic wrap off to see
crystal creation.
Science Skill: Freezing Point, Crystallization
A Microscope on
Ooey Gooey Science
Ivory Soap Explosion
From Ooey Gooey Tooey
Materials:
1. Bar of Ivory Soup
2. Microwave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=xDmFiiZKYzU
Science Skill: Plasticity and
Elasticity
Clean Mud
From Ooey Gooey Tooey
Materials:
1. Ivory Soap
2. Grater
3. Popsicle Sticks
4. Water
5. Toilet Paper
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=9Lco2lCBlPc
Science Skill: Solids and Liquids
Natural Science
Boats
From Sandbox Scientists
Materials:
1. Tinfoil
2. Paper Plates
3. Cups, Styrofoam
4. Straws and clay
5. Pieces of Foam and Sponge
6. Corks
Outdoor Activity:
1. Invite the kids to design a boat
2. Provide the materials and let the
kids go for it
3. If puddles are not available, set
out a wading pool
Science Skill: Experimentation,
Buoyancy
Color Scramble
From Science Adventures
Materials:
1. Coffee Can
2. Crayons
Outdoor Activity:
1. Take the children outside and
review the crayon colors.
2. Pull a crayon out of the can
and say “Scramble.”
3. Kids should find something
that color and stand by it.
Science Skill: Observing,
Classifying, Using Senses for
Observation
Oxygenate Their Minds
Bubble Bubble Print
From Sand and Water Play
Air Moves Things
From Sand and Water Play
Materials:
1. Tall container
2. Straws
3. Pie tins
4. White Construction Paper
5. Washable paint
6. 1 cup water
7. ½ cup liquid starch
8. 1 cup liquid detergent
Materials:
1. Light objects
2. Styrofoam packing, Rocks,
Cotton balls
3. Straws
4. Masking Tape
5. Marker
Art Activity:
1. Mix Materials 6-8 to make “Print Maker
Bubbles”
2. Separate solution into 3-4 equal parts and
add paint to make colors. Then place each
color in separate pie tin.
3. Encourage kids to blow bubbles through
straws until bubbles are at top of tin.
4. Place a piece of white paper on top of tin
and lift off. This should make a print of
the bubbles.
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Place objects in table
2. Give each child own straw. Label
each straw.
3. Encourage children to
experiment blowing the different
objects using their straws.
Science Skill: Surface Tension
Science Skill: Cause and Effect
Pint-Sized
Science Concepts
• Systems
– Groups or collections
having some influence on
one another
• Models
– Representations of real
objects or phenomenon
• Constancy and Change
– How things change over
time
• Scale
– Focusing on
characteristics and
comparisons
• Patterns and
Relationships
– Structure and
Organization of Matter
• Cause and Effect
– Explanations for
phenomena
• Structure and Function
– Relationship between
characteristics and
action
• Variations
– Discontinuous and
continuous properties
• Diversity
– Variety of types
Questioning in Science: It’s Role
(A Head Start on Science)
•
Listen to Children
•
Follow children’s Leads
•
Don’t Answer Too Quickly
•
Ask Genuine Questions
•
Encourage Children to Engage in Science Processes
•
Encourage Children to Use Science Tools
•
Give Children Time to Answer
•
Make Comments and Ask Questions that Facilitate Learning
Questioning in Science
Type of Question
Purpose
Examples
Attention-Focusing
Calls attention to
significant details
What is it doing?
How does it feel?
Measuring and Counting
Generates more precise
information
How many?
How much?
How heavy?
Comparison
Fosters analysis &
classification
How are they alike?
How are their different?
Action
Encourages exploration of
properties & events;
Encourages predictions
What if…?
Problem-Posing
Supports planning & trying
to solutions to problems
How could we …?
