Rationale
All learning enters through the senses. This statement seems strong, but is impossible to refute. Teachers, responsible for learners in the classroom, need to keep this in mind as they think about their students. Our senses allow us to do great things: enjoy the taste of our food, the sound of music, the beauty of a sunny day, the softness of new moss, the sound of pages turning in a book, and much more. As a teacher in an urban setting, I am aware of my students' limited exposure to the natural world, even to the point of the limited recess time built into the daily primary curriculum. I am also aware of their diets, from the school lunch menus or prepared lunches from home, their discussions of favorite meals, where they like to eat, and who cooks dinner at night or prepares breakfast in the mornings. The busy lives of families in our time cause limitations: young children rarely get to enjoy time for independent discovery and basic exploration.
First graders learn about living organisms as a science standard in our school district. It is a terrific eight weeks for students and teachers: it opens up many new experiences for some who have not been offered the chance to have pets or care for plants. During this time the students build terrariums with various plants, worms and bugs, create an aquatic environment and care for fish, snails and plants to learn about the basics in life and growth and development. They plant an herb garden to begin growing at school and then take it home as a kitchen garden. This is a good start to learning about responsibility but it demonstrates to students that they can become responsible for their learning as well. In the unit I describe here, this foundation will begin the exploration of the senses.
It is important for the developing child to experience simple discoveries that enter through undirected exploration to fulfill an innate curiosity to learn about "stuff." Young children are naturally curious and interested and this genuine type of exploring with hands-on fun science will develop critical thinkers.
As noted in The Dana Guide to Brain Health, neuroscientists tell us that a child's brain is "especially primed for learning in the years between toddlerhood and puberty." During this period (and others) the brain really can get smarter. The abundance of axons and dendrites creates a synaptic net that captures many new experiences. With brain metabolism high and a healthy child's energy high, many researchers believe that new skills are learned easiest and most efficiently between the ages of 6 and 12. Learning language is a great example. Children easily absorb the language or languages they hear. This is a fundamental component in the educational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, which is discussed in her book, The Absorbent Mind. Dr. Montessori observed that children possess limitless motivation to achieve competence within their environment and to perfect skills and understandings. Although the Montessori Method is a based on philosophy not science, recent neuroscience supports the theory that the hands-on sensorial approach to learning is intimately connected to the developing brain of a child.
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