Science in Early Childhood PDF

# Science in Early Childhood ## Inquiry Skills - Reasoning Skills - (Science Skills) Children develop science skills, age by age. ## 0-2 - use her senses to identify objects and people around her. - begin to predict and anticipate sequences of events and notice cause and effect. - begin to cla...

# Science in Early Childhood ## Inquiry Skills - Reasoning Skills - (Science Skills) Children develop science skills, age by age. ## 0-2 - use her senses to identify objects and people around her. - begin to predict and anticipate sequences of events and notice cause and effect. - begin to classify objects in a simple but intelligent way. - use language to classify objects according to basic characteristics (toy animals, blocks, books). ## 2-3 - ask many questions about why things are the way they are and how things work. - observe similarities and differences between objects. - conduct his own experiments, such as stacking the blocks in a new way. - be able to predict cause and effect. ## 3-4 - enjoy sorting and classifying objects. - begin to classify things by their functions. - notice and compare similarities and differences between objects. - use words to describe the things she observes. - become interested in complex experiments and using new materials in a variety of ways. ## 4-5 - enjoy exploring and using new materials and objects. - use concepts such as height, size, and length to compare objects. - enjoy learning about real-life places and things and how they work. ## 5-6 - engage in long-term science projects such as growing plants, recording the weather, and collecting and comparing shells. - classify items by a variety of similarities and differences. - have a long attention span for activities that interest him. ## Why do we need to teach science in early childhood? * Several Reasons to Teach Science In Early Childhood * ## Several Reasons - Children have a natural tendency to enjoy observing and thinking about nature. - Young children are motivated to explore the world around them, and early science experiences capitalize on this inclination. - Quality science learning experiences provide a solid foundation for the subsequent development of scientific concepts that children will encounter throughout their academic lives. - Supporting children as they develop scientific thinking during the early childhood years can lead children to easily transfer their thinking skills to other academic domains which may support their academic achievement and their sense of self-efficacy. ## Science In Preschool Eschach and Fried (2005) and Eschach (2011) argued that science education is important for young children prior to formal schooling. They emphasized that the rationale for starting at a young age goes beyond attaining scientific literacy, but to provide young children ideas about why it is important to learn science. They pointed out that simply observing scientific phenomena does not necessarily lead to accurate scientific conceptions, and thus, young children must be explicitly taught science. ## 6 Reasons That Young Children Should Participate In Science 1. Children naturally enjoy observing and thinking about their world. 2. Exposing young children to science develops positive attitudes toward science. 3. Early exposure to scientific phenomena leads to a better understanding of the scientific concepts studied formally later. 4. The use of scientifically informed language at an early age influences the eventual development of scientific concepts. 5. Young children can understand scientific concepts and reason scientifically. 6. Science is an efficient means for developing scientific thinking. ## How Do Young Children Learn Science? Young children build their own private scientific knowledge based on experiences in the world. ## Conceptual Change Theory "Learning that changes an existing conception." ## Purpose of Teaching Science In Early Childhood 1. It can foster a lifelong love of science. 2. It gives a basic grounding in scientific concepts and scientific thinking. 3. It supports the development of other skills and attributes. ## Historical Development of Science Education in the Philippines - 1950's- The importance of science to development was only recognized by leading scientists. - 1957- Science became a part of the curriculum from grade 1-6 - 1960's- The first generation textbooks were developed by the UP science teaching center. Educators from US, UK, Germany, and Australia were consulted in this project. - Vocational educational systems, and technical educational systems have been firmly established. - 1950's & 1960's- Physical education programs in elementary schools were implemented. ## Early Efforts To Improve Science Education As a early decade of the 1950's, scientists were concerned with the state of the science education in the schools. Leading scientists made Philippine authorities aware that the teaching of science from the grade-school level to college levels in both public and private schools was very inadequate. - **Philippines Association For The Advance Science **- an annual conference which focused on the training of science teachers and teaching of science. - **National Committee For Science Education** - set up in 1958 to formulate objectives for teaching of science education at all levels, and to recommend steps that would upgrade the teaching of science. This committee identified the following areas to which improvement efforts were needed: - a. Integration of science with classroom instruction - b. Acquisition of more science equipment and tools - c. Coordination of efforts with other agencies - d. Negotiation for a science institute for teachers - e. National science talent search and fellowship - f. Higher salaries of science and mathematics - 1960’s- a group of biological educators at the University of the Philippines organized themselves into a team to adopt the biological science curriculum study (BSCS) Green Version- introduce to students to the living world and sought to provide them with biological information as may be necessary and useful as they lived their lives. - **RA 5506**- an act establishing the science education center (SEC) as a permanent unit of the University of the Philippines. This Act earned 250,000 pesos annually from the National Special Science Fund for the support of this center. ## Special Science Elementary Schools (SSES) Project - This project is in pursuance of DepEd Order No. 51 S. 2010. - It started in June 2007 with 57 identified elementary schools participating or were identified as science elementary schools in the country. Until today, more than 60 schools nationwide are part of this project, which is now in it's sixth year of implementation. ## Aims To develop Filipino children equipped with scientific and technological knowledge, skills, and values. ## Mission - Provide a learning environment to science-inclined children through a special curriculum that recognizes the multiple intelligence of learners. - Promote the development of lifelong learning skills. - Foster the holistic development of learners. ## Scope & Sequence of Science in Early Childhood | | Toddler | Early Learner | Preschool | Prekindergarten | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Human Body | Identify 6 body parts by pointing. Explore the 5 senses. | Identify 11 body parts. Develop knowledge of the 5 senses. | Identify 16 body parts. Understand functions of body parts. Match 5 senses to corresponding body part. | Identify and describe the function and parts of the human anatomy. | | Healthy Habits & Nutrition | Understand basic concepts of healthy habits. Experience the cooking process. | Develop concepts of healthy habits. Participate in cooking process. | Begin to understand the concept of food groups. Demonstrate basic hygiene practices. | Identify food groups and categorize food accordingly. Understand benefits of healthy eating. Demonstrate basic hygiene practices independently. | | Animals & Insects | Recognize a variety of animals by sight and sound. Understand the need to be caring and loving to all animals. | Expand knowledge of animals by sight and sound. Understand different places animals live. Understand the need to be caring and loving to all animals. | Recognizes different animals and their characteristics. Recognizes different insects and their characteristics. | Identify animals and their habitats. Understand the concepts of hibernation and migration. Demonstrates understanding of the life cycle of a butterfly. | | Plants | Identify flower, tree, and grass. | Help plant and take care of a plant. | Identify the basic parts of a plant. Observe the basic life of a plant. | Identify the basic parts of a plant and their basic functions. Describe the life cycle of a plant. | | Environmental Awareness | | | Practice the basic concept of recycling. | Understand the concept of recycling and composting. | | Physical Science | Discover the concept of hot and cold. | Discover items that sink and float. Understand the concept of hot and cold. Explore the concept of color. | Explores the concepts of hot and cold. Discovers the effects of magnets. Understanding the combining of colors to create new colors. | Participate In science experiments demonstrating states of matter, exploring magnets and mixing colors. | | Problem Solving | Demonstrates understanding of basic cause and effect. Search briefly for hidden objects. | Make observations and communicate findings. Try alternative solutions to problems. | Ask questions and make observations during simple experiments. Communicate findings to others. | Predict, observe, and document results of experiments. |