Spring Staff Development Day: Cultivating Scientific Curiosity and Experimentation in Children
By Laura Benard, Teacher
Bing Nursery School’s 2021 spring staff development day, held on April 26, gave teachers the opportunity to put on some safety goggles, get out our lab kits and become scientists for the morning, as we participated in a number of hands-on physics, earth science, biology and chemistry activities.
The virtual session, led by Bryan Holmes, a STEM educational specialist from CuriOdyssey Science Playground and Zoo in San Mateo, started off with a presentation that highlighted how educators can encourage and support scientific inquiry and curiosity and spark excitement for experimenting in the classroom.
The session led to rich conversations underscoring what we at Bing have long known: Because young children are less ingrained with ideas about what is possible and what is not and are motivated to try things over, they are extremely innovative and creative in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. We see the evidence daily in our classrooms. Whether children are rolling balls down unique arrangements of gutters and ramps, pouring water into creative combinations of pipes and tubes or watching caterpillars metamorphize into butterflies, these young learners are intrinsically driven to explore the world around them.
Holmes outlined the importance of strategic questioning—asking open-ended questions that encourage children to make direct observations, draw connections and make comparisons—and provided examples of questions he had been asked by children at CuriOdyssey:
“Why do hawks look so angry?”
“Why do balls bounce?”
“Why are there so many more craters on the moon than on Earth?”
Holmes suggested strategies for answering these types of questions that involve children in the discovery process. He also discussed the use of open-ended materials, such as popsicle sticks, tape and paper towel rolls, describing how children use them to create unexpected combinations and intriguing tactile and sensory experiences.
The second part of the morning was spent tapping into our innovative sides. We were challenged to construct marble roller coasters with foam pipe insulation and rolls of tape; build solar stills to observe the water cycle on a small scale; and dissect owl pellets, which are regurgitated masses of bones, hair and other indigestible parts of an owl’s prey. Many laughs were had as we compared finished products: marble roller coasters taped to backyard slides, stairs or bookshelves and foam pieces taped to form loop-de-loops or connected to instruments to generate sounds. The owl pellet dissection was a highlight, with exclamations of, “I think I found a skull!” and “Is this a beak?” echoing over Zoom, as teachers tried to identify the contents of their pellets.
The morning sessions highlighted the importance of stepping back and seeing the world through the eyes of young children. Finding effective ways of encouraging that sense of wonder can expand our own view of the world and can broaden the realm of possibility within the classroom. According to Holmes, educators should “want to empower children to be lifelong learners” and to recognize that “not knowing something is not a bad thing. It’s how you learn more.” That growth mindset and willingness to ask questions and take risks allow children to view science as a process and not as a collection of facts. Bing’s deep-rooted belief in giving children the gift of time and allowing for repeated exposure allows them to explore ideas and questions deeply, at their own pace. This gives us a wonderful framework in which to foster rich STEM experiences.
Later in the day, teachers met in small groups to share and reflect upon their experiences as educators during this unprecedented school year. To read more about how classrooms adapted and what teachers learned during the pandemic, see the Director’s Column on page 1.