Can Teaching Spatial Skills Help Bridge the STEM Gender Gap?
A Handful of Fun: Why Sensory Play is Important for Preschoolers
How to Get Started Teaching Coding: A three-step plan to help teachers in any subject and any grade teach the foundations of coding
How Preschool Teachers Leverage Student Curiosity into Early STEM Exploration
Too Many Kids Quit Science Because They Don’t Think They’re Smart (effects of praise) http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/too-many-kids-quit-science-because-they-dont-think-theyre-smart/382165/
What It Takes to Move From 'Passive' to 'Active' Tech Use in K-12 Schools
The Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts helps teach science, engineering, technology and math to area children. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-10/performing-arts-centers-repertoire-includes-stem-lessons
Cooking:
http://www.shareitscience.com/p/science-teaching-toolbox.html
There may be something here to help us with supporting science and STEM for our youngest students.
Dear K/1 Teachers and preK Teachers Too!
Here are a few ideas to help engage and excite your students about learning through science.
The thematic learning center [link below salutation] ideas are worth a look; I also browsed the webpage for additional science resources for early learners.
One of the first articles on the science resource page is “**15 Ways Art Can Increase Innovation in Your Science Class**”.
That article is worth sharing with the art teachers at your school.
Interested in a free copy of the NSTA Publication “ Start Young Early Childhood Science Activities” or “25 New Formative Assessments Probes for Grade K-2 Science”?
I have a limited number of those publications to send to any teacher who emails me and shares how they use science to enrich and enhance student learning. My email is w.fisher@cms.k12.nc.us.
Thanks!
Wayne
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In their article "Beyond Nature Hikes and Butterflies," which is part of the new Exchange Essentials, Taking Play Outdoors, Kelly K. Twibell and Diane Harkins note...
"Some parents and early childhood educators avoid science because they think they need to have all the answers to children’s questions. Perhaps they also think children are incapable of comprehending scientific phenomena. Both assumptions are incorrect.... New attention is now being drawn to the importance of wondering alongside children. In particular, older preschoolers are eager to engage in inquiry, often referring to such experiments as ‘real science.’
"When children observe a pattern of outcomes or experience disorder in a perceived pattern, adults can encourage them to form a hypothesis about what they observe to be true and then prompt them to test their idea.... It is important for adults to facilitate, rather than direct, a child’s investigations; quality science experiences develop out of a child’s own interests, not the agenda of an adult."
The Farm Bureau http://www.ncagintheclassroom.com/bom This is a fabulous resource for adding non-fictions books to your classroom library and for enriching the curriculum.
North Carolina Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom is an educational program that is dedicated to fostering an understanding of the importance of agriculture in North Carolina. The program strives to achieve this mission in recommending books for use as additional resources to PreK – 12th grade educators. Book of the Month is an offering for anyone looking for a valid Ag-related resource to utilize in the classroom. The total purchase of one book is $5.00 and can be purchased until copies are sold out. Each book will have accompanying activities of high-quality that can be integrated into lesson plans at various grade levels.
Writing in the book, Really Seeing Children, Deb Curtis includes multiple journal entries from her experiences using a homemade material with children. Following is her first entry. The recipe for the material, which she calls "Flubber," follows the journal example.
"Flubber Journal Entry 1: I invited the children to begin a study of Flubber today, which we will continue over an extended period of time. I have chosen Flubber because it is a substance that moves, flows, and responds to the children’s actions. Today, as they worked with Flubber, I narrated their actions and pointed out things the children were doing...
'Oh look, when Kiran puts his finger in the Flubber he pokes a hole."
'Oona is using the comb to make dots and lines all over the Flubber.'
'T'Kai is putting the lid on the cup.'
I noticed as I described and pointed out these actions, the children seemed to copy what they saw and heard. They also stayed at the table a little bit longer than usual.
Recipe for Flubber
Mix in bowl: I cup of Elmer's glue; ¾ cup water; Food color or watercolor.
Mix in another bowl: ½ cup water; 1-2 teaspoons Borax.
Pour both bowls into one bowl and mix. Watch the magic!"
