In
most
every
job
or
profession
that
people
do
today
–
from
the
retail
store
manager
who
tracks
inventory
with
computer
programs
to
technicians
who
draw
blood
for
lab
work
–
science
and
technology
play
important
roles.
For
this
reason,
everyone
needs
to
have
a
firm
understanding
of
science
and
technology
to
compete
in
an
ever-changing
job
market.
To
illustrate
the
importance
of
science
to
today’s
elementary
school
students,
here
are
some
of
the
"When
I
grow
up
I
want
to
be…"
professions
that
now
require
a
detailed
knowledge
of
the
same
scientific
concepts
and
tools
that
your
child
is
learning
to
use
every
day
at
school:
Auto
mechanic
–
Though
there
is
still
a
lot
of
hands-on
work
with
grease
and
goo,
auto
mechanics
now
need
a
knowledge
of
technology
to
use
many
of
the
diagnostic
tools
(such
as
computer
programs
and
computer-generated
graphs)
to
determine
what
is
wrong
with
your
car
and
how
best
to
fix
it.
Police
officer
–
Behind
the
uniforms
and
fancy
cars
with
shiny
lights
are
people
who
use
lots
of
scientific
reasoning
skills
to
do
their
jobs.
Police
use
deductive
reasoning
as
they
gather
facts
and
collect
evidence
for
criminal
cases
and
make
accurate
decisions
based
on
what
they
see,
hear,
smell
or
touch.
They
use
charts,
tables,
books
and
other
facts
to
help
make
decisions
and
use
computer
technologies
for
such
tasks
as
DNA
and
fingerprint
identification.
Clothing
designer
–
In
this
year’s
Winter
Olympics,
speed
skaters
wore
clingy
suits
made
of
a
high-tech
material
designed
to
decrease
wind
resistance.
The
material
was
the
work
of
industrial
researchers.
However,
it
took
designers
with
creative
visions
of
how
that
technology
could
be
applied
to
enhance
the
performance
of
skaters
like
American
gold
medalist
Derek
Parra.
Musician
–
Although
musicians
are
traditionally
thought
of
as
creative
and
not
scientific,
many
of
the
skills
they
use
are
based
in
science.
Musicians,
particularly
composers
and
song
writers,
use
creative
ways
to
solve
problems
and
organize
or
group
items.
Many
musicians
use
computer
software
to
compose
and
edit
their
music.
Others
(both
in
the
recording
studio
and
on
stage)
use
computer
software
to
enhance
their
vocals
and
digitized
music
to
add
to
the
music
performed
on
actual
instruments.
Science
during
the
elementary
years
The
goal
of
science
education
today
is
to
encourage
students
to
go
beyond
memorization
of
facts
to
develop
the
ability
to
understand,
apply
and
communicate
the
concepts.
Because
students
learn
best
by
doing,
not
just
hearing
and
reading,
science
education
during
the
elementary
years
is
active,
"hands-on"
learning
that
is
taught
as
part
of
all
of
the
subject
areas
(language
arts,
math,
history)
so
that
students
can
see
the
connections
between
science
and
other
subjects.
Kindergarten-Grade
2
–
From
their
first
day
in
school,
students
will
be
involved
in
learning
to
view
the
world
scientifically.
They
will
be
encouraged
to
ask
questions
about
nature
and
to
seek
answers,
collect
things,
count
and
measure
things,
make
observations,
organize
collections
and
observations,
discuss
findings,
etc.
Getting
into
the
spirit
of
science
and
liking
science
are
what
count
most
in
the
primary
grades.
Some
of
the
varied
ways
that
science
explorations
are
woven
into
the
curriculum
include:
-
Kindergartners
conduct
a
year-long
study
of
the
change
of
seasons,
which
involves
observing
what
is
happening
in
the
natural
world
through
walks,
collecting
natural
objects
for
a
hands-on
classroom
nature
table,
writing/illustrating
a
class
book
on
the
change
of
seasons
and
creating
charts
that
include
their
predictions
about
when
the
first
crocus
will
appear
or
major
snowfall
will
occur
based
on
what
they
are
observing.
-
First
and
second
graders
take
part
in
a
detailed
study
of
how
things
grow
by
helping
plan,
plot,
dig,
plant
and
harvest
a
school
garden.
Grades
3-5
–
As
their
ability
to
use
tools
to
gather
information
and
to
reason
scientifically
increases,
students
will
be
asked
to
use
their
skills
to
make
more
sophisticated
predictions
about
what
will
happen,
to
test
answers
and
to
come
up
with
new
solutions
for
old
problems
in
science.
Some
examples
of
the
way
science
skills
are
used
in
the
upper
elementary
grades
are:
-
Using
common
cleaning
solutions
(such
as
Borax
and
baking
soda,
vinegar
and
soap
powder),
students
make
predictions
and
experiment
to
come
up
with
new
ways
of
using
these
chemicals
(i.e.,
a
combination
of
white
glue,
Borax,
food
coloring
and
water
yield
homemade
silly
putty).
