Appendix I: ECIPs – Scientific Thinking (Cognitive)
Early Childhood Indicators of Progress: Minnesota’s Early Learning Standards
Introduction to Scientific Thinking Domain
“I am eleven months old and I am a scientist and an investigator. I use my senses to explore the world around me. Today, I want to get to those interesting and inviting toys on the shelf across the carpet so I crawl as fast as I can while my caregiver, Ernestine, sits nearby. I pull a basket from the bottom shelf and several different-sized balls and beanbags fall onto the floor. I sit and try to pick up the balls but every time I reach out for them, they roll away from me. I laugh and smile and bat at them, clapping as they roll even further away. Ernestine rolls them back towards me. I watch the motion of the colored plastic as it moves across the rug and try to predict where the ball will roll but I’m not always right. Then, I pick up a beanbag. The corduroy fabric is soft in my hand and I feel the bumpy texture of the beans inside. I shake the bag and hear the sound of the beans. Ernestine shakes a bag too, then, pulls down a drum from another shelf and shows me how to pound on it to make a sound. I pound on the drum with the beanbag still in my hand, alternating between pounding and shaking, and squeal with delight at the sounds I make.”
From birth, children are scientists. They are driven by their innate curiosity. Babies use their senses to take in information about their world, whether it’s the smell of their mother’s skin, the pitch of their father’s voice, the feel of a soft blanket, or the taste of breast milk. Children’s development of scientific thinking and inquiry begins in the very first months of life and continues to grow and expand as they interact with others and with the world around them. The world of mobile infants and toddlers expands so that they can crawl and walk across fresh, green grass or splash in a puddle. They explore the properties of objects and materials as they manipulate toys to make sounds or put things together. Preschoolers take their investigations further. They notice differences and similarities in both the natural and physical world. They try to figure out
how something works. And they begin to make predictions and give explanations.
The indicators in the Scientific Thinking domain that are set out in the Minnesota Early Indicators of Child Progress (ECIPs) reflect the new thinking in the science education field: that for young learners, scientific inquiry is more beneficial than
occasional and unconnected science activities. Therefore, the focus for this domain is on scientific processes more than specific science content with the idea that this approach will lay the foundation for developing ways of thinking that support
more rigorous academic study in the Scientific Thinking domain in the elementary school years. The ECIPs provide guidance so that teachers and providers can know appropriate expectations for young learners and understand how best to support children so that they have the necessary foundation for later learning.
- The Scientific Thinking and Inquiry domain includes three components:
Component STPS 1-2: Discover
Component STPS 3-4: Act
Component STPS 5-6: Integrate
The sub-components and indicators identified for the ages of birth through kindergarten entry address the specific expectations across the developmental spectrum.
- For infants, indicators focus on how children observe and respond to external stimuli, show interest in exploring, and begin to recognize familiar items, people, and situations.
- For toddlers, the indicators reflect that they seek out items of interest, begin to use objects as tools, use simple strategies to carry out ideas, and build on past experiences.
- For preschoolers, the indicators show the ways they seek to gain knowledge and formulate questions, making plans and predictions, and verbally expressing their ideas and thoughts.
This broad view of the Scientific Thinking domain allows for ease of integration with other domains in the ECIPs. As children follow their curiosity in exploration, they build on their approaches to learning. As they discover new things, they are delighted and motivated to continue trying new things and learning more. Using the language of scientific inquiry, children’s vocabulary is expanded. And, mathematical understanding of measurement and representation of quantity is often a part of scientific investigations.
Many in education are linking science and technology in what are called “STEM” initiatives. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics. Some researchers and public and private leaders relate the very future of our country to STEM:
“The nation’s capacity to innovate and thrive in the modern workforce depends on foundation of math and science learning. . . . A sustained, vibrant democracy is dependent upon this foundation in STEM.” (Sneiderman 2013, 1)
In early childhood education, STEM is a way to integrate other domains with scientific thinking. Teachers and providers can tap into the natural curiosity of young explorers so that science experiences are filled with learning opportunities that integrate skills from multiple domains.
Resource:
Sneiderman, Joshua M. 2013. “Engaging Children in STEM Education Early!” Natural Start Alliance, December. North American Association for Environmental Education. http://naturalstart.org/feature-stories/engaging-children-stem-education-early
Scientific Thinking
Components ST1-2: Discover
| Subcomponent | 0-1 year | 1-2 years | 2-3 years | 3-4 years | 4-5 years, K Readiness | K Alignment |
| ST1 Observe and question: Child demonstrates awareness and engagement with phenomena, materials, and environment
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ST1.1 Observes and responds to external stimuliST1.2 Indicates surprise, curiosity, or hesitancy when presented with unfamiliar items, people, situations
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ST1.3 Indicates interest by looking, pointing or verbalizing
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ST1.4 Asks questions readily
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ST1.5 Notices differences or similarities among materials, objects and phenomenaST1.6 Uses experiences to stimulate questions
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ST1.7 Verbally identifies obvious differences and similaritiesST1.8 Expresses curiosity and/or formulates questions of complex concepts
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K1.1.2.1 Use observation to develop an accurate description of natural phenomena and compare one’s observational and descriptive with those of othersK2.1.1.1 Sort objects in terms of color, size, shape and texture and communicate reasoning for the sorting system |
| ST2 Investigate: Child actively shows wonder by demonstrating curiosity of self, others and surroundings |
ST2.1 Explores people and objects using senses
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ST2.2 Seeks out and explores objects and items with apparent interestST2.3 Begins using objects as tools
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ST2.4 Engages with objects of interest – whether familiar or new- for extended periods of timeST2.5 Explores properties of objects/materials to gain understandingST2.6 Identifies and uses some tools for their intended
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ST2.7 Seeks to gain additional knowledge in areas of interestsST2.8 Explores with the intention of finding out something specificST2.9 Uses many tools as designed
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ST2.10 Starts with a useful, general approach to investigation even if details may be lackingST2.11 Uses discernment to inform exploration ST2.12 Uses tools
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K1.1.2.1 Use observation to develop an accurate description of natural phenomena and compare one’s observational and descriptive with those of othersK4.1.1.1 Observed compare plants and animal
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Component ST3-4: Act
| Subcomponent | 0-1 year | 1-2 years | 2-3 years | 3-4 years | 4-5 years, K Readiness | K Alignment |
| ST3 Experiment: Child develops and completes a process based on a question, interest or anticipated outcome, adjusting as needed.
