Welcome! Please take a handout, visit each station and explore the activity and jot down answers to the questions to share with the group!

Using Informational Text to Support Science and Social Studies in PreK

• Introductions---Outline of Session• Share Out from Science Stations1. When would you do this activity? What part of the daily

routine?2. What vocabulary could you target?3. What anecdotes could you gather?4. How does the book relate to the activity? Are there other books

you could suggest?

Got Science?

Science is not about memorizing facts or learning content in isolation; a young child’s fascination spills over into virtually every other area of learning.

Critical thinkingPerceptual abilitiesLanguage and vocabularyMathematicsCreative ArtsSocial Interaction

Science is an investigative process that involves observing, predicting, experimenting, verifying and explaining.

“Children are naturally curious about the world and want to find out as much as they can. They want to know what makes the wind blow, how trees grow, why fish had fins and where turtles go in the winter. But they don’t want adults to give them the answers…They don’t want science to be something that is imparted to them; they want it to be something they do.” ---Wilson (2002, Conclusion)

When Are Kids “Doing Science”?

Whenever they:• Use all their senses to explore objects/events• Ask questions about objects and events in their environment• Act upon things and observe what happens• Describe, sort, compare and order things in terms of observable

characteristics• Use simple tools to carry out and extend their observations• Engage in simple investigations by making predictions,

experimenting, gathering data, recognizing patterns and drawing conclusions

• Represent/record their observations• Work collaboratively• Communicate their ideas, explanations and theories• Listen to new perspectives and adjust their ideas accordingly ALL THE TIME!!!

Why should we provide open ended experiences to help children learn science concepts?

How children think about the world is a progression from everything being new and mysterious to an accumulation of knowledge about how things work.

First, children need to accumulate knowledge about how things work!

• Through repetition and experimentation, children develop expectations based on what they experience.

• “A key finding from cognitive psychology… is that it is easier to learn more about what one already knows than to build concepts in a new domain about which one has little or no relevant knowledge” Gelman and Brenneman (2004)

• After a child has some background knowledge, he or she is more likely to recognize that when something that was expected to happen did not occur.

Unexpected Results Spur Scientific Inquiry!!!

A child might experiment with different objects in water to observe sink and float.He or she develops expectations : “Hmm the rock sinks, the popsicle stick floats…heavy sinks, light floats”

Then notices when something unexpected happens: “Hey the plastic rod looks like the popsicle stick and its light but it sinks! What’s wrong here?”

A child thinks “What is happening here?”

• May try to repeat the situation or try slight variations.• Based on observations, children often create an alternative theory.• The theory may or may not be accurate.

“ The rock was red and the rod was blue, but the popsicle stick was not colored=all colored things sink”.

Final step of scientific inquiry is asking “Where’s the proof?”

On their own, preschool children are not likely to test theories with a variety of materials or in different situations.

That’s where the teacher comes in!!!

Adults should provide appropriate materials and support “so children can test and find out on their own whether their ideas are correct or not” (DeVries & Sales, 2011)

For example, an adult hearing the children’s theory about floating and sinking might supply colored blocks and clear plastic rods for testing.What do you see? Why do you think that happened?

Developing the Scientist Within(general teaching strategies)

• Preschoolers engage in their investigations in a much more random and spontaneous fashion” (Neill, 2008) To help close the science gap we can encourage children to see themselves as capable of going through the same series of steps as grown up scientists.

1. Introduce children to the steps in the preschool scientific method: Observe----- “This apple is red, round, cold”

Predict---- What will be inside the apple? “It’s white, it has seeds” Check---- Was our prediction correct? “ yes, it was white, it had seeds but also it was wet”

The teacher should also introduce ways to record what they observe , check and predict because “scientists record their observations”.

2. Encourage Reflection:• Plan-Do-Review

• Work alongside children to make conversational comments that encourage reflection.

“Show (tell) me how you did that?”, “How could we make that happen again?” “I wonder why that happened?” “What do you suppose would happen if?” “Let’s see if there’s something the same about these two things that makes them different from that one.”

3. Create Opportunities for Surprise and Discrepancy

• “Cognitive conflict” discrepancies between what they believe(expect) and what they observe.

For example: If children have been racing cars on wood or plastic ramps, work with ramps covered in felt, sand paper and other textures.

