LIVING WATER ESSENTIAL COLLEGE INC.

MODULE

INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE PART 1: CURIOSITY OF CHILDREN AND A PLACE FOR

SCIENCE IN THE SCHOOL
AT THE END OF THE WEEK, THE PRE-SERVICE TEACHER (PST) CAN: A. DESCRIBE THE
IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE IN THE CURRICULUM;
Science is a systematic approach to understanding the natural world through observation, experimentation, and the
development of testable hypotheses. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines, from physics to biology, and aims
to explain the underlying principles that govern various phenomena.

At the core of science is empirical evidence, obtained through observations, measurements, and experiments. This
evidence serves as the basis for constructing theories and models that explain natural phenomena. Scientific ideas
must be objective and open to scrutiny, adhering to the principle of falsifiability – the ability to be proven false
through experimentation.

The scientific process involves several steps. It begins with observation and the formulation of a hypothesis – a
tentative explanation for a phenomenon. Experiments are then designed to test the hypothesis, with careful data
collection and analysis. Peer review, where experts evaluate research, ensures rigor and reliability.

Science not only explains but also predicts. Successful theories make accurate predictions about future events. This
predictive power enhances their credibility. Science builds on previous knowledge, and new discoveries refine or
revise existing theories.

Unbiased inquiry is essential. While scientists have biases, the scientific method minimizes their impact through
standardized procedures. Importantly, science seeks natural explanations, avoiding supernatural or untestable
concepts.

In summary, science is a dynamic process that expands human knowledge, improves technology, and addresses
challenges. Its systematic methodology, reliance on evidence, and commitment to objective inquiry make it a
powerful tool for understanding the world around us.

Curiosity of Children
Curiosity helps children learn efficiently. It is a novelty detector, driving them to explain the unexpected and resolve
uncertainty. Using all of their senses, they explore anything unfamiliar until it is no longer unfamiliar. Being curious
may also make people happier as adults. People who rate high on curiosity scales also report higher satisfaction with
their lives and have higher scores for well-being. This could be because people who carry on learning – which
typically requires curiosity – are happier.

Curiosity serves understanding

By 18 months, children are voracious and omnivorous in their pursuit of information; they inquire all day long, as
many parents will testify. Toddlers work their way through a room like a wrecking team, driven by curiosity, all in
the service of finding out about every new object, event or person they encounter.

Gradually, more of life becomes familiar. They know about breakfast, the trip to day care, the grocery store. That
familiarity lets them engage in everyday activities and play. As everyday life becomes less worthy of exploration,
children’s curiosity turns to new mysteries. There are still many questions to be asked.
Questions are tools of curiosity

A child’s approach to investigation is sometimes referred to as “taste, twist and rattle”. However, children also want
to know about the non-physical world, things they can’t touch and feel. Asking questions helps them find out more
about the unseen world.

SUBJECT – SCIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

PAGE | 1
FIRST SEMESTER
MODULE 01
PREPARED BY: EJRS
 LIVING WATER ESSENTIAL COLLEGE INC.
MODULE
They want to know what happens at the end of the sky, what happens when people die, or why we sit down when we
eat dinner. In one of my studies, a curious child asked his mother: “Why are green things sometimes called lettuce
and sometimes called spinach?” Most children aged three or four ask a question a minute, and even the least curious
ask one every two or three minutes. Some of these questions are about the natural world, but many are about culture
and the practices of community and family.

Curiosity is at risk as children grow older

Many of the skills we want children to develop must be instilled. We try to teach them how to do algebra, use self-
control, and put other people’s needs ahead of their own. We tend to assume that children won’t develop these skills
spontaneously, that they need help acquiring them. In this sense, curiosity is unique, because babies and young
children already have it in abundance. The problem is that they may lose it as they grow older or in certain contexts –
notably at school.

So how do we help children hold onto their natural curiosity? Just as important, what can we do to help them become
more persistent, penetrating and adept at solving the mysteries of everyday life?

How to support curiosity

Parents can do at least three things to encourage children’s curiosity. First, provide satisfying answers to their
inquiries. Children’s questions are sensitive to the answers they receive. If you give them a satisfying answer, they
will ask deeper or more refined questions. If a response is unsatisfying, they will continue asking the same question,
but, over time, they might stop asking.

