STEM Play inspired by Gay Mohrbacher WGBH Educational Foundation

What better role model to encourage curiosity and promote hands-on exploration than a monkey ?!

TV series on PBS half-hour with animated stories and live-action clips Web site pbskids.org/curiousgeorge Educational outreach classroom teachers (K1, K2) informal educators (museums, libraries) families

Outreach goals Inspire active, playful, inquiry- based learning for young children Address dearth of age-appropriate activities for 4’s and 5’s around science/ design engineering Motivate parents/caregivers to support these activities

Our agenda 1.Why is science important for 4 and 5-year olds? 2.What does effective science inquiry look like? 3.Try Building Tall activity 4.Choosing age-appropriate topics 5.What is the adult’s role? 6.Finding age-appropriate resources from PBS

Children are insatiably curious Children develop their own theories to explain the world around them Establishes skills and‘habits of mind’for academic success, lifelong learning Science engages ALL children Why Science?

Making predictions Observing similarities, differences Pursuing ideas—being curious, testing things out Drawing conclusions, making theories Sharing results, reflecting Skills to reinforce

Classroom of 4 and 5 year-olds

What are 4 and 5’s like? Cognitively: Curious Enthusiastic Sponges Concrete learners Short attention spans (esp. when listening) Physically: Energetic Need to move Gaining small & large motor control Socially/Emotionally: Friendly Frank Egocentric Eager to please Sharing (blocks!) may be difficult Good sense of humor

Concrete learners Most don’t understand abstract concepts or directions unless there is a demonstration with objects They need to see, touch, experiment, and do in order to learn 3-D building/spatial skills involve the ability to visualize mental images

Science play: 3 to 5-year olds They learn from direct, hands-on contact with objects … need/want to exert control over their environment … are immersed in their own perspectives …draw conclusions based on their (limited) experience

Science isn’t something you KNOW….. ….it’s something you DO!

Building Tall Challenge: Create a multi-level, stable building using cups alone, or cups and cardboard

What did you observe? What questions were raised?

Importance of reflection Critical to reflect after an exploration Exposes students to the attempts, solutions of others Inspires further questions, ideas Helps children synthesize information

How do we choose age-appropriate topics for Science Inquiry investigations?

Criteria for subject matter: Builds on children’s prior experience and early ideas about how the world works Is embedded in children’s daily work and play Draws on children’s curiosity, while encouraging them to pursue their own questions and develop their own ideas Engages children in in-depth exploration of a topic over time in a carefully prepared environment

Adult’s role Create atmosphere that supports & encourages exploration Give students appropriate space & materials Ask open-ended questions to promote understanding & to further their exploration

Adult’s role, cont’d Help document what’s happening Listen to & observe students at work Guide students during investigation (with open- ended questions) Provide time/format for students to present & discuss learnings, conclusions

Asking questions What’s happening here? What did you try? What did you change about that? What have you seen other people trying? What do you notice about ________? Does this remind you of _________?

Picture this … GoodGreat!

GoodGreat!

GoodGreat!

Finding activities

Parent’s pages

Teacher’s pages

10 pages of “how to” Activities related to sorting, patterns, ramps, animals, cooking Available in Spanish PDF online at pbskids.org/curiousgeorge Family Booklet contains:

Thank you! #617/