Imagine the difference between reading about magnets and holding a magnet so you can feel its pull on a nail or watch it push another magnet away. Students are encouraged and taught to ask questions about nature. Noticing patterns, being curious, and asking questions are beginnings of scientific thinking. Students can answer questions like these no matter where they live. A girl living in a Chicago apartment building and a boy living on a farm may ask the same questions.
Students learn how to find out.
Children learn how to observe and measure. They also learn how to keep records of their experiences and observations. They learn how to use tools of science, such as magnifiers and scales. They learn how to compare. Some students wanted to know how long it took an ice cube to melt.