Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-lizard-at-my-cricket-live-action-science-for-the-ece-classroom/5024269/
“The lizard ate my cricket!” one child announces. Just a few minutes ago, she had dropped the cricket in the terrarium with help from the teacher. This simple science activity provides a starting point for introducing science concepts about living things. Following their observation, children go on to have educational conversations (Caldwell & Fyfe, 1997) in which teachers encourage children’s inquiry about animal characteristics, habitat, and the predator and prey relationship. The questions that arise during conversations with children about the lizard evolve into online research, journal writing, and arts and media experiences. Having animals in the classroom engages children in inquiry learning and develops positive dispositions such as curiosity and encourages advocacy for animals and the environment (Peterson & French, 2008).
Animals in the Classroom
Animals are of particular interest to children. Children are attracted by animals’ natural behavior and experience a sense of connectedness with animals (Bone, 2013). Even four-year-olds notice and are able to name a wide variety of animals and plants (Patrick & Tunnicliffe, 2011). Live plants and animals in the classroom have the potential to offer meaningful science explorations for young children that meet ECE science standards, (Palmeri, 2007) such as naming body parts ...