ABSTRACT
Hands-on explorations constitute a critical part of science learning and, as such, have been the focus of both pedagogical practices and research undertakings in science education. Observations, experiments, designing and building of objects and systems offer learners ample opportunities to engage with scientific practices that have been part of the “old” science education standards (National Research Council, 1996), but are also highly emphasized in the recently released new Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and the upcoming Next Generation of Science Standards. Developing models and explanations, engaging in critique and evaluation of ideas, communicating understandings, and asking questions are some of the practices that are used as people develop scientific knowledge. Supporting children in engaging in scientific practices enables them to both construct knowledge and to see themselves (and be seen by others) as “doers” of science. Such engagement is not enabled only during hands-on activities as we abundantly demonstrate throughout this book, since reading, writing, illustrating, and performing are also contexts in which students have the opportunity to use scientific practices. Nevertheless, activities such as ones where children organize physical objects and develop a model of matter, or conduct an experiment to find out whether earthworms prefer light or dark, or observe a plant grow, are contexts in which they can try out and develop a range of scientific practices.
