Welcome to the EC STEM Lab’s
May/June 2022 Newsletter!

EC STEM Lab is a group of researchers and educators committed to improving the quality of science, technology, engineering, and math teaching for young children.

EC STEM Lab - May/Jun, Newsletter, #26

In This Issue

Get a Grant!

New Publications!

Data Collection & Analysis in PK, Virtual Meetup

O utdoor Connection

Try It! N ature Scavenger Hunt

R ead All About It!

1 Grant Spot Left!

Apply Now

Get Lots for Your $
(especially if you get a grant...)

This year promises to be another amazing event. Our virtual, all day, interactive Institute is geared for master teachers, directors, trainers, teacher educators, and anyone responsible for supporting preschool teachers.

Grants

APPLY ! We are accepting on a rolling basis, until all spots are filled.

Register

Don't need a grant? REGISTER today! Spaces limited.

Included in Fee

Full day of training and 6 PD hours
Your own training supplies: PowerPoints, materials, articles, books, and resources to use with your teachers
Private Padlet site with tons of downloads
A kit mailed in advance for interactive learning experience

CEUs Optional

Approved for 0.6 CEUs for additional fee from ETSU

Learn More

Announcements

New Articles

Playing Around with Number Composition: Games, Stories, and Everyday Problem Solving in the Preschool Classroom by Alissa Lange, Hagit Mano, Sylwia Lech, & Irena Nayfield
Published in Teaching Young Children

Water Play is Science by Alissa Lange
Lange's first column as one of two new authors of the 'Early Years' came out in NSTA's Science & Children in March 2022

Free Virtual Meetup

DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS

Free Virtual Meetup Series with Early Math Group

MAY 9, 2022
7pm Eastern Time

ENGAGING PRESCHOOLERS IN DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Led by Ashley Lewis Presser, Jessica Young, & Kristen Reed

Registration required.

NAEYC's Early Math Interest Forum is hosting a series of virtual meetups focused on early math during 2022. Join us at one or all of these sessions to hear about current happenings in early math and join an informal discussion with the co-facilitators.

NAEYC Membership not required.

Focus On...

Outdoor Connection

Building Connections Outdoors

How can we facilitate children's relationships with nature?

Young children are typically drawn to being outdoors and will seek out connections with the Earth. As adults, we should give them unstructured time to build those connections. During this time, children should be able to get dirty and really explore the aspects of nature that they are drawn to!

Adults can also help to build these connections just by being with them and present in nature. Model to children your own relationship with the Earth and talk with children about what parts of nature YOU are drawn toward! This can be a beautiful time of reflection and relationship building as both adults and children experience the benefits of being in nature.

~Amie Craven

Interested in more? Read this reflection from forest school co-director Micky Morton about building connections through water play here.

Try it!

Nature Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a great way to slow down and really look at nature. They are also easily adaptable based on children's interests and what you have around you! Children can also notice parts of nature that usually go unseen. Try out some of these tips and see where your walks in nature take you!

Scavenger Hunt Tips

Focus On...? What you want children to learn through the scavenger hunt? For example, if you want to focus on sensations you could have them find smooth and bumpy bark or fuzzy leaves and prickly leaves. Get creative with your list.

Make it a Challenge. Add some items to the list that might be a little tricky to find. Get children to focus and really have to look for some of the items on your hunt.

Interests in Mind. What are your children interested in? Are they really into bugs? Choose some specific native bugs to search for on the hunt.

Integrate Literacy. Bring science journals with you on your hunt. You could also have children write or draw the list in their journals. They can use the journal as a guide and draw pictures of what they find along the way.

Slow Down. Be ok with searching beyond the list! Notice the bugs, flowers, and trees that weren't on your list and enjoy the journey of searching. If children find something they are interested in or want to learn more about, draw or take a photo and research it later.

Hunt in the dark! Try doing a scavenger hunt outside. Think about the different kinds of nature you could find at night and grab a flashlight to complete your hunt. This gives children an opportunity to see parts of nature they may not have experienced.

Free Nature Scavenger Hunt Downloads

Download our Nature Scavenger hunt! There is version with words and pictures. Use these or adapt them to your needs.

Read All About It!

Books to Inspire Connections with Nature

You Are Never Alone by Elin Kelsey

This book teaches children about how nature touches every aspect of how we live. We thrive through these connections and being connected together is what makes nature thrive!

This Is Our Earth by Laura Lee Benson

Celebrate plants, animals, and places all over the Earth with this text. This book takes children to different natural wonders and animal habitats all over the Earth and encourages global awareness and conservation.

Sing a Song of Seasons by Nosy Crow

Feel inspired daily with a nature poem for each day of the year! This collection of poems is from a variety of authors and offers a daily opportunity for a nature connection with children.

Tiny, Perfect Things by M. H. Clark

This book tells the story of a child and grandfather walking in the neighborhood together. Throughout the walk, the grandfather narrates the importance of slowing down and looking at the things that go typically go unseen, leading to a day of adventure together.

Flashlight by Lizi Boyd

Explore the wonders of nature in the dark through the beam of a flashlight. This wordless book offers a view of what is happening outdoors at night, which is often magical.

Email Us:
info@ecstemlab.com

Visit our website:

https://www.ecstemlab.com/

You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in our Early Childhood STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) resources, you participated in one of our professional development sessions, or you were involved in one of our research projects (e.g., SciMath-DLL).

Thank you for your interest in STEM and your commitment to early childhood education!

Kind regards,

EC STEM Lab Team

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Early Childhood STEM Lab · Department of Early Childhood Education · East Tennessee State University · Johnson City, TN 37614 · USA