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Hi James, We have lots of resource and links to help you address these practices at : www.getcaughtengineering.com Wendy

You can easily engage students in ALL of the Science and Engineering Practices using Phenomenon-Based Learning, for example as it is presented in the Gizmos & Gadgets books from NSTA Press. Here’s the elementary version:

http://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781936959389
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The activities are both engaging and pedagogically effective, as described in the book’s Introduction. Students work in groups like real scientists, and also like real scientists they ask questions, use models, carry out investigations, construct explanations, and engage in argument from evidence.[/font][/size][/color]

Also, there are kits of materials designed to go with the book that are sold by Arbor Scientific. You can see them here:

http://www.arborsci.com/nsta-es-kits

The kits are expensive, but they give you enough materials for dozens of activities and would be a great investment. If you have funds for materials, definitely consider them.


Iris

The University of Northern Iowa now has the Ramps and Pathways materials for sale in their 'STEMware Marketplace.'  The materials are made by university students as part of their program: https://cgi.access.uni.edu/cgi-bin/swStore/storeFront.cgi 

This is the Q&A page for the Ramps and Pathways activity/investigation: https://regentsctr.uni.edu/ramps-pathways/faqs

Hi, Peggy!
Thank you for replying to my original post. I appreciate your idea of looking at photos of children at work in a science and/or engineering activity to see if I can name which practices I see in use. With your suggestion, I did a Google search for those images. I tried a few phrases before I landed on 'kids doing engineering' and 'kids engineering activities.' Both searches gave me great results with the images they produced! It was enlightening to look through them and see if I could name the practices I saw being demonstrated. After awhile, I found it enjoyable to test myself by seeing if I could name Crosscutting Concepts and the DCI(s) that might have been the focus when the photos were taken. I actually intend to try your idea with some pre-service educators I work with to help them test their knowledge. Your suggestion is a keeper!

I won't be able to make it to L.A. for the national conference this year, but I'll keep my open for you at future conferences I'm able to attend. I noticed your session is being sponsored by NSTA Press. Any chance you have published with them? I would like to take a look at more of your ideas!

Thanks again for the great activity!

James

Hi James, I write the Early Year's column and Blog for NSTA and I am involved with the NAEYC Early Childhood Science Interest Forum. I got into the writing work through teaching at a preschool where I wrote up my science inquiry lesson plans for the classroom teachers. Those lesson plans formed my first book (Gryphon House) and a compendium of some of my favorite columns formed the second book (NSTA Press).

I'm glad the suggestion worked for you and I encourage you to use it with your preservice teachers. I hope you'll join the NAEYC Early Childhood Science Interest Forum on the NAEYC site, find us on Facebook, and on Twitter. In addition to the Early Year's column and articles, the NSTA journal Science and Children also has an occasional column called the Early Childhood Resources Review, where high quality books and materials are described. Best wishes, Peggy

Thank you so much for sharing these great ideas and resources, Peggy! I will hunt for your books. :) It's funny you mention the kits for purchase. We were asked literally yesterday by our College's Dean if there were any supplies or classroom resources/technologies we thought we should look at purchasing. I will certainly give your suggestions a thorough look through and let you know if we pick any of them up. Thanks again! James

Hi James, Book publishers sometimes create kits to go with a teacher resource book. I think they often have too few supplies in them for an entire class. The Ramps and Pathways activity is developmentally appropriate for preK-grade 5, and fun for all ages. See more about it on the University of Northern Iowa’s website. http://www.uni.edu/rampsandpathways/ They did years of research on it and present about it at NSTA and NAEYC conferences—very inspiring. One of the originators and author of the NAEYC Ramps and Pathways book, Christie Sales, sells the ramp pieces but you can buy the cove molding at places like Home Depot and Lowe’s and just have them cut it into standard lengths. Her company, Constructivist Childhood Materials, also sells pattern block frames. http://www.patternblockpuzzles.com/store/p16/Premium_Ramps_and_Pathways_Kit.html Best wishes, Peggy

Good to hear! Educator-authors with classroom experience usually know what will best fit the needs of teachers.
I didn't intend to paint all kits with the statement that kits sometimes have too few supplies.) Perhaps it is more common in early childhood circles where many programs have tiny supply budgets???
Peggy