Reasoning
Encourages reflection on
Why do you think?
experiences & construction
of new ideas
Rotating Sensory Table Materials
Balls and Paint
From Sand and Water Play
Materials:
1. Paint Smocks
2. Butcher Paper
3. Paint
4. Water
5. Container
6. Variety of balls
7. White construction paper
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Line table with butcher paper
2. Put paint in container and thin it
with water
3. Place the balls in the paint and
construction paper on top of
butcher paper
4. Roll or bounce the balls back and
forth
Science Skill: Trial and Error
Pair Them Up Two by Two
From Science Adventures
Materials:
1. A collection of 5 to 20 socks,
shoes, or gloves
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Show the collection to the
children and discuss how the
collection could be sorted
2. Discuss the concept of a “pair”
3. Encourage the children to form
“pairs,” using the objects in the
sensory table.
4. In older classes, use the pairs to
count by 2s
Science Skill: Classifying
Sampling of Science Goals
•
Content
•
Processes
•
Attitudes and Dispositions
– Body of knowledge representing what we know about the world
– Develops and increases over time
– Desire to communicate and represent their knowledge and should be
acknowledged and supported
– Active component of science
– Include predicting, observing, classifying, hypothesizing, experimenting,
communicating
– Adults should show a sincere interest in children’s observations & predictions
– Adults should provide a variety of materials and settings that invite
experimentation
– Curiosity; Drive to Experiment; Desire to challenge theories & to share new
ideas
– Teachers should:
•
•
•
Value these attitudes or dispositions
Be aware of how they are manifested in young children
Find ways to acknowledge and nurture their presence
Teacher’s Role in Science
Education
• Teacher’s attitude toward science is perhaps
the most crucial factor.
• Two prevalent roadblocks
• Select appropriate activities
– Allow child to be the cause of the action and employ
a hands-on approach
– Permit child to observe the results of their actions
on objects
– Select activities where the change is rapid and
observable
Utilizing Manipulatives
• Present
• Invite Action
• Ask a Question
• Use Children’s Questions
Varying Velocity
Paint Racing
From ScienceArts
Materials:
1. Liquid Paint
2. Board from Easel with Paint Tray
Attached
3. Stack of Blocks
4. Marbles, Toy Cars, Small Balls, Spools
5. Long piece of butcher paper
6. Newspaper
Science Experiment:
1. Make an incline with board propped
on blocks- Paint tray at bottom
2. Cover with butcher paper
3. Dip toys in paint and let it roll down
the easel, making paint patterns
Science Skill: Gravity, Velocity
Paint Pendulum
From ScienceArts
Materials:
1.
Cone shaped paper cup
2.
String and Scissors
3.
Dowel Rod
4.
2 Chairs
5.
Paint, thinned until runny
6.
Newspaper
7.
Tape and Construction Paper
Science Experiment:
1.
Poke 3 holes in cup and lace string through the
holes. Gather the strings and tie them in a knot
above cup.
2.
Tie cup with string to center of dowel rod.
3.
Space chairs apart and place dowel rod on seats of
chairs so cup swings freely.
4.
Cover floor with newspaper. Place construction
paper on top.
5.
Poke hole in tip of cup so paint can flow through
slowly.
6.
Put masking tape of hole and pour runny paint into
cup until it’s half full.
7.
Pull the tape off and swing the cup slowly over the
paper.
Science Skill: Gravity, Velocity
Paint Pendulum in Action
Wonder What They’ll Come
Up With…
Magnets
From Sand and Water Play
Materials:
1. Magnets
2. Small metal, plastic, and wooden
objects
3. Sand
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Place metal, plastic, and wooden
objects in table.
2. Give kids magnets and encourage
them to experiment to see which
items the magnet will attract.
3. Cover the objects with sand.
4. Encourage the kids to have a
magnetic treasure hunt.
Science Skill: Magnetism
Water Tubs
From Sandbox Scientists
Materials:
1. Turkey Basters
2. Sponges & Corks
3. Plastic Pitchers and Cups
4. Aluminum Pots
5. Funnels and Water Pumps
6. Paintbrushes
7. Plastic animals and cars
8. Pebbles
Sensory Table Activity:
1. Pouring and washing are the basic
activities kids will engage in, but the
variety of materials will lead to deeper
exploration.
