Supporting Scientific Inquiry in...
Transcript of Supporting Scientific Inquiry in...
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Planned Explorations and Spontaneous
Discoveries:
Supporting Scientific Inquiry Preschool
Kimberly Brenneman
National Institute for Early Education Research
Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science
DLM Summer Institute - Austin, TX
July 29, 2010
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Take a moment to think about what this conversation reveals
about the child’s thinking. Is she engaging in science? How?
Child (to mother): Why does Daddy, James (brother), and me have blue
eyes and you have green eyes?
Mother: Tells her she got her eyes from Daddy, says goodnight, then
leaves the room.
Child: (calls mother back 5 minutes later): I like Pee Wee Herman, and I
have blue eyes. Daddy likes Pee Wee Herman, and he has blue eyes.
James likes Pee Wee Herman, and he has blue eyes. If you liked Pee
Wee Herman you could get blue eyes, too.
Mother: Tells her it would take more than liking Pee Wee to make her
eyes blue. Realizes child doesn’t understand, then explains that God
gave her green eyes and they can’t be changed.
Child: Could you try to like Pee Wee Herman so we could see if your
eyes turn blue?
From Callanan & Oakes (1992)
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Some inquiry science skills
observing (using senses and simple tools)
describing (verbally or through pictorial representations)
comparing (noting similarities and differences)
questioning
predicting (noting expected outcomes)
experimenting (trying an action to discover an unknown)
reflecting (integrating new info into one’s knowledge base)
cooperating (working together and sharing findings)
* From a synthesis of pre-K science standards and curricula reviewed by
Greenfield and colleagues, 2009.
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What preschoolers bring to inquiry
enthusiasm
curiosity
motivation to explain
impressive and growing language skills
foundational knowledge of science concepts
critical reasoning skills
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Learners benefit from science experiences*
improved vocabulary (French, 2004)
growth in use of complex grammar (Peterson &
French, 2008)
fosters early knowledge about variables(Brenneman et al., 2007)
and understanding of science content (both
groups)
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Very little science happens
Less than 15% of teachers’ activity during children’s choice
time had anything to do with science
Less than 5% was planned science (Tu, 2006)
Children are only present in science areas about 15% of the
time during free play (Nayfeld, Brenneman, & Gelman, in press)
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Why?
so much to do, so little time…
language and literacy tend to take precedence
lack of pre- and in-service education about science
and about young children’s capacity to learn it
teachers say they are not sure how to plan science
activities and to build on spontaneous science learning
opportunities
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Our responsibilities and challenges
Provide materials that encourage exploration and
questions throughout the classroom
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What does this discovery area help
children discover?
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What sense would they get from this
sensory table?
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“Marketing” the science area
Nayfeld et al., in press
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Science materials matrix
* Categories based on the Preschool Rating Instrument for Science and Mathematics
(PRISM; Stevenson-Boyd, Brenneman, Frede, & Weber, 2009)
Outside
Sensory Table
Library/Listen
ing
Blocks
Dramatic Play
Manipulatives
Art
Materials to
read about
and represent
science
Materials that
change or can
be changed
(to explore
cause&effect)
Observation
and
measurement
tools
Collections
to sort,
match, and
compare
Interesting
objects to
observe -
natural &
human-
made
Kinds of
Science
Materials &
Classroom
Areas
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Available throughout the classroom and playground?
Arranged in a logical way that invites exploration and
questions?
Introduced as part of meaningful experiences?
Do children ever see ME interacting with these materials?
Questions about science tools & materials -
on a table and elsewhere
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Our responsibilities and challenges
Provide materials that encourage exploration and
questions throughout the classroom
Plan learning experiences that are conceptually connected
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PrePS* teachers plan conceptually connected
experiences and extended explorations
because…
Easier to assimilate new information when it is similar
to old information
Depth of knowledge more important than breadth
Supports development of competent, confident
learners
* Preschool Pathways to Science - Gelman, Brenneman, Macdonald, & Román, 2009
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Our responsibilities and challenges
Provide materials that encourage exploration and
questions throughout the classroom
Plan learning experiences that are conceptually connected
Look for spontaneous opportunities to support scientific
thinking
From Videatives, Inc.
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Our responsibilities and challenges
Provide materials that encourage exploration and
questions throughout the classroom
Plan learning experiences that are conceptually connected
Look for spontaneous opportunities to support scientific
thinking
Help children answer their
own questions through inquiry
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Help children answer their own questions
Introduce research tools
Provide time for children to share their questions and ideas
Provide science tools Plan an investigation
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Our responsibilities and challenges
Provide materials that encourage exploration and
questions throughout the classroom
Plan learning experiences that are conceptually connected
Look for spontaneous opportunities to support scientific
thinking
Help children answer their own questions through inquiry
Provide opportunities for communicating scientific and
mathematical ideas verbally and through drawing, writing,
graphing…
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Examples from PrePS
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“On Day 1, zero came with
water, and on Day 10 (actually
day 3, but 10 seeds sprouted)
it grew, and on Day 7 more
grew with water. And on Day
1 without the water, zero, and
on Day 3 without the water,
zero, and on Day 7 without the
water, there was none, zero,
too.”
from Brenneman (2009)
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Our responsibilities and challenges
Provide materials that encourage exploration and
questions throughout the classroom
Plan learning experiences that are conceptually connected
Look for spontaneous opportunities to support scientific
thinking
Help children answer their own questions through inquiry
Provide opportunities for communicating scientific and
mathematical ideas verbally and through drawing, writing,
graphing…
Ask open-ended questions and plan open-ended activities
that encourage children to describe, compare/contrast,
predict, and explain
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Start with a typical activity…
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…then expand it
1. Exploring ingredients
2. Following a recipe
3. What would happen if…
Let’s try it!
How are inquiry skills supported?
Math? Literacy?
Note the ways that adults can model important science
practices during each activity.
What else could you do with the play dough?
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Mystery object - part 1
1. Look at the object.
2. What do you know about it just by looking?
3. What do you think it is?
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Mystery object - part 2
1. Pick up your object and explore it.
2. Do you notice anything new?
3. Talk with your group about this thing. Does it remind you of
any other things in the world?
4. What could you do with this thing?
5. What do you think it is?
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During part 2, you were
making observations using multiple senses
comparing and contrasting the object with other
things you know about
collaborating and sharing ideas
questioning and acting to explore an unknown
exploring a big science idea -- form and function
engaged in deeper thinking and learning, not focused
on one right answer
having more fun?
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With children…
• What do you notice about this thing?
• Colors, shapes, textures, parts…
• Does it remind you of anything?
• What could you do with it?
• Kids might come up with more ideas than you do!
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Science provides opportunities for children to
show off their thinking, not just facts they know.
Expect to be impressed…from Gelman et al., 2009
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I love doing this stuff!
-- Joey P., satisfied consumer
…and to have a lot of fun!
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Science is a collaborative effort. Many thanks to the colleagues and funding
agencies who join me in working to support young science learners.
NIEER
Ellen Frede
Judi Stevenson-Boyd
Marcie Weber
Pew Charitable Trusts
KCET
McGraw-Hill
PrePS co-authors
Rochel Gelman
Gay Macdonald
Moisés Román
NSF - REC0529579
The Jim Henson Co.
And…
Many fabulous lab personnel, schools, parents, children