Teaching Science Concepts in the Preschool Classroom

Science is “the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experimentation”. How would you define “science” for a preschool child?

Helps children understand their world Enhances curiosity Helps with classification skills Builds vocabulary Develops math skills such as sets, sorting, color, shape, temperature, size etc. Helps children understand and explore their 5 senses Helps children learn to problem solve Helps children learn to predict results of events

Foster spontaneous science activities Prepare materials ahead of time Be prepared for a mess Use the outdoors as a science classroom Use a variety of materials: objects from nature, art materials, measuring instruments, items children have collected from outside, recycled objects, food items and tools and etcetera

Through science activities children should learn: To observe objects using five senses Draw conclusions based on past experiences Classify objects based on observable properties Compare sets by measuring and counting Communicate with others about the observable qualities of objects and their experiences

Touch: objects have different textures Smell: objects can be named by their scent Seeing: visual memory skills, classify by sight Hearing: world is full of different sounds Taste: categorize foods by their flavor Activity Ideas???

Color: helps children describe the natural world Water: flows (gravity), dissolves foods, makes things wet, fills any shape container, float/sink, is absorbed by some things, can turn into ice or steam Air: air takes up space, wind makes things move, weather affects air movement Activity Ideas???

Magnets: magnets only push or pull objects with iron in them, magnets can be weak or strong Food: changes in physical properties occur during cooking, following a recipe matters, 5 senses Human Body: people grow and change, people look different and similar Activity Ideas???

Animals: have certain needs for survival, live in different environments, wild vs. domestic, different body coverings, move in different ways, pets require care Nature: conservation of resources, diversity of species, backyard ecosystem, weather, recycling, global connections Gardening: understand the process by which plants grow from seeds, seeds can be eaten, plants need care to survive, growth takes time, plants are different & similar Activity Ideas???

Wheels: wheels are round and roll, they turn on an axis, machines have wheels, they make moving things easy Pulley: Wheel with a rope on it that makes it easier to lift things Inclined plane: flat surface makes it easier to push heavy objects up or down Screw: an inclined plane wrapped around a sphere that makes it easier to connect things Wedge: can be used to push things apart Lever: the long arm makes it easy to pull things our or push them up Activity Ideas???

We will be making a science activity resource book. Everyone will make their own page for the book. Will be a graded activity and will be worth 30 points. We will complete this on Wednesdays in class. Example and blank form are in Mrs. Krebs’ Passouts folder. You will type on the document called “Science Activities for Preschool Children” Example is called “Science Activities for Preschool Children Example”

Science Activity Example

Science Activity Form