BASIC OF SCIENCE

OBJECTIVES
1. Define the relative importance of science content, processes, and attitudes in teaching young children 2. Explain why science should be taught to young children 3. Identify the major areas of science instruction

4. List the science attitudes and process skills appropriate to preschool and primary grades 5. Select appropriate science topics for teaching science to young children 6. Select appropriate science content topics from the National Science Education Standards

Science and why we teach it to young children

Science is a way of trying to discover the nature of things . Formal training in science classes often promotes this view by requiring memorization of seemingly endless science concepts. Too many teachers approach the task of teaching children science as if it were a body of knowledge that anyone can memorize. The knowledge will change and it might not be the one they will use in their career.

 The attitudes and thinking skills that have moved science forward through the centuries are the same attitudes and skills that enable individuals to solve the problems that they encounter in everyday life. An approach to science teaching that emphasizes the development of thinking and the open-minded attitudes of science would seem to be most appropriate to the instruction of young children.

 In 1996 the National Research Council published the National Science Education Standards to support the development of a scientific literate society. See attachment.

Science Process skills

A. BASIC PROCESS SKILLS 1. Observing 2. Comparing 3. Classifying 4. Measuring 5. Communicating B. INTERMEDIATE PROCESS SKILLS 6. Inferring 7. Predicting C. ADVANCED PROCESS SKILLS 8. Hypothesizing 9. Defining and controlling variables

OBSERVING
It is the most fundamental of the scientific thinking process skill; first step in gathering information to solve a problem. Children use senses as the means to send the information to the brain. Children need to observe properties of the object such as, size, shape, color, texture, etc. Teaching strategies that reinforce observation skills require children to observe carefully to note specific phenomena that they might ordinarily overlook.

Teacher needs to facilitate them by asking questions Tell me what see. What do you hear? How do you describe the object? Teacher can also enhance incorporate dramatic play to enable children to observe, not just looking. E.g. using observation glasses.

COMPARING
As children develop skills in observation, they will naturally begin to compare and contrast and to identify similarities and differences. It is the first step toward classifying. Teacher can ask questions such as: How are these alike? How are these different? Which of these is bigger, wetter,..etc? Compare similarities and differences between these two animals.

CLASSIFYING
Classifying begins when children group and sort real objects. A subset is a group that shares a common characteristic unique to that group. E.g sorting kinds of leaves, button according to their properties. Teacher can guide them by saying: Put together all of the animals that belong together. Can you group them in another way? How are these animals organized? Identify several ways that you used to classify these animals.

MEASURING
Measuring is the skill of quantifying observations. This can involve numbers, distances, time, volumes and temperature, which may or may not be quantified with standard units. Measuring involves placing objects in order, such as an ordered sequence (seriation), or length, shade. Children can also invent unit of measuring, e.g. This book is 12 beans long. Teacher can guide by asking: How might you measure this object? Which object do you think is heavier? How could you find out?

COMMUNICATING
In early childhood science explorations, communicating refers to the skill of describing a phenomenon. A child communicates ideas, directions, and descriptions orally or in written form using pictures, dioramas, maps, graphs, journals, reports. Communication requires that information be collected, arranged, and presented in a way that helps others understand your meaning. Teacher can ask them to keep logs, draw or record what they have observed.

 When children infer, they make a series of observations, categorize them, then try to give them some meaning. The process skill of inferring requires that a reasonable assumption of prior knowledge be present. An inference is indirect E.g. the leaves moving on the treesinfer---the wind is blowing. four cylinder filled up with different materials. What is inside the cylinder? What did you observe that makes you think that? How could you find out?

INFERRING

 Prediction is making a statement about what you expect to happen in the future based on the prior knowledge necessary. The ability and willingness to take a risk and form a prediction such as is of great importance in developing an awareness and understanding of cause and effect. E.g. I you race the metal car with the wooden car, the metal car will go faster? Which plant will grow faster? (subsoil and topsoil) Ask how they arrived at their prediction.

PREDICTING

Hypothesizing and controlling variables = investigation

A hypothesis is a more formal operation than the investigative questions that young children explore in the preschool and primary grades. It is a statement of a relationship that might exist between two variables. If____ then _____. With young children it can be the question: What happen if ______? The major types of hypotheses are varied in character, but they correspond to the types of knowledge or understanding that the investigation aims to develop.

SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDES
Curiosity Withholding judgment Skepticism Objectivity Open mindedness Avoiding dogmatism Observing carefully Making careful conclusions Checking evidence Positive approach to failure Positive self image Willingness to change Positive attitude toward change Avoiding superstitions Integrity Humility

CURIOSITY
It takes a curious individual to look at something from a new perspective, question something long believed to be true, or look more carefully at an exception to the rule. Often, years of formalized experiences in school, which allow little time for exploration and questioning, squish this valuable characteristic. Educational experiences that utilize firsthand inquiry experiences like the learning cycle make use of a childs natural curiosity rather than trying to suppress it.

SKEPTICISM
Do you believe everything you see? Are you skeptical about some things that you hear? Experiences designed around direct observation of phenomena and gathering data naturally encourage children to explore new situations in an objective and open-minded fashion. This type of experience can do much toward developing confidence and a healthy skepticism.

Appropriate science content

The science content for preschool and primary education is not greatly different from that of any other elementary grade level. The depth and complexity of the science content and process skills are determined by the developmental level of the child. The four main areas of science emphasis that are common in the primary grades are life science, health science, physical science, and earth and environmental science.

Life science
Life science investigations lend themselves quite readily to simple observations, explorations, and classifications. Hands-on experiences are essential to development of relevant concepts, skills, and attitudes. It covers plants, animals, and ecology. It builds the foundation for students understanding of environment problems and solutions in higher grade and adult life.

Physical science
In physical science, children in kindergarten through four grade are expected to develop an understanding of properties of objects and materials; position and motion of objects; and light, heat, electricity, and magnetism. Physical science activities are more foolproof than many other activities. Future lifestyles and job opportunities may depend on skills related to the realm of physical science.

Earth and space science

In earth and space science, students in kindergarten through grade four gain an understanding of properties of earth materials, objects in the sky, and changes in the earth and sky. Children have to opportunities to develop process skills and are eager to learn about weather, water, soil. Although these topics are attention grabber, the teacher must be certain to make the phenomena concrete. Hands on experiences need not be difficult.

Activity 1
1. Why teach science to young children? 2. How is the appropriate approach in teaching science to young children? 3. Explain the basic process skills. 4. List down the attitude needed in learning science. 5. Explain appropriate main science content for children.

THE END