We know from studies of curiosity that children who ask a lot of questions and receive satisfying answers are the
ones who go on asking questions. Families where questions are encouraged are families where a lot of talking and
knowledge seeking takes place.

We also know that the least curious children are the ones most vulnerable to an uninterested response or blank stare
from an adult. It means, for example, that the children who come to school with a lower overall level of curiosity are
the ones who most need to be encouraged to inquire.

Second, demonstrate your own curiosity — ask questions, look things up, investigate. In my research, we have seen
that children are profoundly affected by adults who ask a lot of questions themselves, copying their linguistic habits.
Children who ask a lot of questions typically have parents who do the same.

For example, imagine a child who asks: “Why does ice melt?” A perfectly satisfying answer might be: “I think it
melts when the temperature gets high.” But a parent can go further than this in response to curiosity, which brings me
to my third suggestion: be ready to follow a set of questions (your own and your child’s) that lead in an unknown
direction. Enjoy the experience of speculating, not knowing something, and the expectation that you can find the
answer.

SUBJECT – SCIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

PAGE | 2
FIRST SEMESTER
MODULE 01
PREPARED BY: EJRS
 LIVING WATER ESSENTIAL COLLEGE INC.
MODULE
A parent could model and extend the ice melting discussion by saying: “I wonder what will happen if I hold the ice in
my hand?” Or you might say: “Let’s use a timer and see how long the ice takes to melt.” Here, the parent is both
modelling curiosity and engaging the child in an extended pursuit of knowledge by opening more doors.

Curiosity crashes in the classroom

Adults often unwittingly discourage curiosity. For instance, in an attempt to challenge a child, they may answer a
question with another question, for instance replying: “Why do you think the ice melts?” That can be fun, but
sometimes parents try too hard to be instructive, deadening the exchange and making it too didactic. The Socratic
method, in which an adult tries to lead a child towards a particular answer, is not necessarily the best approach.

I keep chickens. A child might ask: “How come chickens have to go in at night?” I could say: “Why do you think
they have to go in?” But I could respond more directly by simply saying, “It’s because I don’t want the coyotes to eat
the chickens.”

That not only gives the child the satisfaction of fulfilling curiosity, it also opens up a new set of possible questions
about coyotes. When adults and children extend and deepen their exchanges, everyone benefits. I might also ask a
question that I am genuinely interested in: “I wonder if there is a better way to keep the chicken safe?” or “I don’t
understand why they kill the chickens at night and not during the day.”

Parents should monitor what happens in school

Parents clearly can cherish and nurture their children’s curiosity at home. But they should also be discerning about
children’s experiences at school. General curiosity inevitably wanes a bit with age. As we develop, it’s adaptive to be
less voracious for every kind of information. But as soon as children go to school, curiosity unnecessarily plummets.
Research has shown that even the children who continue to ask lots of questions at home ask very few at school. And
the less curious children are, the more sensitive they are to discouraging or encouraging cues from adults.

Schools focus on disseminating prescribed knowledge. But the methods they most often use to instill such knowledge
frequently turn children away from inquiry. Even when teachers ask questions – or encourage and answer questions –
children rarely get a chance in school to experience deep, uncharted, sustained inquiry about things they really want
to understand. We should encourage sustained inquiry both in class and at home, if the infants’ great gift of curiosity
is to survive and flourish into adulthood.

Importance of Science Education in Schools

It’s not always obvious that science has an impact on our everyday lives, but the truth is that science impacts the
many decisions we make every day. From taking care of our health and well-being and deciding to buy paper or
plastic in the grocery store or even answering a child’s question who asks what the reason for blue skies is, science
plays a significant role throughout our day. If you wish to know the importance of science education in schools then
here, we mention a complete guide for you.

