10.3: Environmental Factors in Supporting Science

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Jennifer Paris, Kristin Beeve, & Clint Springer
College of the Canyons

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The indoor and outdoor environments provide the context for children’s physical and social explorations and construction of scientific concepts. The following are strategies for helping teachers set up a physical environment that is rich, stimulating, and conducive to children’s construction of knowledge

Be thoughtful about what objects and materials to include in the environment
Provide a variety of natural materials to observe and investigate
Include objects and materials that allow for creativity and open-ended investigation
Include living things in the preschool environment
Include scientific tools for observation, measurement, and documentation
Make scientific tools available throughout the preschool environment
Consider adaptations in scientific tools and materials for children with special needs
Use technology to support children’s scientific experiences
Present documentation of science-related experiences in the preschool environment
Include children’s books with science-related content
Use the outdoors for natural explorations and investigations
Organize the space in ways that promote children’s explorations
- Allow space for observations and for objects, materials, tools, and resources related to science
- Allow for flexibility in the use of physical space and furniture to accommodate the changing needs of each activity
- In order to promote self-direction and free explorations, tools and materials need to be accessible and consistently available to children
- Social interactions are necessary for conceptual growth and the development of communication skills
Always be aware of children’s safety
Foster children’s curiosity and questioning
Guide children in exploring their questions
Be an active observer
Talk with children and engage them in conversations during their investigations
Provide children with time.
Know when to intervene and when to stand back
Model the use of scientific vocabulary[1]

Table 10.1: Scientific Vocabulary[2]
Words that can be used to describe scientific activities:
Observe, observation
Predict, prediction
Test
Similar, different
Compare, contrast
Count
Measure
Investigate
Explore
Experiment
Discover
Record
Explain
Hypothesis

Table 10.2: Suggested Scientific Tools^{^[3]}
Types of Tools	Names of Tools
Observation Tools Tools to extend close observations	Magnifying glasses, hand lenses Binoculars Tweezers Microscope Trays (Collectors’ trays)
Measurement Tools Tools for measuring length, height, weight, volume, and temperature	Tape measures, strings, unit blocks Rulers Scales (e.g., balance scale, bathroom scale) Measuring cups Measuring spoons Thermometer
Recording Tools Tools for recording and documenting information	Pencils, markers, crayons Science notebooks/journals, charts Papers, posters Camera, computer Felt board, magnet board Materials to create 3-D models

Table 10.3: Suggested Open Ended Materials^{^[4]}
Types of Materials	Names of Materials
Materials for Building and Construction Open-ended materials can be used in multiple ways and therefore allow for investigation, creativity, and problem solving	Sample Materials: Blocks of various shapes, sizes, and materials (e.g., wood, foam, cardboard) Boxes Cardboard, planks, ramps Carpentry tools Gutters, hollow tubes Logs Nuts and bolts Screws Sticks Straws Wheels, wheeled objects Other construction materials
Collections of Objects and Reclaimed Materials For exploration of diverse materials and use in sorting, classifying, and ordering activities	Sample Materials: Bottles Boxes of various sizes Buttons Collection of balls of different sizes Collection of different types of animals (for sorting and pretend play) Collection of household tools made from metal, wood, plastic Collection of musical instruments Corks Fabrics (e.g., a collection of gloves made of wool, rubber, leather) Glass nuggets Metal lids Plastic lids Screws Shakers, maracas, castanets Styrofoam pieces Wind chimes Woodchips
A Variety of Substances/ Materials	Cooking utensils Corn starch Dough Eggshells Flour Liquids Salt Sugar
Natural Materials: Earth Materials Natural materials found on earth	Clay Crystals Minerals Rocks Sand Seashells Soil Tools to dig and explore soil (e.g., trowels, containers, magnifiers, trays) Tools to explore water (e.g., water table, clear plastic tubes, connectors, funnels, containers) Water
Natural Materials: Plant Materials Materials derived from plants and animals	Bark Cotton Feather Fruits Fur Leaves Seeds, seed pods (e.g., pinecones) Tree logs Twigs Vegetables

Research Highlight

Children bring to science many ideas about how things work. These intuitive understandings or naïve theories that children have constructed often conflict with what is known to be scientifically correct. Children hold preconceptions and misconceptions about different topics of science including forces, changes of matter, light, sound, and earth phenomena. For example, children believe that water disappears when it evaporates or that rain occurs when clouds are shaken. It is important to know how these conceptions differ from the scientific explanation and why children construct these ideas. Children’s misconceptions are intuitively

reasonable, from the child’s perspective, and are used by children to explain the “why” behind physical events. Some of children’s ideas may be cultural beliefs that have been introduced at home. The teacher’s role is to guide children through numerous opportunities to discover and re-create concepts, without overtly correcting their misconceptions. Remember, science is about experimentation, and the goal is to support children’s scientific thinking, not to merely provide the correct answer.[5]

Sources:

C. E. Landry and G. E. Forman, “Research on Early Science Education, in The Early Childhood Curriculum: Current Findings in Theory and Practice, 3rd ed., ed. C. Seefeldt (New York: Teachers College Press, 1999).

N. L. Gallenstein, Creative Construction of Mathematics and Science Concepts in Early Childhood (Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International, 2003)

References

[1] The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 3 by the California Department of Education is used with permission

[2] The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 3 by the California Department of Education is used with permission

[3] The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 3 by the California Department of Education is used with permission

[4] The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 3 by the California Department of Education is used with permission

[5] The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 3 by the California Department of Education is used with permission