10.3: Environmental Factors in Supporting Science

The indoor and outdoor environments provide the context for children’s physical and social explorations and construction of scientific concepts. The following are strategies for helping teachers set up a physical environment that is rich, stimulating, and conducive to children’s construction of knowledge

  • Be thoughtful about what objects and materials to include in the environment
  • Provide a variety of natural materials to observe and investigate
  • Include objects and materials that allow for creativity and open-ended investigation
  • Include living things in the preschool environment
  • Include scientific tools for observation, measurement, and documentation
  • Make scientific tools available throughout the preschool environment
  • Consider adaptations in scientific tools and materials for children with special needs
  • Use technology to support children’s scientific experiences
  • Present documentation of science-related experiences in the preschool environment
  • Include children’s books with science-related content
  • Use the outdoors for natural explorations and investigations
  • Organize the space in ways that promote children’s explorations
  • Allow space for observations and for objects, materials, tools, and resources related to science
  • Allow for flexibility in the use of physical space and furniture to accommodate the changing needs of each activity
  • In order to promote self-direction and free explorations, tools and materials need to be accessible and consistently available to children
  • Social interactions are necessary for conceptual growth and the development of communication skills
  • Always be aware of children’s safety
  • Foster children’s curiosity and questioning
  • Guide children in exploring their questions
  • Be an active observer
  • Talk with children and engage them in conversations during their investigations
  • Provide children with time.
  • Know when to intervene and when to stand back
  • Model the use of scientific vocabulary[1]

Table 10.1: Scientific Vocabulary[2]

Words that can be used to describe scientific activities:
Observe, observation
Predict, prediction
Test
Similar, different
Compare, contrast
Count
Measure
Investigate
Explore
Experiment
Discover
Record
Explain
Hypothesis

[2]

Table 10.2: Suggested Scientific Tools

Types of Tools Names of Tools
Observation Tools

  • Tools to extend close observations
  • Magnifying glasses, hand lenses
    Binoculars
    Tweezers
    Microscope Trays (Collectors’ trays)
    Measurement Tools

  • Tools for measuring length, height, weight, volume, and temperature
  • Tape measures, strings, unit blocks
    Rulers Scales (e.g., balance scale, bathroom scale)
    Measuring cups
    Measuring spoons
    Thermometer
    Recording Tools

  • Tools for recording and documenting information
  • Pencils, markers, crayons
    Science notebooks/journals, charts
    Papers, posters
    Camera, computer
    Felt board, magnet board
    Materials to create 3-D models

    [3]

    Table 10.3: Suggested Open Ended Materials

    Types of Materials Names of Materials
    Materials for Building and Construction

  • Open-ended materials can be used in multiple ways and therefore allow for investigation, creativity, and problem solving
  • Sample Materials:

    Blocks of various shapes, sizes, and materials (e.g., wood, foam,
    cardboard)
    Boxes
    Cardboard, planks, ramps
    Carpentry tools
    Gutters, hollow tubes
    Logs
    Nuts and bolts
    Screws
    Sticks
    Straws
    Wheels, wheeled objects
    Other construction materials

    Collections of Objects and Reclaimed Materials

  • For exploration of diverse materials and use in sorting, classifying, and ordering activities
  • Sample Materials:

    Bottles
    Boxes of various sizes
    Buttons
    Collection of balls of different sizes
    Collection of different types of animals (for sorting and pretend
    play)
    Collection of household tools made from metal, wood, plastic
    Collection of musical instruments
    Corks
    Fabrics (e.g., a collection of gloves made of wool, rubber, leather)
    Glass nuggets
    Metal lids
    Plastic lids
    Screws
    Shakers, maracas, castanets
    Styrofoam pieces
    Wind chimes
    Woodchips

    A Variety of Substances/ Materials Cooking utensils
    Corn starch
    Dough
    Eggshells
    Flour
    Liquids
    Salt
    Sugar
    Natural Materials: Earth Materials

  • Natural materials found on earth
  • Clay
    Crystals
    Minerals
    Rocks
    Sand
    Seashells
    Soil
    Tools to dig and explore soil (e.g., trowels, containers, magnifiers,
    trays)
    Tools to explore water (e.g., water table, clear plastic tubes,
    connectors, funnels, containers)
    Water
    Natural Materials: Plant Materials

  • Materials derived from plants and animals
  • Bark
    Cotton
    Feather
    Fruits
    Fur
    Leaves
    Seeds, seed pods (e.g., pinecones)
    Tree logs
    Twigs
    Vegetables

    [4]

    Research Highlight

    Children bring to science many ideas about how things work. These intuitive understandings or naïve theories that children have constructed often conflict with what is known to be scientifically correct. Children hold preconceptions and misconceptions about different topics of science including forces, changes of matter, light, sound, and earth phenomena. For example, children believe that water disappears when it evaporates or that rain occurs when clouds are shaken. It is important to know how these conceptions differ from the scientific explanation and why children construct these ideas. Children’s misconceptions are intuitively

    reasonable, from the child’s perspective, and are used by children to explain the “why” behind physical events. Some of children’s ideas may be cultural beliefs that have been introduced at home. The teacher’s role is to guide children through numerous opportunities to discover and re-create concepts, without overtly correcting their misconceptions. Remember, science is about experimentation, and the goal is to support children’s scientific thinking, not to merely provide the correct answer.[5]

    Sources:

    C. E. Landry and G. E. Forman, “Research on Early Science Education, in The Early Childhood Curriculum: Current Findings in Theory and Practice, 3rd ed., ed. C. Seefeldt (New York: Teachers College Press, 1999).

    N. L. Gallenstein, Creative Construction of Mathematics and Science Concepts in Early Childhood (Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International, 2003)


    1. The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 3 by the California Department of Education is used with permission
    2. Ibid.
    3. Ibid.
    4. Ibid.
    5. Ibid.

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    Introduction to Curriculum for Early Childhood Education Copyright © 2022 by Jennifer Paris; Kristin Beeve; and Clint Springer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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