CHDV 210 Curriculum Activities Self Evaluation Form Name: Brianna Schnaubelt Curriculum area: Science Please reflect

on these questions as you evaluate each of the 5 activities that you present. Review the rubric carefully to be sure that you have included all components to earn the highest score possible.

Why did you choose this particular activity? (DRDP, conversation with child, etc.)
I chose this activity because awhile ago I had seen a post online about how to dye eggs

with shaving cream. I didn't give it much thought at first but then realized that it would be a perfect activity to do with the kids because it is something that they can manipulate themselves that requires very little help from me, while also remaining open ended. I also know that a lot of the children would probably be familiar with shaving cream and egg dying but perhaps in different ways, and this would introduce a new way to use these familiar items. "Reintroducing familiar materials can also inspire new uses. Items should not only look attractive but also have different textures, smells, sounds, and tastes (Epstein, 11)." By manipulating the eggs in this manner it was creating a whole new process for them.
I also chose this activity because it was very much all about the process and that is

usually something young children strive on. Since cause and effect is very much science I figured it was a perfect fit for this curriculum area. "In science we want to capitalize on children's "natural inclination to learn about their world," expose them to the uses and benefits of scientific processes in everyday life, and involve them in scientific inquiry as they figure out how the world works (Epstein, 43)." While my activity isn't a process that occurs in everyday life, it is still a chance to enhance cognitive growth and engage them in a scientific process.

What were the strong points of this activity?

The children all got very excited about it when I introduced it at circle time. There were

more children wanting to do the activity then could even fit at the table.
The children were able to experience food coloring and shaving cream to create a very

unique experience they each got to explore in their own way. "Provide materials with diverse sensory attributes and allow children sufficient time and space to discover their

properties (Epstein, 48)." Many of children were very engaged and were able to explore the materials differently.
The activity kept some of the children very engaged. I even had one girl with me at the

table almost the entire work hour playing and exploring the materials. It was also a very good activity to see exactly which child cares more for the process and more for the results. For example some children mixed their food coloring rather quickly, placed their egg in it and were more excited to wait and see what happened to it, then you have the little girl who sat and mixed all the colors together until they were brown and just played with it, not concerned for the egg what so ever. I found it very interesting to see the differences in the various children.
I was also able to ask the children many open ended questions about what they saw

happening in the process, as well as respond to their inquiries of what would happen when we wiped the egg off. "Attend to the questions children ask. The problems they pose for themselves or to adults offer a window into their mathematical and scientific thinking (Epstein, 48)."

What were the weak areas?

One weak area I would have to say would have been the waiting time for the food

coloring to sit on the egg, however that isn't something I can really fix or take out. Perhaps just add something else to the activity for them to do to keep them engaged while we wait rather than excusing them back into work time.
The other weak area I would have to say would be that there wasn't enough eggs to go

around to all the children who wanted to do the activity.

What specific changes did you try out when you presented the activity a second time?
The second time I tried the activity I supplemented the eggs for rocks of various sizes and

colors. I did this because eggs are expensive for one and because having rocks meant I could have more of them to ensure that every child would get plenty of materials to work with. I also wanted to use a different material to add to the cause and effect process of what would happen to the rocks, if the color would stick or not. Evaluate the success of these revisions. How might you improve next time? (Focus on your teaching skills)
I feel these revisions were very successful. Each child got a few rocks to work with rather

than one egg and the color even stuck better to the rocks then it did to the eggs!

Did your curriculum activity meet your stated objective? Support your answer with specific examples from your observation of the childrens involvement in the activity.
For the most part I would say every child met my objectives. They were all able to work

the materials to enhance their fine motor skills at their own pace and own accord of how. Each child was also able to identify what color they would like when asked, as well as identify what color they ended up creating after they mixed all their colors together. They were also able to identify what color their egg or rock turned at the end when they wiped them clean.
They were also able to gain an understanding of the cause and effect process of dying the

egg. "Noticing and describing changes includes identifying what variable or variables are casual. This is a mathematics concept, but it is also prominent in science in children's developing awareness of changes in the world around them and possible reasons for these (Epstein, 61)."

Based upon your informal assessment of the children during this activity, how would you build upon this activity? What would be the next curriculum activity you would plan in this area to enhance the childrens learning and why would you choose this next activity?
The next activity that I would plan would have to do with more cause and effect

processes. I would want to get the children to sort of recognize the process and be able to identify it.

Works Cited Epstein, A. S. (2009). The Intentional Teacher: Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children's Learning. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.