Mathematics and Science Standards
Fundamental concepts and their application to problem solving in mathematics and the sciences are interrelated. This idea is reflected in the current national standards for mathematics and emerging new standards for science that integrate knowledge and process skills in mathematics and practices in science and engineering while also placing increasing emphasis on technology in both disciplines.
In the early childhood classroom, the relationship between mathematics and science is evident in highly integrated activities and investigations. Suppose that children are helping the teacher make a snack mix. They may look for recipes in cookbooks or on the Internet to choose one they want to try. They may hypothesize or predict how well they think they will like it or what it might taste like.
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Critical Thinking Question
- Many prospective teachers have “math or science anxiety,” due to less than positive experiences with these subjects in their own schooling. How can this be overcome?
They will apply math concepts as they set up and count their equipment (“We need one big spoon, two bowls, three measuring cups”), sort/group ingredients (crackers, dried fruits, cereal, seeds), and follow ordinal (sequential) directions in determining what to do first, second, and so on and in using different size cups to measure. They apply operations to divide items (mix in one big bowl and divide into smaller bowls for serving) and one-to-one correspondence for serving (one napkin/scoop for each child).
They will also use science skills as they observe the process (“Look at all the colors we have in the bowl!”). They will decide when ingredients are fully mixed, and ask questions (“Why are the raisins and cranberries all wrinkly?”) that could lead to further investigation (drying fruits). They will evaluate the results of their recipe trial, perhaps graphing the preferences of children in the group.