You see things, and you say, "Why?" But I dream things that never were, and I say, "Why not?"
-George Bernard Shaw
McClanahan's Pre-K Support site: Science & Technology
Article: Build It! Activities to Stretch Children’s Understanding of STEM Concepts
...the challenges provide a prompt for children to make or build something. To add complexity, each experience includes an engineering challenge (titled “More Challenging”). This last task includes constraints or requirements to consider while using the same process as engineers, who follow a series of steps when they investigate a problem and try to come up with a solution. There are many variations on this model, but the basic steps are these:
Think about it. What is the problem? Brainstorm ideas. What materials do you have or need? Make a plan. Draw or sketch your ideas.
Build or create it. Gather the materials you need and build or create the solution you came up with.
Try it. Test your creation.
Revise or make it better. What works and what doesn’t? How could you change it to make it better? Try it again.
Share it. Show someone else your creation. Talk about how you made it. Listen to their ideas about how they might improve it.
Young children might not follow these steps in a linear fashion, and through a variety of modifications, each of these challenges progresses from simple to complex. This means that children will be able to take many different pathways in their explorations. You can use your understanding of children’s knowledge, skills, interests, social and cultural contexts, and abilities to adjust each challenge to meet the strengths and needs of those in your setting.
Article: Small Hands, Big Ideas: Exploring STEM Through Tinkering, Making, and Engineering
Educators can help young children develop these mindsets in several ways. These include
•asking questions: “How can you make the shadow bigger or smaller? I wonder if all shadows are black? How can we find out?”
•formulating plans: “Your idea about building a car is so interesting. Let’s think about the materials and tools you need to create it.”
•making observational drawings: “Let’s draw a picture of the bird’s nest to remember how it looks. We’ll take our drawing back to class and use it to make our own nests. What materials could you use to recreate it?”
•measuring and recording findings: “Your roller went far after it came down the ramp. How many blocks long did it roll? If you make your ramp steeper, how far will it roll?”
•evaluating outcomes: “When you created your marble run, which part did you like best? Which part was most challenging? If you made one again, what would you change or do differently?”
Article: Making Time for Tinkering: A Playful Pathway Toward STEM Learning
When children tinker, they learn essential STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts through natural play and investigation. Tinkering with materials that foster engagement with scientific phenomena allows learners to explore new pathways and ideas, which in turn helps them gain new knowledge and skills. While tinkering, learners are invited to embrace a mindset of experimentation in their own learning journeys. It’s an intentional and reflective process that promotes STEM learning through playful exploration.
Article: "The Sky Is Orange!” Reflecting on an Investigation of Light and Shadows
The tinkering cycle begins with planning and reflecting on an idea you want to launch. Reflection is important throughout the exploration: Are children meeting the goals you set? Are they having meaningful conversations? Are they able to articulate new knowledge? The answers to these questions may lead you to relaunching an idea, so your investigation can go deeper.