WAYS IN WHICH CHILDREN LEARN SCIENCE


 Assuming the children have had the experience of water evap-
 orating from a dish, the teacher may have the children use the
 following experiment in order to review it from another angle.
 Place equal amounts of water in two similar containers (pint
 milk bottles work well). Stopper one and set both on the win-
 dow sill. Leave undisturbed for several days. Compare the
 amount of evaporation from one with the other. It will be seen
 that when water has an opportunity to evaporate into the air it
 will do so. Suggested applications: Observe sidewalks after
 rain.
2. During rainy weather children frequently ask, "What makes the
 rain?" In helping the children to find the answer to this question
 use three similar tin cans. Leave one can empty. Fill one can
 with lukewarm colored water, and one with colored ice water. After
 a short time small droplets of water will form on the outside of the
 can filled with ice water. Where did it come from? Does the can
 leak? No, water on the outside is not colored. Since it did not
 come through the can, water comes from the air. Cool air holds
 less moisture than warm air. The air next to the can was cooled
 and the moisture collected on the can.
 Children should see that the process just explained (called conden-
 sation) is the opposite of evaporation. In evaporation water is
 going into the air; in condensation water is coming out of the air.
 The words themselves are not necessary for small children to re-
 member but they should be able to observe the processes and see
 their relationships.
3. When children come from play they often exclaim, "The water
 outside from the fountain was so hot." "How hot do you think it
 was?" asked the teacher. This leads to much guessing. A way of
 answering this problem is by the following experiments.
 Fill a tin can with water from the drinking fountain outside. Let
 the children guess the temperature by touching the water. Record
 the guesses; then check by using the thermometer. They may
 be so surprised in their inaccuracy that often they call for a
 second thermometer to check the first. This experiment illu-
 strates the point that children must eliminate guessing and estab-
 lish confidence in the use of scientific instruments.
4. "What happens to our flowers over the weekend?" "Was it too
 hot or did we forget to water them?" The answers may be found
 by the following experiments.
 Take three similar pot plants (geranium, coleus, begonias may be
 used). Place one in the refrigerator, one near the radiator, and
 one in the room away from the radiator. The plants should re-
 ceive the same care, watering them adequately. As plants are
 observed from day to day the following will be noted: the plant
 in the refrigerator will wilt, the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
 This shows that this particular plant cannot survive under these
 conditions. The plant near the radiator will wilt, because it can-
 not adapt itself to the high temperature. The plant in the class-
 room will thrive, because the temperature is neither too hot nor
 too cold. This plant can adapt itself to its environment.
 5. The children sometimes observe ice at school on wintry mornings.
 After a few hours they notice it is gone. They raise the question,
 "What has happened to the ice?" The following experiment will
 show them the answer:
 Bring some ice cubes into the room. As they warm the ice melts,
 changing from a solid into a liquid.