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Supportive communities for teaching science in the early childhood years
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There are times when educators miss opportunities to support young children’s interest in exploring and learning about natural phenomena. We might be otherwise engaged, too focused on the next activity, or…
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When you have a moment to plan for teaching in January, reach for the 2018 November/December issue of Science and Children for inspiration. With a focus on visual literacy the activities discussed in the columns and…
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Light, shadow, and literacy: Stories inspired by shadow play
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Materials thoughtfully provided or set up by teachers often inspires children’s open exploration of a phenomenon. Much learning happens during this period of using their senses and tools to make observations of what…
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Engineering in early childhood
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In early childhood settings both educators and young children solve problems using available materials and an engineering design process. The process is not step-by-step because it looks different depending on the age…
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Early childhood science education at conferences
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When a conference has plenty of sessions about science and engineering learning in early childhood—so many that each time slot has 2 or more such sessions—it shows that preschool, kindergarten, and first and…
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Introducing the NSTA Elementary Science Position Statement
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Jennifer Thompson, early elementary teacher and former chair of the NSTA Preschool and Elementary Committee, is the ideal person to introduce the updated NSTA Elementary Science Position Statement. Welcome Jennifer!…
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Evidence, claims, and Media Literacy Week
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As the author of the NSTA Press book Exemplary Evidence: Scientists and Their Data, elementary science educator and guest blogger Jessica Fries-Gaither has an excellent understanding of how scientists identify…
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Chinquapin oak acorns, also spelled “Chinkapin.” This fall there are an abundance of acorns falling from the oak trees in my area. Scientists study oak trees to understand possible reasons why some years larger amounts…
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Spiders and other small creatures—do we want children to be afraid?
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Huge anatomically incorrect ‘spiders’ with legs as long as a Daddy Longlegs’ took over the neighborhood these past weeks, crawling up webs ‘spun’ on the sides of houses. Dropping out of trees are others with more fuzzy…
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Pumpkins inspire investigations
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Although astronomical fall for the northern hemisphere begins when the autumnal equinox occurs on or around September 22, meteorological seasons vary geographically. October may be when your area “…
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Reggio Emilia inspiration in Science and Children
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The October 2018 issue of Science and Children has a concentration of articles on early childhood science learning inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. (This emergent curriculum approach is described on page 37 and…
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Local nature experiences help children relate to other environments
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My side of the street is shaded for hours longer than the opposite side which gets full sun for more than 6 hours a day, even in winter. The differences in sunlight affect the plant growth in these “microclimates.”…
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Connecting with other educators who share my interests and help me expand them is one of the benefits of writing for NSTA’s journal and blog. Guest blogger Tom Lough is a contributor to Science and Children and has…
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Isopods—your favorite animal? Children are fascinated
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What you call these small animals probably depends on where you grew up. Pillbug, sowbug, roly-poly, woodlice, potato bug, cochinilla, slater, and Armadillidium vulgare are some of the names I’ve heard for my favorite…
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Ephemeral art exploring properties of matter, natural materials
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I had fun this summer spending 4 days over 2 weeks “enriching” preschool teachers and children in their program by collaboratively exploring ephemeral art projects. Good discussion about when children’s making becomes…
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