LESSON 3.

EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE-

Earth science is the study of planet Earth. It covers all aspects of the
planet from the deep inner core to the outer layers of the atmosphere.
There are many fields of science that are part of Earth science
including :
 geology (rocks and minerals),
 paleontology (dinosaurs and fossils),
 meteorology (atmosphere and the weather),
 and oceanography.

What is Earth science? The study of the Earth is often divided into
different "spheres" of the Earth including the atmosphere, biosphere,
hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Atmosphere - The atmosphere is the air around the Earth made up
of different gasses (mostly nitrogen and oxygen).
The atmosphere forms a protective layer around Earth, keeping
the planet warm and protecting it from the Sun's radiation.
The study of the atmosphere is called meteorology and includes
the weather.
Biosphere - The biosphere is the region of Earth where life exists. It
includes all the biomes and ecosystems around the planet.
Hydrosphere - The hydrosphere is the area of Earth covered by
water including the oceans, glaciers, lakes, and rivers. Around 75%
of the Earth's surface is covered by the ocean. The study of the
ocean is called oceanography.
Lithosphere - The lithosphere is the outer layer of the Earth. It
includes the Earth's crust and part of the mantle. The lithosphere is
broken up into giant sections called tectonic plates. Geologists study
the lithosphere including rocks, minerals, and the history of Earth.

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 This seems complicated for preschoolers, but of course teachers
have their own way of teaching these concepts in the simplest way.

A. Patterns of change over time

Natural phenomena that is beyond our unassisted eyesight, whether the
moon’s of a distant planet or a spider’s spinnerets, may still be of
interest to young children who can learn about the topic in a
developmentally appropriate way, often through play (Evitt 2011).
Direct experiences with the night sky introduce children to the
Moon, stars, and space. Noticing patterns while observing the Sun,
Moon, and stars is part of the Next Generation Science Standards
performance expectation 1-ESS1-1 Earth’s Place in the Universe (NGSS
Lead States 2013).
Children learn about our solar system, a place called “outer
space,” and space travel through books such as The Moon Over Star
(Aston and Pinkney 2008) and My Rainy Day Rocket Ship (Sheppard
and Palmer 2020), television programs, and visits to museums.

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 Ann Caspari, Early Childhood Education Specialist at the National
Air and Space Museum, has been developing programs for toddlers,
preschoolers, and early elementary aged children and their caregivers for
a decade. Now some of Caspari’s and her colleague Diane Kidd’s work
is accessible online (see Resources). I spoke with Caspari about her
work and asked, “How early should educators begin teaching space
science?” I believe that it is not that important for young children to
learn about the solar system and that it is better to focus on things that
are more easily observable. And yet, as with many other concepts that
are difficult to fully understand, young children will no doubt encounter
information about the planets and the solar system in their lives.
If we do not provide some background information about the
solar system through stories, songs, and play activities, they will still
develop understandings that are naïve, incomplete, or incorrect. It is
better that these understandings do not crystallize too fully before they
encounter formal education about the solar system in upper elementary
or middle school.
When young children begin to notice the sunrise or sunset, the
Moon in the sky, or the stars appearing in the evening sky, this is a good
time to look up in awe and wonder together and enjoy the beauty of our
Earth. The practice of stopping to enjoy the wonder of the amazing place
we live in the Universe from a very young age helps to develop an
appreciation for scientific phenomena that lasts a life time.
As you observe together [over days and weeks], you may notice how
the Moon seems to change shape or how the colors of the sunset are
different. You may start to see that the positions of the Sun changes over
time or that some stars seem much brighter or different colors.
Making these observations together, perhaps drawing a picture
or singing a song about them is the best way to begin to teach about
space science.
B. Changes in the Environment

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Preschool children are born to explore and learn about the world around
them, and studies have shown that preschool science education is
associated with better development of scientific concepts and increased
interest in science in later years.
Earth Science is one of the three major areas of science and is the study
of planet Earth. It includes the study of rocks, land, weather and oceans.
According to the Nevada Pre-K standards , earth science includes
observing and identifying everyday weather occurrences, observing and
identifying different states of water, and identifying and sorting different
rocks and soils.
Young children can easily learn about earth science by recording the
number of sunny days, keeping track of precipitation, collecting special
rocks, and talking about the water cycle. Playing at the sand and water
table can be a great learning experience with different materials. In this
fact sheet, we focus on wind, water, weather, rocks and soil.

