1. Katie Russell
Learning Center Resource File
4/5/15
Science Center in the Preschool Classroom
Children are “natural scientists, continuously experimenting and discovering” (Schwartz
and Copeland, 2010, pg. 18). They are curious about themselves, others, and the world. By
experimenting with their hypotheses, children are able to develop schemas about the world, how
it works, and where they fit in. Providing these experiences to children at a young age fosters a
love of nature and exploring the world. It also helps children learn the importance of caring for
the Earth. The science center in the preschool classroom is designed for children to be able to use
the skills they already have while gaining new skills and learning about scientific concepts.
When using the science center, children are exercising their fine motor skills, learning
how to use scientific equipment, developing problem-solving skills, learning how to observe and
compare scientific experiences, developing vocabulary, and learning to work with others
(Indiana Department of Education, 2012). Careful guidance facilitated by a teacher helps
children further develop these skills by providing support and scaffolding.
In the science center of the classroom, children are able to use their natural curiosity to
observe, investigate, and discover their world. Invitations related to scientific concepts such as
natural phenomena, living creatures, and physics are set up for children to explore during free
play. These invitations include the manipulatives and scientific equipment necessary for hands-
on learning. Children are able to manipulate natural and human-made materials and use all of
their senses to investigate their properties. This style of inquiry-based learning helps children
gain a deeper understanding of scientific concepts and the world they live in.

2. Katie Russell
Learning Center Resource File
4/5/15
Resources
Indiana Department of Education (2012). Foundations to the Indiana academic standards for
young children from birth to age 5. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana DOE Division of Prime
Times.
Schwartz, S. L., & Copeland, S. M. (2010). Connecting emerging curriculum and standards in
the early childhood classroom: Strengthening content and teaching practice. New York:
Teachers College Press. ISBN: 080775109X

3. Katie Russell
Learning Center Resource File
4/5/15
Materials
Natural Materials (Examples: Rocks, pine cones, shells, etc.): Natural materials are important in
the science area because they provide the opportunity for children to interact with materials of
various sizes, textures, and that originate from different sources [ground, animals, etc.]. Children
are able to exercise their fine motor skills by manipulating these objects. They are able to notice
similarities and differences by comparing and contrasting the materials. It also connects children
to nature.
Living Things (Examples: Fish, frogs, plants, etc.): Living things are important in the science
area because they provide contrast to the non-living things in the classroom. Having animals and
plants in the classroom teaches children to be gentle with living things, how to care for living
things, and the characteristics of living things.
Scientific Equipment (Examples: Magnifying glasses, binoculars, balance scale, funnels, ramps,
etc.): Scientific equipment is important in the science area because it allows children to develop
their fine motor skills and learn to use tools to further examine materials. This equipment allows
children to compare materials and examine them closely. It also allows them to manipulate
materials is various ways, so they gain a deeper understanding of the properties of the materials.
Scientific Reading Materials (Examples: Books, nature guides, brochures, etc.): Scientific
reading materials are important in the science area because they connect the scientific concepts
children are learning and literacy. Children are able to find information in books and brochures
to further develop their understanding of scientific concepts. These materials provide meaning
and context to reading opportunities in this center.
Writing Materials (Examples: Notebooks, pencils, etc.): Writing materials are important in the
science area because children can exercise their fine motor skills, record observations, and
integrate writing into the science area. Children are able to have meaningful writing experiences
by connecting scientific observations and recoding skills.

