Science Concepts and Curriculum Activities

Science Concepts and Curriculum Activities

Science content and curriculum are currently not emphasized in early learning standards and primary grades curriculum to the same extent as mathematics. But teachers should facilitate science learning and scientific inquiry through both informal and structured or facilitated investigations (Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012).

Informal science learning occurs daily as children explore their surroundings during play. They apply science concepts and skills as they make observations about practically everything, from the temperature of soup to whether their parent is driving fast or slowly to classifying the rocks they have collected for study. Their perennial question “why” reflects the natural human drive to make sense of the world.

Scientific thinking involves the application of curiosity and reasoning to answering questions, and teachers promote systematic investigation by helping children focus on questions like “What’s wrong here? What happened here?” and “What proof do you have?” (Campbell, 1999 p. 134.) As documented in the study of power, force, and motion in Chapter 6, teachers support informal science inquiry during exploratory play by choosing provocative materials, posing questions, and furthering learning with additional activities (Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012; Stoll, Hamilton, Oxley, Eastman, & Brent, 2012).

Physical science describes and explains the properties of objects and phenomena. Life science is the study of living things and their habitats. Earth science focuses on learning about the forces of nature and studying problems that affect the health of our planet.

This part of the chapter will focus on general ideas for planning activities and units and facilitating transformation of everyday concepts acquired through play to science concepts that represent structured thinking and logic using the language of science (Hamlin & Wisneski, 2012, p. 85).

Physical Science

Everyday concepts about physical science are acquired as children do such things as paint in the art center, build with magnetic translucent tiles on the light table, see their shadows while running outdoors, or try to push a heavy truck up a wooden ramp in the block center. As they manipulate and observe everyday objects, they learn about natural forces such as gravity, magnetism, light, and speed. Sensory play (Chapter 7) allows children to exert force on pliable materials, develop conservation in water play, and compare stimuli such as the difference between the way an onion and a flower smells.

Physical science inquiries appropriate for young children focus on explorations, building models, and using simple machines (Cur, 2011). Children investigate phenomena that they can reproduce on their own, allow for variations, are observable, and produce immediate results (Devries, Zan, Hidelbrandt, Edmiaston, & Sales, 2002). The sections below provide suggestions for topics that are both interesting and appropriate for young children about:

• Light/shadow
• Color
• Magnetism
• Solids, liquids, and gases
• Weight, force, and motion
• Static electricity
  

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