Inconsistencies in Early Science Education: Can Nature Help Streamline State Standards?

Ecopsychology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Kloos ◽  
Talia Waltzer ◽  
Cathy Maltbie ◽  
Rhonda Douglas Brown ◽  
Victoria Carr
2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-9
Author(s):  
Claudia Valentina Assumpção Gallian

This text begins with a concern related to teacher education which will focus on early childhood education, specifically in regards into the sciences and knowledge relating to the axes undertaken to frame the curriculum of the first stage of basic schooling as nature, culture and society. Science for young children should be considered as the foundation of all later development and is clear that it is not understood as it should be. But now, it is being more discussed taking account that these children have their development in a holistic perspective (Johnston, 2009; Johnston & Tunnicliffe, 2008). It should be noticed that the approach of knowledge related to science in Early Childhood Education, discussed in this text, does not take place in an isolated way, should be developed on a proposal mainly integrating the different fields of knowledge, to explore, in the articulation of knowledge, the wealth of exploitation and appropriating the world by the children. According to Johnston (2011) science teaching should be encouraged in the early years, aiming at reaching a holistic sense, that is, seeking not only understanding the scientific concepts but also developing attitudes and abilities related to them. Thus, the understanding of scientific concepts is closely related to both the development of knowledge in other areas such as geography, history and mathematics and to the social skills, such as collaboration, cooperation, etc and attitudes such as enthusiasm, initiative, curiosity etc.


2015 ◽  
pp. 1227-1258
Author(s):  
James Gorman ◽  
Jane Heinze-Fry

In this case, the authors propose a pathway of visual mapping through which the science education system from professional educators who produce representations of national and state standards to curriculum coordinators at the school district level to individual teachers and students in the classroom could be aligned in order to promote meaningful learning of a connected set of concepts. Conceptual mapping is demonstrated to be a tool that promotes critical thinking, cohesion, and meaningful learning in opposition to the learning of arbitrary facts and rote memorization. The authors offer many examples of conceptual maps that have been produced to externalize thinking at each level. This chapter provides a “synthesis case” demonstrating that not only does it require critical thinking to create conceptual maps, but, equally salient, these visual representations of our thinking catalyze further critical thinking and coherence within the science education system.


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