A science kit is basically a toy or collection of toys for kids, but scientific! What do we mean by that? Well, as opposed to a doll or toy car, for example, a science kit is a science project or group of projects consisting of hands-on experiments that often result in a fun science toy. Science kits, such as the ones sold by Science Store for the Stars, are presented in an easy-to-understand and interesting way and are intended to teach kids facts about various science subjects. For example, Crystal Radio kits are very popular and consist of one project; build a crystal radio. While they work on this project, kids learn about electronics and electricity, and how radios function.
When they're done they have a cool toy that really works! Or take "The How's and Whys of Science" kit by Educational Insights, which has many experiments in various subjects including biology, ecology, astronomy, and others. Kids can learn why the sky is blue, why it rains, how you can bend light, and conduct experiments similar to those real scientists would to discover many of the Earth's secrets. As you can see, a science kit is infinitely better for children than a regular toy. Not only do kids use their imaginations, but they learn real science which will help them in both school and the real
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They are an excellent way for teachers to explain certain science concepts to their students and are great for parents who home-school their children and want to spice-up the curriculum. How much do adults love crossword puzzles, Soduko, and other mind challenging games? Well, kids want to be active problem solvers as well, and the design of science kits caters to their big imaginations and creativity by involving them in direct experimentation. And if your child is falling behind in one area of science, you will be sure to find a science kit covering it. It's a great way to get a child interested in a science
In Hands-on Squishy Circuits, AnnMarie Thomas showed us how she took a home-made PLAY-DOH recipe and turned it into a science experiment. It’s amazing that three and four year old children play with something so revolutionary. We may not realize this now, but if we start introducing this stuff to these children, they’re going to become such intelligent adults. I ask myself this question everyday,”Do I want my child to be successful in life, or let them flip burgers at McDonalds?”. I want my child to be able to learn and succeed as they progress in life. This is extremely important for children these
I am not saying that a Barbi doll is necessarily a bad thing, besides the fact that some of her outfits are frightening, but I would rather have the life like rocket that can fly a 100 feet up before it returns to the ground. This discussion might appear superficial at first, but there is an underlying problem to why a parent might want to encourage their young daughters to play with a science kit instead of deciding what evening gown Barbi looks best in. A lot of the toys designed for boys might also be used as a learning tool. When a boy plays with legos and starts to create buildings he is developing his creativity. This act could lead him into a career as an architect or engineer. When he is encouraged to play with rockets or a microscope he has the potential of developing an interest in science that could lead him into a career working on satellites.
Our inquisitive America, extensively interested in science, geography, history, and art, had an enormous discovery sitting in its backyard. The Corps of Discovery – installed with dangerous travel, difficult interactions, and golden opportunities – was America’s greatest expedition, led by the famous Meriwether Lewis and his chosen partner, William Clark.
I try to add in the theme lesson plans an activity the child leads through being creative and with all sorts of materials available. I have observed when you allow a child to be hands on and leading the process they become more interested in the information, and excited to ask questions even to share with everyone what they made and how it fits with the lesson.
Michael, S.et al. (2008). Prospects for improving K-12 science education from the federal level. Journal of Education 69(9): 677-683.
The Pre-K and Kindergarten class studied habitats of various animals and insects. They were given examples and tough how the animals made their homes. The students built a bird house as their project and as something to take home to remind them of what they learned. Finally they went on a field trip to Legoland where they explored and built “habitats” for their families and the Lego people. The first and second grade class learned about marine life and the ocean. They built shoe box dioramas of coral reefs and created art projects depicting sea life as well as learning new facts about the ocean. The students got to go to the Aquarium for their field trip. Finally the third and fourth graders studied the rain forests and their ecosystems. The students built rainforest models and terrariums along with small group discussions on different ideas human intervention and conservation. They finished their week at the zoo where they studied different rainforest inhabitants in
Spurring from a growing concern over the literacy requirements of students in a Middle school science class, Holli Eddins Forrest in “Using Literacy to Engage Adolescents in Science,” asserts that it is not literacy that causes students to “hate science,” but the way in which information is presented. In the article, Forrest aims to analyze motivation and engagement of Middle school children in a Science class, to determine the root of the problem and highlights ways in which educators can cultivate the necessary literacy skills required to keeps students motivated and engaged.
Prior to the 1990’s, the problem of scientific objectivity was a question many philosophers tried to grapple with. Initially, the Logical Positivist’s view of scientific objectivity was most popular. They held to the belief that science was overall objective because of the distinction between the “context of discovery” and “context of justification,” which still allowed for science to contain some subjective elements (Longino 172). Basically, Positivist’s allowed for subjective qualities, such as mental makeup of scientists and values scientist brought in to their scientific work, by stating that the initial formulation or “discovery” of hypothesis/theories included subjective qualities. However, these subjective characteristics were negated by the fact that when investigating theories scientists focused on comparing their hypothesis to observable consequences in an empirical and objective manor (“context of justification). Thus, this allowed the Positivist’s to “acknowledge the play of subjective factors in initial development of hypotheses and theories while guaranteeing that their acceptance [is] determined not by subjective preferences but by observed reality” (Longino 172). However, although this theory was popular for some period of time, a philosopher by the name of Helen Longino approached the problem of scientific objectivity in a different way. She believed that science was a social practice that involved the inevitable input of various subjective factors such as scientist’s values, beliefs, etc… when performing their work. However, she goes on to say that what made science objective was the process in which scientist performed their work. She essentially thought that if the process in which scientist gained knowledge wa...
Science is the body of organized knowledge. Science is the collection of ideas and theories and the methodology used by people to prove them. It is the set of methods that people follow in order to explain the things that they see, the things that they perceive and the things that they believe in.
Provide a variety of materials and resources for children to explore, manipulate, and use, both in learning activities and in imaginative play.
There are many myths when talking about science. Myths are usually routined views or stories that help make sense of things. Misunderstandings of science are most likely due to educational programs. The article focuses on ten myths.
This class has opened my mind to the incredible impact that STEM Education can have on our society. I do not work in an institution that has a STEM program. I work at a preschool; this makes my practice of any type of STEM program extremely limited. However, it is a private school. All my students come from households where one or both of their parents are professionals. These professionals want their children to be academically prepared for school. This means we must academically, mentally, and emotionally prepare them for their future schooling. I teach my students how to be a functioning participant in a classroom while exploring mathematics, science, art, history, literature and pre-writing. Puzzles, counting, shapes, measuring, etc. are on the daily agenda. Science is a huge part of our curriculum. Science in the
Children in grades 3 through 5 are moving from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" and from "learning to write" to "writing to communicate". Students learn to work independently. They learn to read words and make mental pictures. Third through fifth graders also learn to write paragraphs, short essays and stories that make a point. The curriculum becomes more integrated. "Reading to learn" helps third through fifth graders better understand the scientific method and how to test hypotheses about the physical world. Additionally, "reading to learn" aids students in graphing and calculating scientific observations and then writing up their conclusions. Third grade science class will open new worlds of wonder and invite curious mind to explore (Williams, 2012).
When we sit in a science class, most of the time we are bored as bored can get. We really do not get a chance to explore on our own to find out what’s really out there. Teachers sometimes are not able to get in depth outside the textbook because they are required to teach that all throughout the year. That is why a lot of kids do not really get into science because they are stuck in the book all the time. Some kids love science and do not really care about the work they have to do.
The first question that arises while talking about Science is what exactly is Science? Science can be defined as an effort to understand the nature and how natural world works. It is the systematic observation of natural phenomena. It is about gaining deeper and deeper understanding of the physical world.