Teaching Science Concepts in the Preschool Classroom
Slide 2
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?
Slide 3
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
Slide 4
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
Slide 5
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
Slide 6
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???
Slide 7
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???
Slide 8
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???
Slide 9
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???
Slide 10
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???
Slide 11
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
