Resources for Teachers

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Resources for Teachers

CREATING ENGAGING SCIENCE CENTERS

Encouraging Scientific Exploration

Pre-K children are naturally curious about their world. Pre-K science activities encourage the student to explore, investigate, observe and record changes in the environment. Children learn to use their senses and simple tools such as magnets and magnifiers to make observations and collect information. Activities such as noting the changes in the seasons, caring for animals and classroom pets, and exploring simple machines encourage the further development of scientific thinking. Change the materials in the science area frequently and integrate science activities across all curriculum areas.

Science Processes for Young Children

Observing: Children use senses to observe the environment, such as, seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, and smelling
Communicating: Children use oral, written and pictorial methods to note observations Comparing: Children make comparisons using senses and linear, weight, capacity, and quality comparisons
Organizing or Classifying: Children group, sequence, and gather data
Using Tools: Children use age-appropriate tools and equipment (tongs, tweezers, hammer, magnifying glass, magnets, balance scale, etc.)

Materials for the Science Center*

*Remember that scientific exploration can occur in any area of the classroom and/or outside. Having an abundance of materials throughout the classroom will encourage children to engage in the various scientific processes frequently.

Life Science
Plants (non-toxic)
Animal housing and pets
Plastic animals, sea creatures
Bug House
Terrarium
Matching and sorting nature games
Stethoscope
Pictures from front of seed packets

Physical Science
Tornado tubes
Discovery bottles
Sensory objects
Different fabrics
Scent bottles
Homemade can telephones
Sound cans
Sensory tub/table
Wheels, gears, pulleys
Collections of natural objects
Tubing (plastic and cardboard)


 

 

Science Discovery Trays

In addition to the materials in the science center, discovery trays can be used to focus on a particular scientific concept or process. Setting up trays that hold materials and equipment for individual investigations helps structure science activities and encourage creative exploration and independent use. Ideas for discovery trays include:

  • Sink/float activity
  • Collection of wind-up toys
  • Collection of things to look through (sunglasses, binoculars, bottles of colored water, kaleidoscope, lenses)
  • Balance scale with metal washers of different weights
  • Collection of metal objects and variety of magnets
  • Collection of natural objects and magnifying glass


Excerpt for Pennsylvania Pre-Kindergarten Learning Standards for Early Childhood Science


SC 3.2 Demonstrate understanding of the process of scientific inquiry
SC 3.3 Acquire knowledge about the characteristics of living things
SC 3.4 Acquire knowledge about the physical properties of objects
SC 3.5 Acquire knowledge about the earth and space

 

Science Center Displays*


Magnets


Magnifying Board


Things That Spin


Gourds


Nut Sorting


Things from Trees


Rock Collection


Rock Collection


Sounds


Sound & Water


Matching Color Hues
(paint cards from hardware stores)


Ocean Collection


Symmetry with Mirrors
(Use mirrors with pattern blocks, patterned fabric, or leaves)


Ramps fo Cars and Balls

 

More Ideas

Color Sorting Cups:
Children sort small objects into cups by color.

Locks and Keys

Flashlights:
Take apart and put back together.

Bug Boxes
Live Insects (Butterflies, ladybugs, ants)

Objects that can/cannot be moved by blowing:
Feather, cotton, wood block, paper cup, piece of yarn, rock, etc.

Wind Chimes
Pinwheel
Prisms

Various types of seeds in a divided box (include tweezers and magnifying glasses)

Sand & Water Bottles:
Children shake and watch the sand settle.

Prisms
Use with flashlights or near a window.

Transparent/Non-Transparent Objects:
paper, rocks, leaves, crystals, plastic wrap, fabric, etc.

Texture Scraps:
sandpaper, lace, velvet, leather, faux fur, plastic (button), cotton, seashell, corrugated paper, plastic canvas, sponge, felt, satin ribbon, grosgrain ribbon, tape

Myster Bag/Box:
Children feel objects & match them to photos of the objects.

Scent Jars:
Add scent to cotton ball & place in container. Examples: lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, pepper, perfume or body spray, peppermint oil, vanilla extract, coconut oil, spices, tea bags

Penny Drop:
Fill a gallon jar with water and place a small juice flass upright on the bottom. Give children 10-20 pennies. Children drop them in water, trying to get them in the glass.

 

Seasonal Science Centers

Fall

Winter

Colored leaves
Pumpkins of various sizes
Gourds
Tree nuts (acorns, walnuts, pecans)
Pinecones of various sizes
Sticks

Instant Snow
Ice of different sizes to float in water
Drop salt on ice with dropper

Spring

Summer

Ant farm
Live ladybugs
Live caterpillars/butterflies
Plants & flowers
White carnations in colored water

Seashells
Preserved seahorse
Sea sponge
Coral
Sand dollars
Preserved starfish

 

Thematic Science Centers

Transportation

Community Helpers

Ramps with toy cars
Parachute man
Gears
Cars that can be taken apart
Wood or foam airplane gliders

Fingerprints on cards with magnifying glasses
Stethoscope

Weather

Forest

Tornado bottles
Thunder sounds CD
Objects that can/cannot be moved by blowing
Windchimes
Pinwheel
Prisms

Tree nuts (walnuts, pecans, acorns)
Leaves of different kinds
Pinecones of various sizes
Sticks
"Slice" of a tree showing its rings

Polar Animals

Pond Life

Instant Snow
Ice of different sizes to float in water
Drop salt water on ice with dropper

Live tadpoles
Live frogs
Books related to pond life

Dinosaurs

Farm

Dinosaur miniatures
Dinosaur bone replicas
Fossils (real or made)

Various types of seeds in a divided box
Magnifying glasses
Tweezers
Real cotton plant to inspect/pull apart

Bugs

Ocean

Bug boxes
Real cocoon
Locust shells
Real bugs preserved & incased
Plastic bugs w/ sticks, rocks, etc.
Live insects, such as butterflies, ladybugs, ants
Magnifying glasses

Seashells
Preserved seahorse
Sea sponge
Coral
Sand dollars
Preserved starfish
Wave bottle
Sand & water bottle

 

Ideas fromwww.prekinders.com

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