LAC 28:CXXXVI.503. Science: Scientific Inquiry

A. Science. Standard 1: Children engage in scientific inquiry to explore observable phenomena (objects, materials, organisms, and events) in the physical and natural world. 1. Infants, Birth-11 months: a. Demonstrate interest in objects, materials, people, and/or their environment using their senses. 2. Young Toddlers, 9-18 months: a. Observe and explore the immediate environment using their senses. b. Actively experiment with and explore the physical properties of objects and substances. c. Communicate, verbally or non-verbally, what is seen, heard, or felt when exploring the physical and natural world. 3. Older Toddlers, 16-36 months: a. Observe, ask questions, and make predictions about the physical and natural world, using their senses and simple tools. b. Put materials, substances, and/or objects together in new or unexpected ways to see what will happen. c. Share ideas and thoughts related to interactions with and observations made about the physical and natural world. 4. Three Year Olds, 36-48 months: a. Investigate, observe, ask questions, make predictions, make comparisons, and gather information about the physical and natural world using their senses and simple tools. b. Participate in simple scientific investigations. c. Describe and record findings from investigations they have conducted with prompting and support (e.g., verbally or non-verbally, drawings). 5. Four Year Olds, 48-60 months: a. Observe, ask questions, predict, make comparisons, and gather information about the physical and natural world using their senses, prior knowledge, previous experiences, equipment, and tools. b. Conduct scientific investigations and simple experiments. c. Describe and generate explanations and/or conclusions about investigations they have conducted with guidance and support (e.g., discussions, drawings, graphs).