2. Like hydraulic engineers, kids may test
different configurations of equipment
and develop complex water transfer
systems.
Science Skill: Water Pressure, Evaporation,
Saturation, Buoyancy
“X” Marks the Spot
Nail It
From Science Adventures
Materials:
1. Piece of a tree trunk
2. Hammers of various weights
3. Large nails
4. Safety goggles
Science Activity:
1. Preface this activity with safety
notes and rules.
2. Pound the nails into the center of
the log to secure the nails.
3. Challenge the children to drive the
nail all the way into the log.
4. Experiment with different size
hammers
Science Skill: Communicating, Physical
Science
Magnet Hunt
From Science Adventures
Materials:
1. Small magnets for each child
2. Clipboard
3. Paper and Pen
Science Activity:
1. Take the children outside and ask
them to hunt for objects attracted
to their magnets.
2. Encourage children to share their
discoveries.
3. Keep a record of the magnet objects
discovered and who found them.
4. Review the places and objects and
discuss.
Science Skill: Magnetism, Classifying
You Can Be the Chef!
Slushy in a Bag
From Science Adventures
Tasting
From A Head Start on Science
Materials:
1. 1 gallon resealable Freezer Bag
2. 1 quart resealable Freezer Bag
3. Measuring Cups and Spoons
4. Salt
5. Snow or Crushed Ice
6. Juice of your choice
7. Small Cups and Plastic Spoons
Materials:
1, Salty Tortilla Chips
2. Small Pickle Slices
3. Green Apple Slices
4. Lemon Slices
5. Dried Fruit or Canned Pineapple
6. Small Paper Plates
Science Activity:
1. Fill a gallon size bag half full of snow or
chipped ice
2. Add 6-8 Tbsps of salt
3. In the 1-quart bag, pour ½ cup of juice
4. Seal bag tightly
5. Place small bag inside big bag and seal
large bag securely
6. Gently shake the bag and the juice will
turn to slush
Science Activity:
1. Give each child two of food items listed above
2. As children taste each one, ask them to
describe how it tastes
3. Reinforce salty, sweet, sour, or bitter
4. Discuss the connection between smell and
taste. Have kids eat 2nd item while holding
nose.
5. Ask: Does the food taste the same? Was it
easy to detect if it was salty, sweet, sour, or
bitter?
6. Make a graph depicting child’s favorite taste
Science Skill: Observing, Temperature
Science Skill: The Senses
Zeroing In on Fine Motor Skills
Funnels Fill
From Science Adventures
Coloring and Mixing Sand
From Science Adventures
Materials:
1. Containers (Small-Large, Plastic,
Opaque)
2. Various Size Funnels
3. Sand or Water
Materials:
1. Containers for mixing sand and paint (1 for
each color)
2. Pans for drying sand
3. Small, resealable plastic bags
4. Sand (the whiter, the better)
5. Plastic Spoons & Mixing Spoons
6. Paint and Permanent Marker
Fine Motor Activity:
1. Fill table with sand or water
2. Add containers and funnels
3. Demonstrate how to use
funnels. Invite kids to use
funnels.
Science Skill: Observing,
Communicating, Explore with Tools
of Science
Fine Motor Activity:
1. Measure & pour 1 cup of sand into each
container
2. Pour ¼ cup of paint into containers
3. Add ½ cup of water
4. Mix well to make a rich color & runny
mixture
5. Pour colored sand into tray to dry
6. When sand is dry, encourage children to
crumble back into granular form
7. Add 2 spoonful of separate colors into a
bag and mix to make a new color
Science Skill: Earth Science, Observing
These are a few of my favorite
things…
Corn Cob &
Magnetic Wands
Glue Sticks &
Spices
Flour & Baby
Oil
Effervescent
Tablet, Eye
Dropper, and
Colored Water