Skip to main content
  • Invertebrates in the classroom

    Blog Post |

    Children often do not think of invertebrates as animals. If we can train ourselves to talk about insects and other invertebrates not as “bugs” but as “small animals” we’ll help children make that connection. Visiting…

  • Playing with magnets and learning about the property of materials

    Blog Post |

    Playing with magnets is a useful science activity in early childhood classrooms because it fosters conversation, exploration of materials, and learning to make predictions. Making a prediction means focusing on what you…

  • Conference highlights

    Blog Post |

    One of the many rich workshops I attended at the NSTA Portland Area Conference was the Family Science Day Session presented by the Foundation for Family Science. The specific goals of Family Science include: To get…

  • Columbia River Gorge

    Blog Post |

    Visiting the city of Portland, Oregon and the waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge invigorated my thinking about taking classes outside. Hiking part-way up the Eagle Creek trail reminded me that being comfortable…

  • At the NSTA conference in Portland

    Blog Post |

    It was exciting to be in the midst of so many people who care about teaching and learning science, and a pleasure to anticipate being on the receiving end of lesson planning. I’m looking forward to using what…

  • Collaboration in science teaching

    Blog Post |

    Collaboration is key for many scientific endeavors, and an opportunity for growth for teachers. Here’s how two preschool teachers, both with a science outlook but from opposite coasts, came to present a workshop …

  • Diverse reading matter converges around "preconceptions"

    Blog Post |

    My reading matter for the trip to the NSTA Portland conference is How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, Expanded Edition, (National Academy Press, 2000) and a fantasy novel, Dragonsbane by by Barbara…

  • The Rainbow Preschool

    Blog Post |

    Today I visited the Rainbow Preschool, a half-day preschool with extended care in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of NE Portland. Teachers Nicki and Amanda and their students welcomed me into their world where science…

  • Corn ears—examine and measure

    Blog Post |

    Photo by Keith Weller “Why is corn used as a decoration in the fall in the United States?” asked a student’s grandmother. She is originally from Estonia where she said seasonal decorative include straw weavings,…

  • What do you want in your science lab?

    Blog Post |

    If you could have the science lab of your dreams for preK through 2 students, what would it include? What are the minimum required materials, what are the commonly found materials, and what is on your wish list? Would…

  • Supporting children's observation: what will they remember?

    Blog Post |

    Two particularly inquisitive and bright former preK students (siblings) unexpectedly attended a workshop I gave for early childhood teachers about bringing local butterflies into the classroom for observation. Instead…

  • Mixing colors more than once!

    Blog Post |

    Science activities that children initiate motivate teachers to extend and expand the activity. Children learn more details about their area of interest and make connections with other concepts when they work more than…

  • Sink? Float? Try it with pumpkins

    Blog Post |

    For an activity to explore buoyancy—what materials and which objects sink or float in water—I gave each child in a small group an object to hold. Then I explained that we were going to think about the objects and say…

  • Yes, a science teachers' conference IS the place for early childhood teachers

    Blog Post |

    I’m looking forward to the NSTA Regional Conference in Portland, Oregon, in November,  a cornucopia of a conference so full of interesting presentations that each of my time slots is double (sometimes triple)…

  • Observing, Learning about, Appreciating, and (Maybe) Holding Small Animals Such As Insects

    Blog Post |

    In the fall we may begin to see more spiders in our houses and schools. Why is that? Are they moving indoors as the weather cools? The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture dispels this myth with some spider facts…

Asset 2