4. Katie Russell
Learning Center Resource File
4/5/15
Dear Parents and Guardians,
You may have noticed your child talking about the new science center in the classroom
and may be wondering, “Why do preschoolers need a science center?” Well let me tell you a
little about our new science center. We were awarded a grant to purchase investigative materials
for the classroom. Our center is a table that includes freshly planted herbs, our new Growafrog
Life Cycle kit, scientific equipment (Ex: magnifying glasses, binoculars, balance scale, funnels,
ramps, etc.), natural materials (Ex: rocks, pine cones, shells, snake skin, etc.), writing materials,
and reading materials related to our new frogs. Children are free to use this center during free
play in the classroom. Many children have been exploring the new items and are especially
interested in our tadpoles and frogs.
When your child is playing in the science center, he or she is exercising their fine motor
skills, learning how to use scientific equipment, developing problem-solving skills, learning how
to observe and compare scientific experiences, developing vocabulary, and learning to work with
others (Indiana Department of Education, 2012). With the current set up of the science center,
many children are learning about the frog life cycle, how to care for frogs, and how to observe
them using magnifying glasses. Several children have begun frog journals and have recorded
drawings and observations about their development.
Here are two simple scientific activities you can do at home:
1. Sink or Float
Bath time is a wonderful opportunity to explore the activity of sink or float. Jut provide your
child with items that will sink (Ex: fork, golf ball, etc.) and items that will float (Ex: cork, rubber
duck, plastic cup, etc.). Have your child make predictions about what they think will happen and
then they can test their predictions. This activity helps your child learn how to predict and
investigate in an authentic environment.
2. “Lava” Lamp
All that you need is an empty jar (Ex: empty spaghetti sauce jar), vegetable oil, water, food
coloring, and antacid tablets. Clean the jar before beginning. You and your child can place a few
inches of water at the bottom of the jar and then color it with food coloring. Add oil to the top.
Once the water and oil have settled, have your child place an antacid in the jar. Watch the
bubbles escape! These bubbles are created by the release of carbon dioxide in the tablet and will
hold the color of the water, which makes it look like a lava lamp. During this activity, your child
will learn that oil and water do not mix, that carbon dioxide can create bubbles, and how to
observe and comment on changes.
If you are interested in learning more about our science center, feel free to explore it with your
child during drop-off and pick-up times. If you would like more suggestions for science activities
to do at home, feel free to email me. Pinterest is also a great source for finding these simple
activities.
Sincerely,
Miss Russell

5. Katie Russell
Learning Center Resource File
4/5/15
Indiana Foundation Areas
English/Language Arts
Recently the Growafrog Life Cycle kit arrived in the classroom. Kendall has been
especially interested in the tadpoles at different stages and the frogs. When they first appeared in
the center, she observed them quietly. The next day she began to draw each frog and write about
something they did. This continued every day. After several days, she was finding the amount of
pages to be unmanageable. I suggested that she staple them together to create a field journal. She
agreed and stapled her pages plus several more together so she could continue to record her
findings. She continued to draw and write about the tadpoles as they grew into frogs.
Kendall was engaged in observing and investigating the development of the tadpoles into
frogs. She recorded her findings in a journal. This connects to the Foundation area of
English/Language Arts. She was able to draw and write to express ideas [8.72], use new
vocabulary [8.91], use her writing to share ideas with others [8.84], and write more than one
word correctly [8.85]. This experience in the science center helped her develop her writing skills
tremendously.
Mathematics
Sticks of various sizes were added to the science center. Noah took an interest in the
sticks and began organizing them in various ways. He first sorted them in the categories of
bumpy and smooth. Then he sorted them by dark and light colors. The next day he came in an
arranged them by size. He placed the smallest stick first and continued until the last and longest
stick was placed. When asked about how he arranged the sticks, he replied, “I put the teeny ones
first until I found the big one.”

6. Katie Russell
Learning Center Resource File
4/5/15
Noah sorted, categorized, and placed the sticks in order. He was exercising mathematical
concepts in the science center. This connects to the Foundation area of mathematics. Noah was
able to sort the same group of sticks in multiple ways [6.19], to order the sticks by size [5.14],
and to explain the arrangement of the sticks [6.18]. Each of these activities were demonstrations
of the mathematical knowledge that Noah possesses. By engaging in these skills outside of the
math center, Noah was able to expand his schema of what math includes.
Social Emotional
During a small group sink or float activity, Easton, Camdyn, Landon, and Holly sat at a
table with a teacher. Each were shown an object and then the object was passed around the table.
The children were asked to make a prediction of whether it would sink or float. Each time
something was passed, a different person placed the object in the water. When children requested
a turn, the teacher calmly told them, “It’s [name]’s turn rght now. You will get to go again soon.”
The children continued to predict, share items, and take turns placing items into the water until
the end of the experiment.
These children were displaying their social and emotional development during this
science activity. This connects to the Foundation area of social emotional. The children were
able to engage with a group while sharing and taking turns [3.50], follow simple directions
[4.28], and compromise, share, and take turns [4.40]. These social emotional skills ensured that
the group activity went smoothly and allowed each child to enjoy contributing to the activity.