Preschool and Elementary Science Learning Center Ideas for Habitat Study Learning occurs best when it's interactive. Bring hands-on, cross-curricular activities to every preschool classroom learning center. Studying different countries, cultures or habitats in your classroom? Here are hands-on science center activities. Montessori type learning centers focus on hands-on child-led mastery learning, individual
work stations and play as work activities. Activities in learning centers aim
for mastery learning through exploration and task completion. Montessori
science learning centers are also called sensory or sensorial learning areas.
Here's a system for portable exploratory science tubs with task-oriented
science experiments and activities for mastery learning.
Montessori
learning centers are organized, precise and minimal. Instead of a jumble of
toys, there are specific ordered learning materials with task-oriented goals.
Children work in individual work stations instead of desks or tables. These are
usually portable mats rolled out on the floor. Portable unit-based science tubs
work well. Materials in science tubs may be preset on stationary learning mats
and children rotate through learning centers to complete activities. Or
children may select science tubs, bring them to their mat work stations where
they interact with materials to accomplish educational tasks.
To
create exploratory science tubs, you'll need small plastic boxes with lids,
baskets and different science unit materials. Stacking boxes or drawers in a
rolling cart work well too. You might also use zippered plastic bags for
individual science units. You will arrange materials by content area. When
you're studying a particular content area, you'll remove materials from drawer
or box and place in baskets. This makes learning materials more appealing and
approachable.
Themes
for exploratory science tubs include: magnets, matters, animal classification,
mammals, reptiles, air, water, weather, measurement, polymers, plants, rocks
and minerals, chemistry, seeds and seed carriers, feathers, electricity, atoms,
food, bubbles, bugs, spiders, electronics. Place materials to explore in
science tubs. Add several related follow up tasks for mastery learning--flashcards,
worksheets, matching games. Children can do mastery learning tasks in science
journals for follow up.
