Hanna Zernich

EDT 313

Science Concept Planner Part 3 Worksheet:

Themes, Concepts, and Topics
 Theme: subject-specific content, focusing on narrow, specific things such as letters, numbers,
or an individual animal
 Topic: the “big idea” that can connect to multiple, explorable topics
 Concept: a smaller element of the topic, the “smaller ideas” which directly relate to the “big
idea;” focuses on independent but connected components of the concept.

In a theme-based curriculum, all knowledge, skills, and curriculum areas are connected to a
central idea, like a letter of the week or animal of the month. All the activities planned for the
classroom revolve around the central theme with the teacher driving the curriculum. In a
concept-based curriculum (or, as we recommend, a science-based curriculum), parts of the day
are linked to a big idea. These concepts are more dynamic, wherein you can target the big ideas
like all the physical characteristics we can observe, see, record, investigate, manipulate, and
explore by using different skills. Many programs take approaches that revolve around themes,
focusing on a letter or animal of the week and looking at rote memorization and copy/paste art
to promote learning around the stated theme. Concept development, on the other hand, links
previous experiences with new ones, extending into a deeper, more meaningful learning
opportunities. Connecting these concepts together and linking them to previous learning is the
foundation for intentional planning. As a result, identifying explorable concepts is an important
first step in the planning cycle. Consider the following common topics in early childhood
education. Which of these topics would you consider to be better than others?
In your own words, what is the difference between a concept and a
theme?

The difference between a concept and a theme is a concept is the smaller element of the topic but is
directly related to the big idea that is being taught in the classroom. A concept is more an investigation
on a certain topic. Students will learn more on what they see or experience in the investigation and not
teacher directed. Whereas a theme is more of a subject-specific content that is trying to focus on
narrowing down a big/broad topic. A theme is a specific event or subject that teachers use without
inquire in mind. Themes are also more teacher directed.

What science topic or concepts would you like to explore, and why?

Science topic/concert I would like to explore is weather with the four concepts of states of
matter (water cycle and precipitation), safety, forecasting, and seasons. I want to do this topic
because it is a topic that the students can really relate to and experience first-hand. With living
in Ohio, the students have experienced what it looks and feels like in all four of the weather
seasons. I also want to explore this topic because from what I have observed in the classroom
the students are very interested and engaged when it comes to weather. The students like
going outside and playing in the snow and rain.

What websites or resources will you use to research your concepts and
topic? Around 4

Two resources I will use to gain knowledge on my concepts and topics are children’s books. Children’s
books hold lots of accurate information that is easy to understand and something I can read to my
students to help them better understand the weather concepts and topics we are learning in the
classroom. Some of the children books I will use are, The Great Big Water Cycle Adventure by Kay
Barnham and illustrated by Maddie Frost. Another book is A Drop Around the World by Barbara Shaw
McKinney and illustrated by Michael S. Maydak. A book I can use about the seasons is A Stroll Through
the Seasons by Kay Barnham and illustrated by Maddie Frost. One last children’s book I could use is The
Meteorologist in Me by Brittney Shipp and illustrated by Robin Boyer.

Another resource I can use are different websites. One website I can use is the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration by the U.S. Department of Commerce
(https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/freshwater/water-cycle). This website provides
lots of information on weather and climate. It also has an education section that provides lots of
information and resources for the teacher to use in to teach their students. Another website is the
National Weather Service (https://www.weather.gov/lmk/seasons). This website provides useful
information about the seasons and forecast. This website also has all kinds of maps that teachers can
print off and show their students I the classroom. The maps show what high and low pressures look like
on maps and how different weather is indicated with the use of different colors.

What rationale can you provide for choosing this topic? Why is this a
topic worthy of investigating?

My group choose to do the topic of weather because most if not all students are interested in and
engaged with this topic. It is also accessible; students can go outside and physically experience that day’s
weather. When students were outside playing in the snow students were interested in how the snow
melts. It is also a developmentally appropriate topic for students can take what they learn about
weather and incorporate into pretend play. Students also like to pretend that they have a career during
pretend play so students might start to pretend that they are meteorologist in their pretend play as well.
This topic can also be very hands on for if it is forecasted to rain that day students could put cups
outside to try and collect rainwater. Once it is done raining the students can collect their cups and
measure how much rainwater they collected in their cups.