Scientific research is the systematic examination of the structure and behavior of the social, physical, and natural
worlds by the study of observation and experimentation. It’s the key to innovation, global competitiveness, and the
advancement of mankind. It’s vital that the world continue to improve the state of science, be it developing new
treatments for other illnesses or exploring and identifying new galaxies.
SUBJECT – SCIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
PAGE | 3
FIRST SEMESTER
MODULE 01
PREPARED BY: EJRS
 LIVING WATER ESSENTIAL COLLEGE INC.
MODULE

Science is as crucial as other subjects such as the sciences and the history of our time. The growing emphasis on
STEM education is at the forefront of discussions regarding education in the present. Between the amount of material
to cover and students being disengaged due to the level of mastery sciences, it is an intimidating discipline to impart.
But, the value of teaching science should be at the forefront of every educator’s thought. There’s so much more than
just the recitation of formulas, theories, and vocabulary.

At an introductory level, science is interaction with other people that teaches patience and perseverance. It can also
help children develop a healthy dose of skeptical thinking, educate children on how to think about their surroundings,
and makes them aware that they can help in solving the world’s issues.

Here Know The Importance Of Science Education In Schools1. Knowledge

Science education gives students the opportunity to gain a better knowledge of how and why things function. Science
can teach children about the world that surrounds them.
Everything from human anatomy to techniques of
transportation, science can reveal the mechanisms and the
reasons for complicated systems. The information gained from
science can be used to grasp new ideas, make educated choices
and pursue the pursuit of a new passion.

Furthermore, since science provides tangible or visual proof of

many of the facts we see on the screen and in books, kids and
teens are able to increase their knowledge and remember
information more effectively.

2. Problem Solving Skills

Children can get an appreciation for skepticism through
studying science. Science can also create curiosity that helps
students understand and formulate questions on the information
they have accumulated. A lot of students find science exciting
and fascinating, and consequently, explore new areas of interest
in science. Science gives youngsters the idea that they can help
solve world problems which is a good idea. Science helps
children think rationally and to solve issues. Most of what you
see comes due to people who had a problem and applied their
understanding of science to answer the issue.

3. Boost Critical Thinking

Concepts in science typically start with an idea and then an
experiment that proves the idea using scientific techniques and
analyses. The scientific method outlines a logical approach to
new topics, ensuring that students are able to connect
theoretical and practical work. Understanding the connection
between the theories and research has advantages that are
applicable to all disciplines and areas of life. Like gas to a
stove, science provides the energy that accelerates young minds
to peak performance.

4. Cultivates A Passion For Learning

The fascination of discovering how the sun sets to the east, why
the sky is blue, how fish breathe in wat, and other amazing
everyday events is naturally intriguing. Science stimulates the
SUBJECT – SCIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
PAGE | 4
FIRST SEMESTER
MODULE 01
PREPARED BY: EJRS
 LIVING WATER ESSENTIAL COLLEGE INC.
MODULE
natural curiosity that drives learners and inspires them to discover the mysteries of the world around them. An
approach that is hands-on draws the attention of many. The chance to demonstrate the concepts of science in person
can inspire a love of learning.

5. Uplifts Many Disciplines

To be able to comprehend science, it is necessary to have knowledge of other subjects of study. For instance,
understanding mathematical concepts is a crucial necessity that can be useful for quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Scientific methodology is built on technical abilities like the careful study of what is happening around you as well as
being able to carry out controlled experiments. The presentation of results in scientific reports is a way to teach the
value of thoroughness and objectivity.
6. Holds The Key To Future
It’s hard to imagine one aspect of life that isn’t influenced by technology in some way. It’s a vital component of
many areas that range from agriculture to high-tech, and everything in between. The future generation needs an
education in science that will aid them in their preparation for the future. As an example, the decline in rates of
smoking is partly due to interventions based on science at schools.

Science can be useful in demonstrating to students the health and environmental consequences of pollutants like
smoking tobacco, as well as the dangers of addiction to substances.

7. Technology
Science is a way to teach the basics of how specific devices work. This can help children come up with their own
ideas and may even help invent new technologies in the near future. Understanding how microscopes, telescopes as
well as other instruments used in labs perform can help you evaluate objects and distinguish the difference. This
fundamental knowledge of technology can also assist in the resolution of minor issues in electronic objects in your
home.

TASK
Share your experiences and insights on the following
- Curiosity of Children
- A Place for Science in the School

SUBJECT – SCIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

PAGE | 5
FIRST SEMESTER
MODULE 01
PREPARED BY: EJRS