USING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

JANUARY 2012 V. 1

Social and Emotional Support

Instructional Interactions

Well-Organized Classroom

s

Using the Scientific Method

Social and Emotional Support

Instructional

Interactions

Well-Organized Classroom

s

FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE PRACTICE SUPPORTING SCHOOL READINESS FOR ALL CHILDREN

OBJECTIVES

• Provide a definition for Scientific Method.

• Give examples and strategies on how teachers can use the scientific method in their classrooms.

• Connect Using the Scientific Method to the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework.

• Provide suggestions for teachers on how to improve their ability to incorporate the scientific method.

SCIENTIFIC METHOD

What does it look like?

• The scientific method is a series of steps that helps children understand their world. Teachers use the scientific method when they:

– Help children question.

– Ask children to observe the world around them.

– Encourage children to predict during activities.

– Create opportunities for children to experiment.

– Allow children to discuss the results of their experiment.

Question

Observe

Predict

Experiment

Discuss

QUESTION

• Help children form their own questions related to their world.

Teacher: “Friends, today we will be planting some seeds. As we walk to our garden, let’s think of some questions we may have about plants.”

Child: “How about, what do plants need to make them them grow?”

OBSERVE

• Ask children to use their senses and closely observe the world around them.

“Let’s look at some of the plants that are growing around our school. What do you notice about places where they are growing.” (encourage children to think about water and light).

PREDICT

• Encourage children to predict, or guess what will happen next, during activities.

“What do you think would happen if we planted some in the shade and some in the sunny area? What do you think would happen if we gave water to some plants but not others?”

EXPERIMENT

• Provide opportunities for children to experiment and test their predictions.

“Let’s set up an experiment in our classroom to find out what plants need to grow. We are going to have 4 different plants. The first plant will get water and sun. The second plant will get water and shade. The third plant will get no water and sun, and the fourth plant will get no water and shade. (again ask children for their predictions)

DISCUSS

• Allow children to discuss the results of their experiment.

“Let’s look at our 4 plants. Remember we treated each plant differently? The first plant got water and sun. The second plant got water and shade. The third plant got no water and sun. The fourth plant got no water and shade. What happened to the plants in our experiment? Which plant grew the most?… What do plants need to grow?”

THE HEAD START CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY LEARNING FRAMEWORK

• The scientific method can be incorporated within many areas of the outcome framework. Some examples are:

– Science Knowledge and Skills

– Logic and Reasoning Skills

– Language Development Skills

– Approaches to Learning

IN THIS CLIP, THE TEACHER USES THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Question

Observe

Predict

Experiment

Discuss

Children question if eco-bottles with worms are different from ones without.

The children observe worms with magnifying glasses.

The children predict what the worms will do in the bottle.

The children experiment by placing worms in only one of the eco bottles.

Later in the week, the children discuss the differences between bottles.

WHEN CAN I USE THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD?

• Teachers may use the scientific method throughout the school day in many classroom activities including:

– Centers

– Small and whole group instruction

– Meal and snack time

– Transitions

IMPROVING PRACTICE

• Teachers can videotape and watch a clip of their interactions with children during a lesson, focusing on whether and how often they use the scientific method.

• Watch “master teachers” in action.

SUMMARY

• Teachers use the scientific method when they:

– Help children form questions about their world.

– Ask children to observe the world around them.

– Encourage children to predict during activities.

– Create experiments for children to further explore and test predictions.

– Allow children to discuss the result of their experiments.

• Teachers may incorporate the scientific method throughout the school day.

• Teachers can improve the quality and frequency with which they use the scientific method.

For more Information, contact us at: NCQTL@UW.EDU or 877-731-0764This document was prepared under Grant #90HC0002 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, by the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning.