| At some point, children begin asking the question | | | | changes (cutting vegetables), and other concepts. |
| "why" incessantly. Though this can be quite | | | | Dad can help by having the children help with |
| frustrating to any parent, this is the beginning of | | | | home fix ups. What is a plane, screw, lever, pulley |
| Scientific thinking. Why are rainbows in the sky? | | | | and other simple machines. Children can |
| Why do we have lightning? Why is beach water | | | | understand science so much more when they |
| salty? All scientists begin with a QUESTION. What | | | | have been exposed to different experiences. |
| effect will this chemical have on cancer cells? Why | | | | Approach home tasks with the scientific methods |
| does the rod attract lightning? How can we come | | | | approach, as science facts can change |
| up with different fuels for our vehicles that aren't | | | | (remember when Pluto was a planet?) but critical |
| costly? | | | | thinking does not. The method of scientific thinking |
| The first way to help a child with Science is to | | | | is basically: Question something, form a hypothesis |
| encourage this type of thinking. It is wonderful for | | | | (guess), test it out, collect data, and form a |
| your child to question things in the natural world. | | | | conclusion. This could be as simple as ...I wonder if |
| Together you can find answers. Even the dreaded | | | | I can fix that flat swimming tube toy by plugging |
| question, "Where do babies come from?" is a | | | | the leak with chewing gum. |
| scientific opportunity for learning. Use the internet, | | | | Take a guess that it probably won't work for |
| books and home investigations to discover why | | | | long. Put the gum in the leaking hole, place the toy |
| things happen as they do. Before a trip to the | | | | back in the pool, and calculate that it took only |
| Grand Canyon, my children and I made a | | | | ten minutes for the gum to get wet, and fall off |
| mini-canyon out of a baking pan and dirt, with a | | | | the floatable toy. Your conclusion is that gum is |
| steady stream of water. As your child questions | | | | NOT a good sealant for pool toys. Oh, and |
| the world around him, enourage him to make a | | | | retrieve the gum from the bottom of your pool. |
| hypothesis (and use this term!) as to why he | | | | It should be stressed to a child, that it is OKAY to |
| thinks the cake in the oven rises, and then check | | | | be wrong when you test your idea. Great |
| out the science behind it ( a great mini-lesson on | | | | scientists learn by their mistakes. A story that |
| chemical changes). | | | | comes to mind is the scientist who thought |
| Help your child build background knowledge. Ocean | | | | himself a failure when he failed to come up with a |
| life, beach erosion, rock formation , and tides | | | | good parachute material for the Army during |
| means so much more if your child has been to | | | | World War II. Today we ladies use his invention |
| the beach. Collect shells, make observations | | | | frequently, as he accidentally invented nylons |
| concerning them. How are they alike and | | | | (pantyhose). Other inventions that were "scientific |
| different? Take a hike, and collect leaves. What | | | | flops" were: Coca-cola (originally was to be a |
| are the different parts of the leaves? Where is | | | | medicine), Post-it Notes (originally was supposed |
| the stem? Why are some leaves fuzzy? A child | | | | to be a super strong glue), Tollhouse cookies (the |
| who has never seen snow may not be able to | | | | inventor tried to make an all chocolate cookie and |
| relate to a solid (snow), liquid (water), and gas | | | | ended up with delicious chocolate CHIP cookies), |
| (water vapor). Even cooking allows opportunity to | | | | and paper towels (the original idea was as toilet |
| explain things like steam, yeast rising, physical | | | | tissue)! |