In Teaching STEM in the Early Years, Sally Moomaw makes this observation:
"Technology integrates with science and mathematics primarily through the tools that children employ for observation, experimentation, and measurement. In science, children often use magnifying glasses to enlarge images and expose detail. Several types of microscopes are available. A simple, handheld magnifier incorporates a mirror so that children can see the top and bottom of objects. They can carry this magnifier outdoors and explore insects or items that they find from both perspectives. A more elaborate microscope for children connects to a computer and greatly expands the image of the object under investigation. This type of microscope allows a group of children to share their observations with one another. Other technology tools that childr en often use in science explorations include tongs, eyedroppers, pumps, plastic knives, sifters, and funnels. These tools frequently incorporate simple machines that can themselves become the focus of experimentation. Technology therefore serves two purposes in the early childhood curriculum. First, it can enhance scientific learning by expanding opportunities to observe and experiment. Second, children can study the technology itself to enhance their understanding of science."
In her article, "Best Brains in Science under Five: Helping Children Develop Intentionality," which is included in the **Exchange Essential — Supporting the Development of Scientific Thinking**, Judy Harris Helm offers suggestions such as these to teachers for helping children learn to be thoughtful:
· Listen carefully to children’s conversations and identify topics of interest.
· Pay attention to what children are doing.
· Add materials to the classroom related to children’s interest as they emerge. Encourage children to contribute materials.
· Don’t jump in and tell children answers or go immediately to a book or the Internet. Today answers can be found in seconds, but this creates child dependence on adults who have mastered the skills of reading and writing and not how young children learn.
· Don’t be afraid to provoke children’s thinking. Challenge them to find an answer, create a model, or do observational drawing.
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"Early childhood programs ought to be incubators of inquiry," writes Ann Pelo in her article "Growing a Culture of Inquiry: Observation as Professional Development," which is one of the articles to be read in the Exchange CEU packet, "Observation and Assessment for Teachers." She suggests asking questions like these to help make meaning of classroom observations:
What are we curious about as we listened to this story of children play?
What are the children curious about? What are they trying to figure out?
What knowledge are the children drawing on? What theories are they testing?
How are the children building on each other's ideas, perspectives, and contributions?
Are there any inconsistencies in the children's thinking?
Discovery Bottles~ideas submitted by Lori Marais, Idlewild Elementary
I tried a few more discovery bottles and listed them below. For those of you that do not know what discovery bottles are, they are water bottles filled with different supplies for the kids to look at and observe. I use them to introduce the word observation and talk about differences and similarities. I am going to make a chart with different attributes to sort the bottles (glitter, no glitter) etc. The children can write their name on the chart or just their first letter. I will be in the center to assist and will show them as a whole group before center time. Oh and I use hot glue to glue the bottles shut.
Bottle 1-fill the bottle with a whole box of toothpicks and some rice. When tipped over it will make the sound of a rainstick. This can also be done for music. You can also use it as a transition tool to sit quietly when they hear the rain. Maybe pick a student sitting quietly to do it? :)
Bottle 2-fill the bottle 1/3 with water, 1/3 with baby oil, and 1/3 with vegetable oil. Add food coloring and beads. The beads will float more smoothly through the substances. Also the oil separates so you can see color separating and mixing. I used blue hoping it would turn green when mixed. It didn't. :( But it is really cool because after it sits, it is yellow on top and blue on the bottom.
Bottle 3-fill the bottle with water and put a lot of foil balls in it. Then when you swirl it in a circle, it makes a mini tornado! You can put the lid on and test it to see if you have enough foil. Or do it in front of the kids and see how many foil balls it takes! You can introduce vocabulary such as hypothesis.
Bottle 4-fill the bottle with water and glitter! So easy! You can also use these bottles for students that need help calming down or soothing. May be useful for students with special needs too!
Bottle 5- fill the bottle with cut up pipe cleaners and paper. Then have a magnet for the children to use to see what happens! Why does it do that? What do you see? I wonder why the paper doesn't stick.
Edible Slime
This is an experiment for edible slime. I have also attached the borax recipe for those that do not have that from last year. You could make both and have the students compare the two. Kindergarten Common Core Standards are included depending on how you use the experiments! The how does it work part is for you in case you want to know more.
K.P.2.1 Classify objects by observable physical properties (including size, color, shape, texture, weight and flexibility).
K.P.2.2 Compare the observable physical properties of different kinds of materials (clay, wood, cloth, paper, etc) from which objects are made and how they are used.
EDIBLE SLIME EXPERIMENT
Measure 2 cups (about 470 mL) of room temperature water into a microwave-safe bowl.
Add 2 teaspoons (1 mL) of fiber powder to the bowl of water.
Put 2-4 drops of food coloring (your choice!) to the bowl and stir.
Place the bowl of ingredients into a microwave. Cook on high for 2-4 minutes, or until the mixture begins to boil.
Remove the bowl using a heavy glove and stir the mixture before cooking placing the bowl in the microwave again. Cook until a boil.
