Office of Head Start Early Childhood Science National Webcast Series

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Office of Head StartEarly Childhood
ScienceNational Webcast Series
Discovering Science Webcast 2 Look what I
know. See what I can do!
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Discovering Science Webcast 3

• April 29, 2009, 2 p.m. ET
• Science through Language and Literacy
• Ways for teachers and parents to integrate
  science across the early childhood curriculum
  with an emphasis on young childrens language and
  literacy

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Discovering Science Webcast 4

• May 21, 2009, 2 p.m. ET
• Creating Environments
• that Promote Science Learning

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Intentional Planning Cycle
Intentional planning
Gathering information through activities
Finding an answer or revising a hypothesis or
prediction
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Discovering Science
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Goal of Todays Webcast

• Discover the science that is happening
• in and around classrooms already
• by suggesting ways to build on opportunities
  and boost the childrens interest, understanding,
  and engagement in science.

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Reflection Questions

• How does understanding fundamental science
  skills, birth to five, influence your decisions
  about the complexity of concepts and materials
  you use in your work with children and families?

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Reflection Questions

• In thinking about scientific thinking and
  understanding, what would you do differently in
  your work with young children to develop
  higher-order thinking skills, reasoning
  abilities, and communication skills?

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Children can explore science nearly everywhere
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Three Main Ideas for Todays Webcast

• There are fundamental science skills that are
  present beginning in infancy
• Science skills develop over the first five years
  of life and beyond
• There are ways to foster the development of
  science skills and childrens science
  understanding

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Discovering Science
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Fundamental Science Process Skills

• Science skills present as early as infancy
  include
• Using the senses to learn
• Observing
• Classifying
• Investigating
• Predicting

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Science Process Skill 1. Learning Through the
Senses

• Five Basic Senses
• Touch
• Smell
• Taste
• Hearing
• Vision/sight

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Discovering Science

• Children learn to thoroughly and systemically
  explore when adults
• Model using their own senses
• Refer to sensory experiences during regular daily
  activities
• Create opportunities for children to use their
  senses
• Encourage children to use their senses through
  skilled questioning

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Discovering Science

• Encouraging children to go beyond merely
  looking into exploring with their senses helps
  them refine observational skills, build
  vocabulary, and develop a deeper understanding of
  concepts.

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Science Process Skill 2. Observation

• Adults can promote the development of infants
  observation skills by providing interesting
  objects for them to look at.

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Questions

• Have the children shown an interest in and a
  curiosity about leaves?
• Where will this investigation potentially take us
  in terms of knowledge and skills?
• Can it offer opportunities for deep learning?
• Will it promote the development of fundamental
  skills and concepts to increase childrens
  scientific ideas?

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Science Process Skill 3. Classifying

• As childrens observation skills grow more
  sophisticated, so does their ability to group and
  classify.

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Science Process Skill 4. Investigating
Supporting children exploring cause and effect
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Discovering Science

• Ordinary moments may become extraordinary
  investigations if you observe carefully and
  engage in conversations with the children.

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Science Process Skill 5. Predicting
Forecasting the future based on past experiences
and knowledge.
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Fundamental Science Process Skills

• Science skills present as early as infancy
  include
• Using the senses to learn
• Observing
• Classifying
• Investigating
• Predicting

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BREAK
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Discovering Science Principles

• Principle 1 Childrens curiosity and motivation
  to learn about the world must be nurtured by
  responsive, caring adults
• Principle 2 Children learn to use science
  practices by participating in in-depth science
  explorations under the guidance of more capable
  adults
• Principle 3 Childrens knowledge of the world is
  supported by language

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Discovering Science Principles

• Principle 4 Children intelligence must always be
  respected.
• Principle 5 The goals of science in the early
  years are to foster childrens curiosity, build
  foundational knowledge about the world, and
  develop basic scientific thinking skills

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Public Notice
The Office of Head Start is actively seeking
additional Head Start Early Head Start Grant
Reviewers
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Visit
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ grantreview To get
involved in the effort to provide and expand high
quality Head Start services across
the country
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Up next Q A segment