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ST3.1 Demonstrates recognition of familiar items, people, and situationsST3.2 Persists in looking for missing object(s)
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ST3.3 Demonstrates willingness to try new thingsST3.4 Uses simple strategies to carry out ideas ST3.5 ST3.6 Persists in
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ST3.7 Approaches situations with intent to achieve a simple outcomeST3.8 Uses a variety of strategies to carry out ideas ST3.9 ST3.10 |
ST3.11 Makes a simple plan in advance to see what will happenST3.12 Uses a greater variety of strategies to carry out ideasST3.13 Attempts to make a prediction of an expected outcome
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ST3.14 Makes a plan in advance with an intended outcomeST3.15 Demonstrates awareness that different circumstances, materials and variables impact strategies and outcomesST3.16 Makes a prediction when prompted ST3.17 Changes |
K4.2.1.1 Observe a natural system or its model and identify living and nonliving components of the system
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| ST4 Evaluate: Child analyzes, examines, critiques, and synthesizes outcomes in order to draw conclusions
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ST4.1 Shows a preference for certain materials, people or situationsST4.2 Indicates surprise when outcome is not as expected
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ST4.3 Associates objects that belong togetherST4.4 Asks “what happened?” or “where did it go?” as a result of an experiment
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ST4.5 Recognizes obvious differences among like objectsST4.6 Makes guesses at possible explanations or conclusions
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ST4.7 Describes all parts of an outcome by comparing, sorting, classifying and/or organizingST4.8 Open to more than one solution or answer to a problemST4.9 Begins to rely on or expect evidence, things seen or experienced directly, as reasons for results obtained
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ST4.10 Offers critique of an experience based on examination of outcomesST4.11 Sees outcomes as the result of one’s behavior or actionsST4.12 Reflects upon evidence and draws reasonable conclusions using data gathered
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K1.1.2.1 Use observations to develop accurate descriptions of a natural phenomena and compare one’s observations and descriptions with othersK3.2.2.2 Identify the sun as a source of heat and lightK3.2.2.1 Monitor daily and seasonal changes in weather and summarize changes |
Understanding Component ST5-6: Integrate
| Subcomponent | 0-1 year | 1-2 years | 2-3 years | 3-4 years | 4-5 years, K Readiness | K Alignment |
| ST5 Communicate: Child effectively verbalizes thinking and share thoughts, ideas, conclusions with self and others
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ST5.1 Vocalizes in response to stimuli or individual needsST5.2 Seeks out/initiates interactions from others in service of own needs
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ST5.3 Uses gestures, body language or a few words to express emotions related to an activity, person or experienceST5.4 Invites others to observe actions and results
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ST5.5 Describes details associated with an experience such as materials, possible causes and effectsST5.6 Listens to others ideas and points of viewST5.7 Shares stories and related experiences with others unprompted ST5.8 Scribbles
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ST5.9 Verbally expresses ideas/thought processST5.10 Seeks input from others regarding an experience ST5.11 ST5.12 Uses
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ST5.13 Retells/describes own actions in process of experimentingST5.14 Talks with others about questions, actions, ideas, observations or resultsST5.15 Articulates and shares aloud explanations based on reasoning and evidence ST5.16 Uses more
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K1.1.2.1 Use observations to develop accurate descriptions of a natural phenomena and compare one’s observations and descriptions with othersK2.1.1.1 Sort objects in terms of color, size, shape and texture and communicate reasoning for the sorting system
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| ST6 Apply: Child leverages and uses knowledge unprompted or in a new situation.
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ST6.1 Finds comfort in familiar people and objects
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ST6.2 Revisits and builds on past experiences
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ST6.3 Generalizes knowledge gained from one situation to anotherST6.4 Recognizes relevant attributes to inform the development of a rule |
ST6.5 Recalls and uses information in new/ different experiencesST6.6 Generates new and more complex questionsST6.7 Uses prior experience to identify details that may be relevant
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ST6.8 Compares findings to predictions or expected resultsST6.9 Identify what to look for, measure, or test to answer questionsST6.10 Develops and applies rules ST6.11 |
K1.2.1.1 Sort objects into two groups: those that are found in nature and those that are human madeK2.1.1.1 Sort objects in terms of color, size, shape and texture and communicate reasoning for the sorting system |
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