Today students in Ms. Alli’s preschool class made sea foam and bubbles as part of their “Under the Sea” EcoAdventure. The students stirred up the water to make the foam then used their wet hands to blow bubbles. Reactions were mixed as some students liked getting their hands “slimy” with the sea foam more than others.
More summer fun is on the way in next week’s Under the Sea adventures.
Eco Friends is a science- and ecology-based curriculum strand designed to meet the content standards established by state and national boards of education for early childhood instruction, in particular children two through five years of age. The lessons in Eco Friends introduce young children to the four main fields of science – physical, life, environmental, and earth and space. Children will also learn about the scientific method and the six basic science process skills: observation, communication, comparison and classification, measurement, inference, and prediction. Through interesting, interactive, hands-on activities using multi-sensory teaching methods, young children involved in Eco Friends will explore, discover, and make sense of the world around them.
Teaching science to children involves teaching skills more than facts. Children learn best through experiences that interest them or that apply directly to them. They are naturally curious and want to know how things work, why things happen, and what is happening in the world around them. Science activities meet this need in children by providing them hands-on opportunities to get involved. Science in early childhood is not only about ‘doing’ science activities as an integral part of daily life, science learning should be woven into everything the children do.
There are three important areas of science that should be included in science learning: the scientific process, science knowledge, and scientific attitudes.
1. The scientific process involves asking questions and seeking the answers to those questions–-a skill that is used regularly in all aspects of life.
2. Science knowledge encompasses the basic concepts of science, or what is known about the world.
3. Scientific attitudes focus on dispositions to science, such as curiosity, imagination, and respect for doing things in a specific way to validate results. (Virginia Standards of Learning, 2002)
Learning the scientific process should command significant attention when educating young children. Just as children must learn to crawl before they walk or run, certain ‘skills’ need to be learned before children can make sense of the scientific process. These ‘skills’ are referred to as science process skills, and they form the foundation for teaching science. Most scientists recognize six science process skills. Ironically, these skills are used by children and teachers everyday in various capacities, but are not always associated with science learning. When the connection between these skills and science learning is made that children become actively involved in science.
Listed below is a brief description of each of the six science process skills included in the Eco Friends curriculum:
Observation. Using the five senses to watch things with a purpose in mind; finding out about objects or events and what makes them unique or similar.
Communication. Describing characteristics, properties, and changes in objects or events; using language (both spoken and written) to share information and ideas with others; using graphs, charts, and drawings to document information from observations.
Comparison and Classification. Noticing similarities and differences among objects or events and sorting, grouping, or ordering them based on those properties and attributes; includes recognizing and following set patterns.
Measurement. Understanding quantity, size, and volume and comparing an unknown amount with a known unit; using measurement tools.
Inference. Explaining or interpreting observations; drawing conclusions from events.
Hypothesizing and Prediction. Making an informed guess based on observations; formulating a belief of what might happen based on evidence, observations, and inferences and that can be tested through experimentation.
Ecology is defined as “a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments.” At The Grove School, children learn to take their environment into consideration every day through the materials they use, the activities they engage in, their awareness of their surroundings, and their interactions with others.
By providing opportunities for children to explore and experience nature in appropriate ways, we instill in them a caring and respect for their environment. Environmentalist Carol Petrash sums this up by saying, “Environmental awareness will come naturally to children when it is integrated into the early childhood classroom and home as a way of life” (Earthways, 1992).
Environmental awareness is imbedded in the Eco Friends lessons. As the children learn about animals, plants, themselves and the world around them, we are instilling in them a respect for each other and providing them with tools to care for each.
The science environment in a young child’s world is actually the world itself–objects to look at and feel, lights that turn on at the flick of a switch, fish in an aquarium, shadows on the sidewalk, or wheels that turn on a tricycle. All of these experiences are related to scientific principles, and young children are ready to explore them.
An interesting science environment for children includes a variety of materials that are safe for them to handle and manipulate, tools to use for observation and experimentation, and writing or drawing tools for documentation. Adequate space in which to perform observations and experiments is also necessary for successful science learning.
Books and pictures that feature science subjects are used in the Eco Friends activities. Tools that are portable, such as magnifying glasses and color paddles also encourage children to use the entire classroom or outdoor spaces as their science lab, rather than limit their experiences to a table or confined space.
Young children are “doing science” every day as they explore their environment and draw conclusions based on their experiences. The evidence of what they have learned is demonstrated in unique and different ways, based on each child’s level of understanding.
One child will represent his science learning through drawing or journaling. Another will use three-dimensional representation, such as constructing a vegetable garden with blocks to represent her learning, while still others will act out their rendition through dramatic play, puppetry, or in conversations with others.
In addition, children’s learning is episodic. Noting what children can do or what they express at a given moment in time might not give a teacher a complete picture of their overall
understanding of science concepts. Often time’s children need to digest what they are learning and fit the pieces together with what they already know before demonstrating understanding. Observing children over time enables teachers to watch the process of learning develop in each child. Therefore, the use of observation and portfolio collection is very much apart of the Eco Friends curriculum.