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At the NSTA conference in Portland
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It was exciting to be in the midst of so many people who care about teaching and learning science, and a pleasure to anticipate being on the receiving end of lesson planning. I’m looking forward to using what…
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Collaboration in science teaching
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Collaboration is key for many scientific endeavors, and an opportunity for growth for teachers. Here’s how two preschool teachers, both with a science outlook but from opposite coasts, came to present a workshop …
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Diverse reading matter converges around "preconceptions"
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My reading matter for the trip to the NSTA Portland conference is How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, Expanded Edition, (National Academy Press, 2000) and a fantasy novel, Dragonsbane by by Barbara…
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Today I visited the Rainbow Preschool, a half-day preschool with extended care in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of NE Portland. Teachers Nicki and Amanda and their students welcomed me into their world where science…
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Corn ears—examine and measure
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Photo by Keith Weller “Why is corn used as a decoration in the fall in the United States?” asked a student’s grandmother. She is originally from Estonia where she said seasonal decorative include straw weavings,…
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What do you want in your science lab?
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If you could have the science lab of your dreams for preK through 2 students, what would it include? What are the minimum required materials, what are the commonly found materials, and what is on your wish list? Would…
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Supporting children's observation: what will they remember?
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Two particularly inquisitive and bright former preK students (siblings) unexpectedly attended a workshop I gave for early childhood teachers about bringing local butterflies into the classroom for observation. Instead…
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Science activities that children initiate motivate teachers to extend and expand the activity. Children learn more details about their area of interest and make connections with other concepts when they work more than…
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Sink? Float? Try it with pumpkins
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For an activity to explore buoyancy—what materials and which objects sink or float in water—I gave each child in a small group an object to hold. Then I explained that we were going to think about the objects and say…
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Yes, a science teachers' conference IS the place for early childhood teachers
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I’m looking forward to the NSTA Regional Conference in Portland, Oregon, in November, a cornucopia of a conference so full of interesting presentations that each of my time slots is double (sometimes triple)…
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Observing, Learning about, Appreciating, and (Maybe) Holding Small Animals Such As Insects
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In the fall we may begin to see more spiders in our houses and schools. Why is that? Are they moving indoors as the weather cools? The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture dispels this myth with some spider facts…
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Understanding and using symbols
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It was Monday morning and a sharp corner on a large immovable object (left by another group sharing the space used by the preschool…sound familiar?) unexpectedly turned into a chance to assess the understanding of…
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As a preschool teacher I try to be aware of how my work might introduce or reinforce misconceptions in my students’ understanding of concepts. In the Perspectives column in the September issue of Science and Children,…
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The big fish died. The constant silent presence of the plecostomus—now hiding in the cave, now sucking algae off the aquarium wall—is gone. Donated by a parent who has moved on to high school PTSA duties, the odd fish…
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Walking fieldtrips to draw nature
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A walking fieldtrip can bring much needed outdoor time and opportunity for scientific observation to a class schedule. The objective can be to view the sky, look for birds, find seeds, or to inventory the surrounding…
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