• Encourage reflection, trying out ideas and other ways they might test their theories

4. Encourage Documentation Scientists record their observations!Charts, graphs, photographs

5. Encourage Collaborative Investigation and Problem Solving

• Collaborative problem solving is an important factor in a young child’s development (Tudge and Caruso, 1988)

• Develops more complex language because children have to

communicate their ideas.

• Generates a greater volume of data

• **** Children are more influenced to change their thinking when challenges come from peers rather than adults!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Foundation for the Common Core VS KDI (see handout)

KDI’s vs. Foundation for the Common Core

New York State Prekindergarten Foundations for the Common Core

• Scientific Thinking section encompasses most of the KDI’s in Science and Technology

• The Living Things section correlates most closely with KDI #51 (Natural and Physical World)but is more specific

• Other sections (Earth and Space, Physical Properties are more content specific

Key Developmental Indicators• Focused more on scientific

method and processes not specific content knowledge

Please work as a team to compare KDI’s to Common Core standards and to generate a list of science ideas for the classroom. Try and think of different parts of the daily routine (i.e. Large group, small group, work time, meal time, gross motor/outdoor playResource books/cards are available on the front tablePlease record ideas on the chart paper at your table.

Using Informational Text for ELA Small Groups

• Although the “Growing Readers” kit does not use many informational texts, many of the skills addressed in the kit can be taught through informational text

• Construction, Art vocabulary can be introduced through non-fiction books

• The “American Heritage Picture Dictionary” included with your kit is an informational text, you can follow some of the “short activities” suggested (Comprehension section, cards C49-C51) with the dictionary or other informational texts

• Most of the “Concepts About Print” activities/strategies can be used with an informational text

What if I don’t want to use the “Growing Readers” activities?

• Make sure your activity or book reading addresses at least one of the NYS Foundation for the Common Core standards for Informational Text (see handout) or a related standard (i.e. Vocabulary). Think about what questions you can ask to help promote understanding

• Try and find books that will introduce preschool science content (living things, weather/seasons, recycling, magnets, etc.) Some of the new informational texts given to classrooms cover this content.

• Decide if you would like to read the book prior to a hands on science activity or after the activity. Sometimes after an activity leads to more verbal interaction and interest.

• Remember writing starts with picture drawing. Children can participate in informational writing by drawing pictures of flowers growing in the classroom or different stages of caterpillars as they get ready to make a chrysalis.

Example: Small Group Lesson using “Roots” by V. Bodach

NYS Foundation for the CC goals: • Children identify the front/back

cover, displays the correct orientation of the book, page turning.

• Exhibit curiosity and interest in learning new vocabulary

• With prompting and support, retell detail(s) in a text

• Children describe and identify the different structures of plants and animals

Key Developmental Indicators:• Children read for pleasure

and information• Children understand and

use a variety of words and phrases

• Children demonstrate knowledge about books

• Children gather knowledge about the natural and physical world

Describe “Roots”: What Do You See?Literacy Learning Focus: Children will observe, describe, and comment on what they see in “Roots” and use this information to offer ideas about what details they notice in the book related to roots and plants.

Materials: A copy of “Roots” by V. Bodach

Beginning

1. Gather in a comfortable spot where children can cluster close to you and the book. Place the book where everyone can see the cover and prepare to take a leisurely look at the pictures in “Roots”.

2. Begin by saying something like “Today we are going to read a book called “Roots”. I think we can tell soemthing about the story by looking at the cover.

3. Before turning the next page, invite children to imagine what they might see next. Listen to the children’s ideas. If no one has an idea say something like “Let’s turn the page and find out!”4. Point out the table of contents and ask children if they have seen one before and what they notice about it. Wonder aloud about what you will see on the next pages.

Middle

5. Read the text and invite the children to tell you what they see and notice. Give children plenty of time to look at, describe, and talk about what they see. Support their observation and add your own from time to time.6. Before turning each page wonder aloud about what you will see next. Listen to and support children’s ideas. If no one has an idea say “Let’s turn the page and find out!”7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you reach the end of the story.

End8. After reading the last page make a comment about what you learned from the book. Say something like “ I learned so many new things about roots!” What information did you learn?”Turn back to the front cover and listen to children’s comments. Turn the pages and ask children to talk about the details they noticed on each page.

Follow Up

During work time, plant bean seeds in small, clear plastic cups so that children can see roots develop.Plan a small group in which children can take apart flowers or plants to observe roots with magnifying glasses.