Early Childhood Standards of Quality for ... - State of Michigan

ELE: EARLY Learning IN SCIENCE16. In what circumstances might it be necessary to limit children’s exploration,and how can this be done while continuing to encourage activediscovery?17. How does the program assure that children’s science-related attitudesand knowledge are a part of comprehensive assessment practices; e.g.,written observation notes about significant learning and representations ofchildren’s work in science (photographs, drawings)?2. Early Learning Expectation: Children show a beginning awarenessof scientific knowledge related to living and nonliving things.[HSCOF-4.2.1, 4.2.2]Children typically:1. Demonstrate a growing ability to collect, talk about, and recordinformation about living and non-living things; e.g., through discussions,drawings.2. Begin to categorize living and nonliving things in their environment basedon characteristics they can observe; e.g., texture, color, size, shape,temperature, usefulness, weight.3. Use observation skills to build awareness of plants and animals, their lifecycles (e.g., birth, aging, death) and basic needs; e.g., air, food, light, rest.4. Begin to describe relationships among familiar plants and animals; e.g.,caterpillars eat leaves.5. Begin to describe the places in which familiar plants and animals in theirneighborhood live; e.g., city, drainage ponds, parks, fields, forests.6. Demonstrate greater knowledge and respect for their bodies; e.g.,describe visible parts of the human body and their functions.7. Observe and can describe and compare the motions of common objectsin terms of speed and direction; e.g., faster, slowest, up, down.8. Understand the way simple tools work through their play with commontoys; e.g., wheels, pulleys, gears, screws.Examples of Experiences and Strategies• A box of materials near the door can be taken into the outdoors to supportexploratory play; e.g., magnifying lenses of various kinds, measuringtools, weighing devices, containers of various kinds, bug containers (forlater release), clipboards, paper, and writing tools for making drawingsand observations, camera.• Children have opportunities to observe and to help safely, take care ofanimals and other living things.• Children are encouraged to name and describe living and nonliving thingsin their environment.Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Prekindergarten 123