“Super Science:” Science Concepts Spark Kids’ Curiosity

“Super Science:” Science Concepts Spark Kids’ Curiosity
By Kathy Hardy, M.Ed., Director of Winnetka Community Nursery School

I have never considered myself a teacher of science and in fact did not do too well in the required science courses in college. As my classmates were excitedly conversing about the sites they saw while peering into a microscope I was frustrated in only seeing my eyelashes. I never really enjoyed dissecting things whether plant or animal. and unlike many of my peers, I could never find the passion for studying the gestational period of fruit flies.

As a parent I lived in fear of the first science fair project, because I knew my abilities of engaging my child in scientific discovery would be extremely limited. Then one day as I was going through my daughter's coat pockets, I discovered a large hard ball of petrified worms (Lauren was four at the time). After a recovery period (you can imagine), I talked to Lauren about the worms and her unique choice of home for them, only to find out that my daughter obviously knew more about the process of scientific discovery than her mother. As it was, Lauren had been fascinated with the worms that the children found while digging in the park and decided to stash some away in her pocket for further observation. After closely examining the congealed ball, Lauren insisted that all the worms needed was a bath in some water and they would be restored to their original state. So we set up an experiment based on her hypothesis. Despite many trials of varying water temperature and close observation, we discovered that water does not indeed revive petrified life forms.

I thank Lauren's curiosity for opening up my new love of science and for reminding me that science concepts are part of a child's daily experience. Since the famous "Hardy worm experiment," I have become aware of all the natural opportunities to talk about the basics of science, and I find them everywhere. And science does not have to be just about biology and the frustration of only discovering your own eyelashes.

Science gives children the opportunity to explore, experiment, create, and problem solve. Science can encourage children to use language (emerging, descriptive and comparative) and refine that language as they talk about what they are doing or what they have discovered. Science allows children to apply mathematical skills and concepts (more/less, alike/different, size relationships and seriation, matching, and classifying) in a meaningful context. Science allows children to build upon visual, auditory and memory skills. Science allows children a chance to sit still and observe or actively set up a situation and test out theory. Science can be simple (taking a walk and noting observations in nature, complicated (the birth and death cycle), messy (digging in the earth or mixing substances to create a reaction), magical (discovering that blue and yellow make green) and fun.

Research has proven that children learn best by doing and actively constructing their knowledge about the world. In order to learn best, children must have opportunities to explore, manipulate, initiate and choose. Children need a chance to touch, probe, take apart, look at all the angles, examine the texture, the smell, the weight of an object and just play around to find out how things work. To help children with everyday science and discovery, we as adults can provide unlimited opportunities for active, "hands on" involvement with real objects, and encourage them to explore and to experiment independently. We can create an atmosphere that is conductive to learning by allowing children to theorize and test their ideas over and over, and to discover for themselves the way things grow, move and work. We can be just as amazed as the children are, when they first take note of a new discovery no matter how many times we have already witnessed the event. As adults, we can introduce new ideas, materials and procedures. We can encourage inquiry and creativity and model inquiry, questioning, and problem solving, by asking questions that encourage further participation and allowing children to know that we are also interested. Most importantly, we can support their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, so they will continue to nurture their love of learning.

When the time came for Lauren's first independent science fair project (in fifth grade), I was more than ready to help support her creativity, her theories, her experiments and help her record her observations.

For her project, she decided to grow a mold garden using various processed and unprocessed foods found in our refrigerator. She wanted to discover which foods would grow mold first and in what conditions. She placed one cookie sheet on top of the refrigerator and one under her bed. Her hypothesis was that the garden under her bed would grow faster because it was dark there.

We learned a lot about mold and unprocessed and processed foods from the month of required observations. For example, Kraft individual cheese slices are so processed that they never mold in any condition, (we no longer considered it a staple); the garden on top of the refrigerator grew faster and produced beautiful mold colors because of the generated heat from the cooling system and moisture (we no longer use the top of the refrigerator to house baked goods); and that it is not a great idea to forget about the mold garden festering under one's bed (it generates a pugnacious order and is gross). It was wonderful to empower Lauren through her month of this project, and also equally rewarding to feel empowered by my ability to guide her through this scientific process, because I was curious too! Happy discovering!

SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

1. HOW CLEAN IS THE AIR?

· Materials: 20 index cards; pencil; Q-Tips; Vaseline; tape; window; magnifying glass; poster board

· What to do: Draw a circle the size of a 50 cent piece on each index card. On two cards spread Vaseline with a Q-Tip to cover the circle. Tape one index card on the inside of the window. Tape one card on the outside of the window. On the second day replace index cards with a new set. Tape cards on a poster board labeled inside and outside. Discuss with the children what has collected in the circles. Make a chart noting the day, weather conditions and activities that take place indoors and outdoors.

· Science concepts: The Vaseline provides a medium to which substances can stick. There are substances floating in the air we breathe. The air inside might have different contents than the air outside. Different weather conditions might add new substances in the air. Different activities inside the classroom might change the air we breathe.

· Science vocabulary: Condition; activity; moderate activity; data; conclusion; adhere; particles; weather; air; breathing; substance; environment; controlled; pollution; invisible.

· Observing the children: Can the children discover and identify the different substances that stick to the Vaseline?

2. EATING WORMS

Materials: A few strands of cooked spaghetti; deep glass bowl; cup of tap water; red and blue food coloring; 2 T of baking soda; spoon.
What to do: Have children tear strands of cooked spaghetti into 3 to 4 inch pieces. In bowl, mix the cup of vinegar and cup of water. Add 3 drops of red food coloring. Add 3 drops of blue food coloring and stir. Slowly add the 2T of baking soda.
Connections: Children use words to describe changes they see in combining colors and substances; movement back and forth, up and down.
Science Concepts: The vinegar and baking soda form tiny gas bubbles. The bubbles attached themselves to the spaghetti, raised the "worms" to the top and the burst caused the spaghetti to "swim". The red and blue food coloring mix to form the color purple.
Science Vocabulary: Gas; float; rising; attached; changed; mix; back; forth; measure; add.

3. GERMS

· Materials: 2 potatoes; 1 potato peeler; 2 jars; paper towels; masking tape; pens; paper.

· What to do: With unwashed hands, peel the first potato. Pass the potato around so everyone touches it with dirty hands. After everyone has handled the potato, open jar #1 and place potato inside. Close lid. Wash hands with soap and tolerably hot water. Wash the potato peeler with soap and water. Dry hands with clean paper towel. Peel the potato and place it in jar #2. Close lid. Put both jars side by side at room temperature. Record observations over 4 days.

· Science vocabulary: Change; germs; microorganisms; prediction; spoil; decay; condensation.

Materials: Candy lifesavers; 2 glass jars
What to do: Fill one glass jar with hot water and one with cold water. Drop a lifesaver in each jar.
Connections: Children estimate which lifesaver will melt first. They sort, count and classify the lifesavers.
Science Concepts: Temperature, motion and the substance of an object affect the rate at which something dissolves. Concept of a changed state of matter.
Science Process Skill: To focus observations by using the senses.
Science Vocabulary: Melt; evaporation; hot; cold; dissolve; rise; bubbles; temperature; motion; process; molecule; sort.