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State why science is important to the
development of young children
Name and describe three general kinds of
science
Discuss the discovery center and its
importance in the ECE program
Children and scientists:
-investigate by carefully studying their
environment
-gain knowledge by finding answers to
questions or problems about the world
Investigation and knowledge cannot be
separated
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Learning how to is considered more
important than the answers themselves
Three types of science experiences for young
children
◦ Formal science
◦ Informal science
◦ Incidental science
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Children learn by doing
◦ Actively involved in investigation of their world
◦ Most effective
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Science helps children develop skills in
using their senses
◦ These skills can be used throughout their
lifetime
◦ Transfer of knowledge: knowledge and skills
gained in one area and used in others
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Exercise their creative abilities
◦ Open environment to play with materials and
objects
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Formal science – planned by the teacher to
develop particular skills
◦ Including pouring and measuring tools in the sand
and water area
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Informal Science – little or no teacher
involvement
◦ Discovery center
◦ Activities to stimulate curiosity, exploration, and
problem solving
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Incidental science – cannot be planned;
unplanned occurrence a teacher may take
advantage of
◦ Worms after a spring rain
◦ Thunderstorm and its damage
◦ Teacher can encourage children to explore and seek
answers to some of their questions
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Working with art materials may make for
scientific observations
◦ Water makes tempera paint thinner
◦ Crayons near heat become soft
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Cause and effect discoveries
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Colors change as they are mixed
Sponges absorb liquid
Observe differences between liquids and solids
Simple machines (hammer and scissors)
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Naturally love animals
Stimulate children’s artistic exploration
After exploration, children will use art media
to make representations of animals
Can be spontaneous
◦ Children finding a grasshopper on the playground
◦ Teacher may ask throught provoking questions
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Draw, paint, model representations of the
children’s pets
Find pictures for collages showing animals
Make zoo cages or farm environments for
play toys
Create real or imaginary characters from
boxes
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Should contain things for children to “do”
Sand and water table is common
◦ Rice, beans, cornmeal, sawdust, mud with
measuring equipment
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Cooking
◦ Recipes that do not require adult supervision
◦ Children prepare individually
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Can contain plants and animals for
children to observe
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Please Touch!
Can be set up for independent use
Printed directions can be prepared
Tape-recorded directions may also be
prepared
Location of the discovery center is important
◦ Invites participation but limits distractions
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As teachers, we need to educate our
students on the importance of caring for
the environment
Areas in Kansas are projected to be
without water in their lifetimes!
Environment consists of home, school,
and community for each child
Environment provides for their basic needs
(water, food, clean air), safety, intellectual
growth
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In this chapter, the term environment
refers to two things: man-made and
natural things
Man-made: streets, houses, schools
Natural: trees, grass, birds
Home environment-pleasant/unpleasant
part of a child’s life
School environment-pleasant/unpleasant
Neighborhood-friendly, safe or unfriendly,
dangerous
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Study of all elements of an environment, both
living and nonliving, and the interrelation of
these elements
Comes from two Greek words: ecos meaning
home, and ology meaning study of
ECO programs encourage recycling of
materials: reusing materials for art projects,
we think twice before throwing anything away
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Teach another way of living (licensing regs.)
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Use durable dishes instead of disposable ones
Clean beverage containers
Recycle tin cans, pop cans
Use personal cloth towels instead of paper towels
Young children need opportunities to observe
the total process rather than just a portion of
it or only the finished product
◦ Paper making process, life cycle of a plant
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Increase the amount of time spent outdoors
Music, movement, art activities outside
Reading, working on projects outside
All depends on weather conditions!
The more natural an environment, the better
National Standards on earth and science: “all
students develop an understanding of the
properties of the earth”
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Teacher’s most important role is sharing
enthusiasm, curiosity, and wonder
Get down on the child’s level to interact with
him/her
Focusing attention on something can
encourage exploration and child-adult
conversation
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Best way for children to learn about
animals is to have them in the classroom
Children learn through observation and
caring for pets
Effects of having pets:
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Children grow in understanding animals’ needs
Appreciation for different animals
Compassion
inspiration
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Be sure children do not have allergies to
the animals
Guinea pigs
Rabbits
Parakeets
White mice / hamsters
Turtles / salamanders
Gerbils
Goldfish or fish of any kind
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Children should learn that pets are not
toys
Animals have feelings, and when
provoked, some may bite
Discuss how pets feel, look, sounds they
make
Write experience charts
Draw/paint/model representations
Take a trip to the pet shop or zoo
Tell animal stories, sing songs, etc
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Cost food, vet, replacement, cage. etc.
Who is going to care for pet, weekends,
extended holidays?
If it dies a natural discussion of death can
result, or in the case of fish, usually just
replaced. (Is this something we want to get
into? Depends on the program’s philosophy)
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Watching a bean seed sprout
Playing with snow in the texture table before
playing outside
Watching birds and squirrels through the
windows before suggesting children let a
goat eat from their hands
Walking barefoot in the grass and sand
before wading in a shallow stream
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Language-Exp. Center-books and pictures
about nature
Manipulative Ctr.-simple puzzles with nature
themes, shells, pebbles of differing sizes and
colors
Art Ctr.-dried leaves or small pieces of bark
for rubbings; seeds, shells, dry grasses, and
feathers for collages
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Music/Listening Ctr.-audiotapes of sounds
from nature (bird, ocean, rainforest sounds)
Dramatic Play-camping equipment, garden
tools, picnic basket
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Make a garden using flower and/or vegetable
seeds
Give choices to the children
Older children can measure the growth, then
chart
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Children can try to design and build bird
feeders
Try different types of bird seeds to attract
birds
Identify birds using books, binoculars to view
birds through windows
Once you start feeding birds they become
dependent on you, so continue feeding.
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On nice days, take the children outside to lay
on their backs to view the clouds
Ask questions!!
Follow up with It Looked Like Spilled Milk
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Walking in the woods, on the sidewalk, to
hear the sounds of nature
Use a tape recorder for later activities
Again, ask questions as you do this activity
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After a rainstorm, take the children outside to
observe how the rain water flows
Pavement/grass
Dirt/grass
Erosion
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Under bushes, trees
Thick grasses, large rocks
Great time to ask questions about animals
Get the children to think like an animal, and
they could answer questions as if they were
that animal
“If you were a rabbit, why would you hide
under the bush?”
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Explore the outdoors to experience plants
firsthand
Find the tallest tree, roughest bark,
needles, pinecones, etc.
Experience vegetables, eat the results!
Compare plants (leaves, seeds, size, etc.)
Plant some plants in a garden plot or in
plastic baggies
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May use a large wading pool for experiments
outside
Following items for water play experiences:
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Sponges, corks, light pieces of wood
Funnels, strainers, plastic tubing
Spray containers, squeeze bottles
Plastic containers, paintbrushes
Spoons, dippers
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Limit the number of children
Use only unbreakable items for water play
Develop water rules with the children
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Water stays in the tub vs. NO Splashing
Keep water in the containers
Have towels available for spills
Children wipe up or mop up spills immediately
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What are the 2 phases of science? Which phase is
more important for young children?
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The teacher is most involved in planning in
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The teacher cannot plan for ___________.
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Observing skills are taught to children in
____________.
Free investigation is used most often in
____________.
Discuss the discovery center and its
importance in the ECE program.