Wind

Wind is the result of air moving around in the atmosphere.

Wind is invisible, but children can see the things that are moved by
wind. There are many preschool science activities that deal with wind.
Wind activities allow young children to find out what a little moving air
can do. The activities can go from easy to difficult, depending on the
children’s age and level of interest.

Ideas to Try

Wind Walk - On a windy day, take the children outside for a walk.
Look for all the things the wind is moving around. Help the
children understand that even though the wind is invisible, we can
still see the effects of the wind. Read a book about the wind to
promote a discussion about the topic, such as The Wind Blew by
Pat Hutchins.

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 Wind Sock - Decorate the top of a paper bowl with small squares
of tissue paper and tape streamers around the edge of the bowl.
Poke a hole through the top, and insert a pipe cleaner loop. Secure
the loop under the bowl. Guide the children to hang the windsock
outdoors, and watch the wind blow. Ask questions, such as “Is it
windy today?” or “Which direction is the wind blowing?”

Water

Water is everywhere in our lives. We drink it, bathe in it, cook with it
and wash our hands several times on a daily basis. Water is a great topic
that preschool children could explore. Children can learn about the
physical properties of water, the changing states of water, rain and
water’s role in nature, the many uses of water, and how water changes.

Ideas to Try

Does it Dissolve? - Set up a dissolve experiment station with

several items (i.e., salt, flour, sugar, brown sugar, noodles,
cornmeal, oatmeal, sprinkles, etc.). Ask children to predict and
observe what will dissolve and disappear in water and what won’t.
Create a chart with the children, and help them record what they
observe.

Water Cycle Experiment - Talk about the water cycle and what
happens when it rains outside. Introduce a book about water cycle,
such as The Drop Goes Plop by Sam Godwin and Simone Abel.
Fill up a cup with water and put whipped cream on top to represent
white clouds. A separate cup of water needs to be dyed blue to
represent the water vapor. Use a dropper to drop the blue water
into the whipped cream cloud. When the cloud can’t hold any more
water vapor, precipitation will occur, and the blue water will rain
down into the bottom of the cup.

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Weather

Parents or teachers often talk about weather with preschool children,

especially when it rains or snows, or is very windy or very sunny
outside. Teaching children to observe weather at a young age is
valuable. Children can also learn that the weather is different at various
locations. In some places, it’s sunny and hot, while in other places it’s
snowing and cold.

Ideas to Try

Weather Graph - Create a chart indicating if each day is sunny,

rainy, cloudy, snowy, etc. and help children keep track of weather
each day.

Tornado Bottle - Simply fill a tall narrow plastic bottle with

water, and squirt in a small amount of dish soap (nonconcentrated).
Cover tightly. Give a good shake and watch! You will get a
tornado! To help increase children’s understanding of tornadoes,
read a related book, such as Otis and the Tornado by Loren Long.

Photo by Jeff Kubina.

Rocks and Soil

Young children love to collect pebbles on the playground and play

with the sand in the sand-box. They may not recognize it, but they
are already exploring rocks and soil by playing with them. If
children are guided to explore rocks, this can help them improve
their science knowledge.

Ideas to Try

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 Rock to Soil - Rub two rocks (limestone and chalky rock)
together. Talk about how they make sandy dust. You can also go
outside and use a hammer to crack rocks into sand. Make sure to
wear safety goggles and take turns. Talk with children about how
long it takes nature to make soil or what the sand has in common
with the rocks it came from. Read about rocks and soil in related
books, such as Rocks and Soil: Real Size Science by Rebecca
Rissman to help children’s understanding.

Rock Sound - Have several rocks and a few different containers

ready. Try to find containers made of different materials. Place
rocks in different containers. Listen to sounds as children shake
rocks in each container. Talk about the different sounds everybody
hears.

References
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