-
Using
computer
software,
fifth
graders
learn
about
the
undersea
environment
and
humpback
whales.
During
the
course
of
this
study,
students
learn
to
use
computer-based
tools
such
as
maps
for
navigation
and
charts
and
graphs
to
collect
and
analyze
information
about
what
they
are
studying.
Helping
your
child
become
scientifically
literate
The
natural
world
is
a
wonderful
place
to
learn
about
all
sorts
of
scientific
concepts.
Here
is
a
sampling
of
books,
websites
and
other
resources
that
you
and
your
child
can
use
to
learn
about
science
right
in
your
own
backyard.
The
librarian
at
your
local
library
can
help
guide
you
and
your
child
to
other
books
that
suit
your
child’s
specific
interests.
Janice
van
Cleave’s
Play
and
Find
Out
about
Science:
Easy
Experiments
for
Young
Children
and
Janice
van
Cleave’s
Science
Around
the
Year
(Science
for
Every
Kid
Series)
by
Janice
Pratt
van
Cleave
National
Geographic
Animal
Encyclopedia
by
Jinny
Johnson
DK
Science
Encyclopedia
(Revised
Edition)
by
DK
Publishing
–
This
includes
fascinating
facts,
detailed
illustrations
and
eye-catching
photographs
on
everything
from
atoms
to
zephyrs
and
also
shows
how
real
scientists
work.
Primary
grades
and
up
I
Took
a
Walk
written
and
illustrated
by
Henry
Cole
–
A
walk
through
the
woods,
across
a
meadow
and
along
a
stream
provides
opportunities
for
readers
to
see
all
kinds
of
events
occurring
around
them
in
this
lovely
natural
setting.
Pumpkin
Circle:
The
Story
of
a
Garden
by
George
Levenson
–
How
plants
grow
is
shown
through
the
amazing
cycle
of
nature
unfolding
in
a
backyard
pumpkin
patch.
Upper
Elementary:
Girls
Who
Looked
Under
Rocks:
The
Lives
of
Six
Pioneering
Naturalists
by
Jeannine
Atkins
–
Easy-to-read
biographies
of
six
women
whose
interest
in
nature
began
as
young
girls.
A
Handful
of
Dirt
by
Raymond
Bial
–
A
down-and-dirty
tour
through
photographs
of
one
of
the
earth’s
most
precious
resources.
All
ages
Spectacular
Spiders
by
Linda
Glaser
–
This
book
tells
of
a
day
in
the
life
of
a
common
garden
spider
as
she
spins
her
web,
hunts
for
prey
and
explores.
National
Audubon
Society
First
Field
Guide
–
This
series
includes
books
with
detailed
photographs
and
descriptions
on
such
topics
as
wildflowers,
birds,
insects
and
rocks
and
minerals.
Cloud
Dance
by
Thomas
Locker
–
One
of
a
series
of
photographic
books
on
natural
topics
by
Thomas
Locker,
this
book
includes
beautiful
illustrations
and
brief
information
about
clouds.
Web
Links:
http://www.kidsgardening.com/primer.asp
–
Everything
you
need
to
know
about
creating
a
garden
with
your
kids.
http://school.discovery.com/students/
–
This
link
to
the
Discovery
Channel’s
website
provides
parents
and
kids
with
science
learning
adventures,
games
and
lots
of
great
clip
art.
http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/
–
This
link
within
the
Discovery
Channel
website
includes
yucky
fun
and
games,
unusual
activities
and
icky
experiments.
What
is
science?
Although
test
tubes
and
the
Periodic
Table
play
an
important
role
in
the
study
of
science,
the
type
of
reasoning
you
use
daily
(like
taking
stock
of
natural
clues
such
as
frost,
sun
and
rain
before
you
choose
what
to
wear)
is
just
as
important
a
part
of
this
study.
The
New
York
State
Standards
in
Science
and
Technology
(which
help
guide
what
students
learn
in
the
classroom)
include
the
following:
-
Analysis,
inquiry
and
design
–using
scientific
questioning
and
experimentation
to
develop
answers
and
come
up
with
solutions.
-
Technology/information
systems
–
using
a
range
of
technologies
(computers,
calculators,
etc…)
to
access,
understand
and
transfer
information.
-
Science
ideas
–
understanding
how
scientific
ideas
and
theories
relate
to
our
world
and
other
environments.
This
includes
an
understanding
of
the
history
of
major
ideas
in
science.
-
Common
themes
–
teaching
science
in
conjunction
with
other
subject
areas
to
help
students
learn
how
they
relate
to
one
another.
-
Problem-solving
–
using
the
knowledge
of
science
and
technology
to
make
decisions
and
find
solutions
to
real-life
problems.
