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STEM – Science
Interactions
- Facilitate rich open ended play opportunities, adding to the provision in line with interests and developmental needs both in the moment and in a more planned way. This will encourage children to remain inquisitive, curious and questioning. For example, setting up water, sand and gloop play areas, altering the amounts of water, colour, bubbles, other resources added will encourage the children to experiment: What does it do? How can I change it? Why does it do that? etc.
- It is important that the practitioners observe and notice how the children play in these areas and what aspects they are interested in so that they can make relevant comments/ add to the provision to extend/deepen the learning.
- Through sensitive interactions and support, concepts can be built about force, energy, properties of liquids, states of matter, displacement, surface tension, pollution, solutions, and ecology.
Experiences
- The outdoors and beyond the gate environments, e.g. local woodlands, beaches etc. can be used to investigate the variety of animals, plants and trees in different habitats using identification charts, books digital apps, creating and completing surveys and recording evidence.
- The outdoor environment should encourage and support wildlife that children can be responsible for, observe and record, e.g. A small pond (risk assessed), Bug Hotels and Minibeast trap doors may be built, logs left for investigating creatures that choose to live under them, bird tables and bird feeders. Ensure magnified viewers, glasses, binoculars, identification charts, books digital apps are accessible.
- Children should have the responsibility for caring for plants inside and outdoors, in pots or larger raised beds including the planting of seeds and growing of vegetables (for example potatoes, carrots, pumpkins) to learn what plants need to grow. Planning how to and using the produce from the garden instils sustainable living ideals (as well as using weeds and offcuts from vegetables grown to make compost).
- Consider how the natural environment changes with the seasons and our own behaviours. E.g. Winter- hibernating creatures, Spring-new life, lambs and chicks, Summer – use of sunglasses, Autumn-deciduous trees’ changing leaf colours compared to evergreens.
- Weather investigations across the seasons, e.g. Shadows from sunlight, observe their appearance and compare how how they change throughout the day, consider why this may be happening.
- Day and night and differences across the seasons, less or more sunlight hours, seeing the moon change shape. This could link to thinking around routines the natural world has, and we have, for day and night, nocturnal creatures, nights shift workers, daily routines. The Sun at the centre of our solar system and the surrounding planets, the work of rocket and space scientists.
Spaces
- Resources within the provision should reflect the changing seasons including ice, seeds, flowers, leaves, twigs, sticks, berries, conkers, acorns and use natural loose parts pebbles, gems, crystals, rocks, shells, feathers, pine cones, drift wood throughout to promote curiosity with the children. They may be used to develop children`s interests as part of intentional and responsive planning.
- Other Reduce, Reuse and Recycle ideals should be incorporated within the setting to further develop the children`s understanding of sustainability, e.g. selecting correct paper size and using both sides.
- Mixing bubble recipes and creating “Calming Jars” (with glycerine, oils, and water) encourages the investigation of the properties of liquids and density.
- Provide the primary colours of red, blue and yellow in painting areas to encourage discovery of how colours change when mixed together in different combinations.
- Musical instruments and loose parts encourage children to explore sounds.
- Loose part tyres, guttering, ropes and balls, well-chosen wheeled toys, wheelbarrows, pulleys and pumps encourage children to explore forces in their play.