Take the bowl out of the microwave and let it sit until it's cool.
Enjoy! This slime mixture is completely safe to eat!
How Does It Work?
If you've been around Steve Spangler Science, you know how much we love slime, but usually we use polyvinyl alcohol and a borax solution. We maintain that it's the best formula for slime, but you can't eat it. Fiber powder (like Metamucil) contains an active ingredient called psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid. When fiber powder and water are heated, they will form a consistency that is ooey-gooey and… well… slimy! The best part, though, is that it's completely edible!
Not Edible Slime
Here’s the easiest way to make a big batch Elmer’s Slime. The measurements do not have to be exact but it’s a good idea to start with the proportions below for the first batch. Just vary the quantities of each ingredient to get a new and interesting batch of goo.
This recipe is based on using a brand new 8 ounce bottle of Elmer’s Glue. Empty the entire bottle of glue into a mixing bowl. Fill the empty bottle with warm water and shake (okay, put the lid on first and then shake). Pour the glue-water mixture into the mixing bowl and use the spoon to mix well.
Go ahead… add a drop or two of food coloring.
Measure 1/2 cup of warm water into the plastic cup and add a teaspoon of Borax powder to the water. Stir the solution – don’t worry if all of the powder dissolves. This Borax solution is the secret linking agent that causes the Elmer’s Glue molecules to turn into slime.
While stirring the glue in the mixing bowl, slowly add a little of the Borax solution. Immediately you’ll feel the long strands of molecules starting to connect. It’s time to abandon the spoon and use your hands to do the serious mixing. Keep adding the Borax solution to the glue mixture (don’t stop mixing) until you get a perfect batch of Elmer’s slime. You might like your slime more stringy while others like firm slime. Hey, you’re the head slime mixologist – do it your way!
When you’re finished playing with your Elmer’s slime, seal it up in a zipper-lock bag for safe keeping.
How Does It Work?
The mixture of Elmer’s Glue with Borax and water produces a putty-like material called a polymer. In simplest terms, a polymer is a long chain of molecules. You can use the example of cooking spaghetti to better understand why this polymer behaves in the way it does. When a pile of freshly cooked spaghetti comes out of the hot water and into the bowl, the strands flow like a liquid from the pan to the bowl. This is because the spaghetti strands are slippery and slide over one another. After awhile, the water drains off of the pasta and the strands start to stick together. The spaghetti takes on a rubbery texture. Wait a little while longer for all of the water to evaporate and the pile of spaghetti turns into a solid mass -- drop it on the floor and watch it bounce.
Many natural and synthetic polymers behave in a similar manner. Polymers are made out of long strands of molecules like spaghetti. If the long molecules slide past each other easily, then the substance acts like a liquid because the molecules flow. If the molecules stick together at a few places along the strand, then the substance behaves like a rubbery solid called an elastomer. Borax is the compound that is responsible for hooking the glue’s molecules together to form the putty-like material. There are several different methods for making this putty-like material. Some recipes call for liquid starch instead of Borax soap. Either way, when you make this homemade Silly Putty you are learning about some of the properties of polymers.
Elmer's Slime is very easy to make, but it's not exactly what you'll find at the toy store. So, what's the "real" slime secret? It's an ingredient called polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The cross-linking agent is still Borax, but the resulting slime is longer lasting, more transparent... it's the real deal.
Submitted by Lori L. Marais, Idlewild Elementary
Articles & Links~
Doctors' Group Signals Potential New Guidance on 'Screen Time'
“What Screen Time Can Really Do to Kids’ Brains,” by Liraz Margalit, PhD., Psychology Today, April 17, 2016 http://www.nsta.org/learners0-5/, Wayne Fisher, Science Specialist
According to a nationwide survey by Common Sense Media reported in the [[/admin_ccie/email/nytimes.com/2015/11/02/health/many-children-under-5-are-left-to-their-mobile-devices-survey-finds.html|New York Times]], 72 percent of children 8 or younger used a mobile device in 2013 compared with 38 percent in 2011. Some specific findings...
* One-third of the parents of 3- and 4-year-olds said their children liked to use more than one device at the same time
* Seventy percent of the parents reported allowing their children, ages 6 months to 4 years old, to play with mobile devices while the parents did housework, and 65 percent said they had done so to placate a child in public
* A quarter of the parents said they left children with devices at bedtime, although bright screens disrupt sleep
* According to the parents, nearly half of the children younger than 1 used a mobile device daily to play games, watch videos or use apps. Most 2-year-olds used a tablet or smartphone daily