CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. Define the term science as it relates to early childhood education.
2. Explain the scientific process.
3. Plan an appropriate science program for young children.
4. Develop appropriate science for young children.
5. Plan for the integration of science and literacy activities.
6. Adapt science experiences for children with special needs.
7. Celebrate the diversity of young learners.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1. Science is defined as the active process of observing, thinking and reflecting on events.
A) Facts and formulas are only a tiny piece of science.
B) The scientific method of hypothesis testing can be incorporated in diverse activities. C) Sciencing is a term emphasizing the active nature of science experiences for both teachers and children, utilizing the whole classroom rather than a specific area or activity.
2. Science learning involves physical knowledge (about objects in the world) and logico-mathematical knowledge (about relationships among objects). Constructivists recognize that both types of knowledge must be deduced from childrenŐs own experiences, rather than just described by a teacher.
3. The scientific process involves hypothesizing, testing hypotheses, and making generalizations in an ongoing cycle, and utilizes the following skills:
A) Observing involves acquiring information through any sense. Observing is more thoughtful than looking, and involves all of the senses.
B) Classifying involves organizing information, and requires logical organization as discussed in Chapter 11
C) Comparing involves examining objects in terms of similarities and differences.
D) Measuring uses the same metric to assess different items. Measurement in early childhood education need not use standard tools.
E) Communication can be oral, written or use pictures.
F) Experimentation is the refinement of childrenŐs ongoing process of data collection.
G) With practice and maturity, children are increasingly able to relate concrete observations and abstract principles; infer cause and effect relationships and apply information to new situations.
4. Planning an ECE Science Program
A) The National Science Education Standards (NSE) provide a developmentally appropriate framework for science at different grade levels. Detailed information on these goals is available at http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html.
B) Based on the Vygotskian Approach, teaching science should include the following elements:
i. An engaging curriculum that encourages active participants.
ii. Application of prior knowledge and new concepts
iii. Multiple representations of the same information.
iv. Teacher-student and student-student interaction.
C) Science education for young children should focus on broad goals related to problem solving skills, rather than specific information.
i. Vygotsky suggests that active experiences are much more important than direct teaching.
ii. Materials and questions should be naturally engaging and activities should be child-directed.
iii. Topics should be concrete.
iv. Children's ability to repeat a scientific explanation does not indicate their understanding of the explanation.
D) Equipment should be safe and well supervised. Of particular concern when teaching science:
i. Equipment should be appropriate and in good repair.
ii. Use of heat should be monitored carefully.
iii. Plants should be nonpoisonous.
E) Children need to be taught the rules of safe exploration, such as not to eat unknown materials, and to smell things carefully.
F) Science instruction should be gender-neutral and equally accessible and encouraged for all children.
G) Science education in early childhood should focus on basic concepts and attitudes as much as scientific facts.
i. Conservation of resources is a critical concept that the teacher can model and facilitate through classroom organization.
ii. Respect for life should be reflected in treatment of plants, bugs and animals in the classroom.
iii. Respect for the environment can begin with everyday concepts such as littering.
H) Children go through phases in their understanding of objects and actions, and curriculum should match the childrenŐs level of understanding.
i. Young children can explore how an object reacts to their action.
ii. With experimentation, children can act on an object to produce the desired effect.
iii. Gradually, children will come to understand why an effect is produced by the action. iv. Finally, children will be able to explain the cause to another person.
I) Principles of guiding scientific activities
i. Activities should maximize childrenŐs initiative.
ii. Acitvities should begin with parallel play, rather than requiring children to share materials.
iii. Teachers should elicit and clarify children's ideas, not impose their own ideas.
iv. Peer interaction should be encouraged.
v. Science activities should also encourage social, moral, and physical development.
vi. The use of these principles is described as play-debrief-replay or a learning spiral.
vii. Children should have opportunities to choose science experiences that interest them. Children should not be forced to participate in all experiences.