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There’s a new meme in town. STEM Friday focuses on books that promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The round-up this week is hosted at, well, STEM Friday.

Over the year I’ll be sharing the preschool program I created for the library and that I’m presenting once a month. The concept behind the program is to introduce science topics by combining fiction and nonfiction, songs and mini-experiments, action rhymes and hands-on times. As a preschool program the information conveyed is basic, and intended to encourage a questioning, observational approach to scientific topics.

There’s a new meme in town. STEM Friday focuses on books that promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The round-up this week is hosted at Wrapped in Foil.

Over the year I’ll be sharing the preschool program I created for the library and that I’m presenting once a month. The concept behind the program is to introduce science topics by combining fiction and nonfiction, songs and mini-experiments, action rhymes and hands-on times. The target age for the program is three to six years old, so the information and experiments are basic, and intended to encourage a questioning, observational approach to scientific topics.

There's a new meme in town. STEM Friday focuses on books that promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The round-up this week is hosted at Simply Science.

Over the year I'll be sharing the preschool program I created for the library and that I'm presenting once a month. The concept behind the program is to introduce science topics by combining fiction and nonfiction, songs and mini-experiments, action rhymes and hands-on times. The target age for the program is three to six years old, so the information conveyed is basic, and intended to encourage a questioning, observational approach to scientific topics.

Measuring

Book: Kidogo by Anik McGrory

Experiment: "Big or Little"
Hold up various objects – pencils, stuffed animals, etc - and decide as a group if they are big or little. What do we have to consider? Comparison? Use of the object? Standard sizes of the object? What makes something big or little? Shows that description is subjective and we need more standard ways of measuring.

Book: How Long Is It? By Donna Loughran

Experiment: "I Need an Envelope"
Each child has a card and needs to order an envelope of the right size. The child measures the envelope with any of the following: fingers, paper clips, or pencils. The instructor fills the order, but the envelope doesn’t fit. Why not? Because the adult filling the order has a bigger finger, smaller paper clip, and smaller pencil. This exercise demonstrates why standard measuring systems are needed.

Book: Measuring Penny by Loreen Leedy

Experiment: "Types of Measuring"
Show different items and ask the group what they measure. Things like measuring cup & spoons, scale, thermometer, ruler, measuring tape, scale, etc. What else measures?

Book: Magnus Maximus: a Marvelous Measurer by Kathleen Pelley

Experiment: "How Big Is It?"
Hands-time to measure different items. Each child has a paper ruler (look online for templates) and a pencil. Six items to measure are pencil, envelope, card, post-it notes, book, and paper clips. Also time to explore the other measuring items from "Types of Measuring." Have beads and pom-poms for the measuring spoons and cups, let them measure each other with the tape, weight themselves on the scale. (Put away the thermometer before somebody sticks it in his mouth. Lesson learned.)