Goal: Science, math and technology literacy for all Americans · activities or child-initiated activities. Learning activities are usually short in duration. Pre-K Math and Science

Lesson 1: Visual Aid 1

Project 2061and Scientific Literacy

Goal: Science, math

and technology literacy

for all Americans

Pre-K Math and Science Instructor Manual


National ScienceEducation Standards

Content Standards

< Science as Inquiry

< Physical Science

< Life Science

< Earth and Space Science

< Science and Technology

< Science in Personal and SocialPerspectives

< History and the Nature of Science



Piaget’s Stagesof Cognitive Development

< Sensorimotor Stage (birth – 2)

< Preoperational Stage (2 – 7)

< Concrete Operational Stage (7 – 11)

< Formal Operational Stage (11 – adult)



Characteristics of thePreoperational Stage

< Egocentric thoughts and behavior

< Tendency to take all words andconversations literally

< Understand the world throughexperiences rather than through whatthey are told



Arkansas CDELSScience and Technology

Children strive to understand

"the great mystery into which they are

born" by observing the world around them

and by experimenting.

Arkansas CDELS, 2016, p68



The Scientific Method = Inquiry

< Observe and ask a question

< Make a hypothesis

< Test your hypothesis

< Form a conclusion



Figure 2-1 in Worms, Shadows and Whirlpools- pg 19



Process Skills

The ways in which we use our senses to learnabout the world.

< Observing

< Classifying

< Predicting

< Using Numbers

< Inferring

< Communicating



Types of Data Representation

< Writing

< Graphs

< Sketches

< Diagrams

< Models

< Dramatic Play



Elements of anEarly Childhood Environment

< Learning Materials

< Curriculum

< Physical Arrangement

< Health and Safety

< Adult Child Interactions



Tools and Collections



Science Displays



Books That TeachMath and Science Concepts

< Fiction

< Information Books

< Concept Books

< Photo or Wordless Books



Learning Activity

An experience for children in which specific

skills and concepts are targeted through

games, adult-guided large-and small-group

activities or child-initiated activities. Learning

activities are usually short in duration.



Piaget’s Conservation Task



Piaget’s Conservation Task



NCTM Focal Point

Children develop an

understanding of the meanings of

whole numbers and recognize the

number of objects in small groups

without counting and by counting.



Subitizing

Subitizing introduces:

< The concept of cardinality

< More and less

< Parts and wholes

< The beginnings of simple operations withnumbers



Cardinality

Understanding that the last number

counted in a collection of objects

represents how many objects

are in that collection.



Skills Involved in Counting

< Knowing the numeral names in order

< Understanding one to one correspondence

< Having a strategy for keeping track ofobjects already counted

< Understanding cardinality



Simple Number Operations

< Comparing and ordering

< Equal partitioning

< Composing and decomposing

< Adding to and taking away

< Grouping



Patterning

< Repeating Patterns

< Growing Patterns



Growing Patterns



Numbers in Scientific Investigations



What Is Physical Science?

< The properties of objects and materials

< The position and motion of objects

< The properties and characteristics of lightand sound



“As children observe plants

and animals closely, they can

begin to think and talk about

how the parts of plants and

animals are useful to

them in meeting their needs…”

(Worth and Grollman, 2003, p. 26)



Characteristics in Nature



Basic Needs of Living Things

< Living things need protection to survive

< Most living things need food, water and airto live

< Some types of food are better for livingthings than other types of food



“Young children have likely

heard many stories in which

animals behave as people do.

Children are also still quite

egocentric. As a result, they

are likely to attribute

intentionality to animal behavior

that is like their own.”

Worth and Grollman, 2003, p. 27



Types of Geometric Thinking

< Shape awareness

< Spatial awareness



For young children good spatialrelations skills often develop with

physical activities

Spatial Relations



Map Example



Five Steps of ComprehendingMeasurement

1. Children recognize that objects havemeasurable properties

2. Children make comparisons

3. Children determine an appropriate unit andprocess for measuring

4. Children use standard units ofmeasurement

5. Children create and use formulas to countunits



Examples of Standard Unitsof Measurement

< Feet, inches, centimeters, pounds, grams,minutes

< Regulated by the National Institute ofTechnology, Weights and MeasurementsDivision



Area Measurement

The total of two

dimensions of a surface

defined by borders.



Capacity Measurement

The maximum amount a

container can hold



Weight Measurement

The measurement

of the force of gravity

on an object


Lesson 8: Visual Aid

Weather Data


Lesson 9: Visual Aid 1a

Observing and makinga representational

drawing of the cab ofa truck as part of a

truck project. Collecting andcomparing leaves aspart of a leaf project.

Looking at booksabout dogs to gatherinformation as part of

a dog project.

Observing and makinga representationaldrawing of a cat aspart of a pet project.

Children Using Investigation Skills


Lesson 9: Visual Aid 1b

Measuring andcomparing dog

biscuits as part of adog project.

Observing anddrawing a dog as part

of a dog project.

Observing a chickencoop as part of achicken project.

Making arepresentational

drawing in the cabof a truck as part of a

truck project.



Lesson 9: Visual Aid 1c

Observing a firetruck as part of a fire

truck project.

Measuring thecircumference of awheel with Unifix®cubesas part of atruck project. Yarn

was used to measurethe wheel.

Measuring a stump aspart of a tree project.

Observing corn aspart of a corn project.



Lesson 9: Visual Aid 1d

Observing feathers aspart of a bird project.

Observing and makingrepresentational paintings

of a chicken as part ofchicken project.

Observing and makingrepresentational

drawings of bulbs aspart of a plant project.



Lesson 10: Visual Aid 1a

Chart of egg, oil, andwater mixing as part ofa cooking project.

Tally marks used to chartfavorite smells as part of a

cooking project.

Tally marks of which tool movedthe most water as part of awater project.

Representation Examples


Lesson 10: Visual Aid 1b

Dramatic play as part of abakery project.

Tally marks of favoritesmells as part of a cooking

project.Making a model of a treeas part of a tree project.

Representation Examples, continued


Lesson 10: Visual Aid 1c

Sign saying “vet” as partof a pet project.

Venn diagram comparing twodogs as part of a dog project.



Lesson 10: Visual Aid 1d

Model of a dog andcat house as part

of a pet project.

Writing about caterpillarsas part of a bug project.




The Bone Project

This is a display of project on bones done by akindergarten class in Mexico City, Mexico. It appears

to be set up in a gym or multi-purpose room andfeatures photographs, bone drawings by the children

and a model of an X-ray machine.



The Apple Project

This is part of a display of a project on apples done by aPre-K class in Ohio. It features a photo panel and 3-D

models of apples made by the children.



The House Project

This display, set up in the display cases of aschool in Decatur, Illinois, was done by aPre-K class. The display features photos,

drawings, collections of child-dictatedwriting samples related to the topic of houses

and 3-D representations.



The Music Project

This is part of a display of a project on music doneby a Pre-K class in DeSoto, Illinois.

It features labeled paintings of musical instruments.



One Fish, Two Fish,Red Fish…NEW Fish:

A Preschool Fish Project

By Scott Brouette

Western Illinois UniversityPreschool Center

Macomb, Illinois



The Birds and Their Nests Project

by Liliana Elizondaand Lilian Valencia

South Dade Child Care Center

Homestead, Florida



Cracks and Holes

Alicia Lindhorst and Beth Flick

Akin PreKindergarten

Southern Region EarlyChildhood Program

Franklin County, Illinois


Documents

Goal: Science, math and technology literacy for all Americans · activities or child-initiated activities. Learning activities are usually short in duration. Pre-K Math and Science