INTRODUCTION
Child's life can not be separated from science, creativity and social activities. Eating, drinking, using various objects in the home such as radio, TV, and the calculator can not be separated from science and technology. Therefore, teachers should be able to stimulate children with various activities related to science and technology. For that, a teacher needs to learn the scientific concepts and ways of teaching.
The introduction of science for preschool children with more emphasis on process rather than product. For preschoolers science process skills should be done in a simple while playing. Activities allow children to explore science on various objects, both living things and nonliving things around it. Children learn to identify symptoms of objects and events from symptoms of these objects.
Science also trains children to use the five senses to recognize the various symptoms of objects and events symptoms. Children are trained to see, touch, smell, feel and hear. The more senses involved in learning, the more the child understands what is learned. Children acquire new knowledge penginderaanya results with various objects that are nearby. The knowledge gained will be useful as a capital of thought further. Through the process of science, the child can perform a simple experiment. The experiment is to train children to connect cause and effect of a treatment that trains children to think logically.
In their science lessons, children also practice using measuring devices to take measurements. Gauge starts from non-standard measuring devices, such as span, fathoms or feet. Furthermore, children practice using standard measuring devices. Children are gradually trained to use stuan that will allow them to think logically and rationally. Thus science is also developing the intellectual abilities of children.
SCIENCE and its application
Products include science facts, concepts, theories, principles and laws. For preschool children the facts and simple concepts can be learned through play activities. For example, through water play, children observe the water and carried out many experiments on water such as throwing, pouring, enter and retrieve objects in various ways. Of these activities children learn the properties of water. The child may be aware that water can flow from one place to another. Water can be poured from one place to another. Children find objects sink and others float.
The application of science in everyday life embodied in the form of technology. Radios, washing machines, TVs, computers, lamps and HP are examples of technologies that work is very useful in everyday life. Preschoolers are always curious how these things work. Children want to know the contents of the radio. They think in the radio there are people who can speak or sing. Similarly with television. Children will be surprised to see that dismantled the radio and view contents rather than people. That is why in nursing education for early childhood abroad is always displaying the radio, television or other simple machines are opened for the child to know its contents. Many companies also provide car and motorcycle engine that has halved so that the children can know the technology works.
The knowledge gained will be useful as a capital child's thinking. Through science, children can perform simple experiments. The experiment is to train children to connect cause and effect of a treatment that trains children to think logically.
Signs SCIENCE ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
Introduction of science activities for preschool children should be adjusted to the child's developmental level. Teacher / educator should not cram science concepts to children, but provide learning activities that enables children to discover for yourself the facts and simple concepts. Experimental Learning Theory of Carl Rogermengisyaratkan importance of learning in accordance with the wishes and needs of children. He said children are naturally with the capacity and willingness to learn. Function is to facilitate and assist educators so that children can learn optimally. According to Piaget (1972) preschool children aged 4-6 years are in pre-operational phase of development towards concrete and operational. For that scientific activity should be tailored to the developmental level and characteristics of the child.
The following are signs that could be a reference in learning science:
1. Concrete
Objects that used to play in the learning activities are concrete objects (real). Educators are encouraged not to overwhelm children with abstract concepts. Educators should provide a variety of objects and other necessary facilities so that children can find sendirri concept.
2. Causal relationship is directly seen
Children aged 5-6 years is still difficult to link cause and effect is not seen directly because their minds are transduktif. Children can not connect cause and effect is not visible directly. If the child sees the events directly, make the child able to know the causal relationships that occur. Science is rich in activities that train the child to connect cause and effect.
3. Allows children to explore
Science activities should allow children to explore the various objects that are nearby. Educators can bring objects and phenomena of interest into the classroom. For example the teacher presents mother cat with her son, or a caterpillar that will pupate. Akn child feel good attention and behavioral changes that occur to the animal. Playing with water, magnets, balloons, sound or shadow will make your child very happy. Children will also be able to use almost all of his senses to conduct exploration or investigation.
4. Allows children menkonstruksi own knowledge.
Science does not train children to remember the various objects, but to train children to construct knowledge based on the object. Hence the introduction of scientific activity is not enough to tell the definition nor the names of objects, but allows children to interact directly with objects and acquire knowledge in many senses of that object. Therefore it is not appropriate when introducing children various objects through drawings or models. Children need a real object.
5. Allows the child to answer the question "what" of the "why"
Limitations of the child causing the child to connect cause and effect is difficult to answer the question "why". The question must be answered by the logic of cause and effect thinking. If children play with water in the pipal and the child was asked "what would happen if the end of the pipe is raised?". Children can answer, "the water will flow through the other end is lower." Unnecessary child asked "why, if the tip is raised, water will multiply into a lower end"? It will not be answered by the child. Children often translate the question "why" with "for what", so the question will be answered why "in order" or "order".
6. More emphasis on process rather than product
Conduct exploration activities with objects will be very enjoyable for children. Children do not brfikir what the outcome. Therefore, teachers do not have to cram son with a variety of scientific concepts or require the child to produce something of the child's activities. Let your child naturally find different understanding of the interaction play with various objects. In other words the process is more important than the product.
7. Allows children using language and mathematics
The introduction of science should be integrated with other disciplines, such as language, mathematics, art and or character. Through a child's exploration of the science object. Children can tell the results of its exploration to his friend (the language). Children take measurements, using numbers, and read numbers (math). Children can also describe the object being observed and meawarnai drawing (art). Children are also taught to love the environment or surrounding objects (budipekerti).
8. Presenting an interesting activity (the wondwer of science)
Science presents a variety of interesting experiments like magic. Children who still have a magical mind (/ imagical reasoning) would be very interested in the miracle. For example milk soap mixed with water and given three kinds of food coloring, and stir. With manmbahkan little soda water, the child will see the water foaming and bubbles like boiling water colorful displays of interest.
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ACTIVITIES
There are several material science especially suitable for preschool children aged 5-6 years. Learning science topics should be giving more first-hand experience (first-hand experience) to the child, instead of studying the concept of an abstract saians. Besides learning science should develop kemampuana observation, classification, measurement, using numbers and identify causal relationships. The materials include:
1. Know the motion.
Children love to play with objects that can moves, twisting, rolling, bouncy, or sag. There beberpa activities to introduce children to movement, among others:
a. Roll and shape of objects.
This material will awaken the child causes the onset of movement on the object. The slope of the board, shapes slilidris and boxes, smooth rough surfaces influence the speed of movement. This material can also be trained powers of observation.
b. Rolling and object size.
Played by rolling objects of various sizes will help students to recognize that the great and small, the severity of an object affects the motion of the object. Meteri also trained powers of observation in children.
2. Know liquid
Playing with water is one of the joys of children. Educators can steer the game so that children can have a wide experience on the water. Water constantly adjust its shape to the shape of the container. Water flows from higher to lower yng place or from a place of high pressure to low pressure place. N Various activities with less water, among others:
a. Volume conservation
This activity is a way to train children to understand the contents or volume of liquid. Pre-operational child can not understand conservation of volume (Piaget 1972). Therefore, introducing children to the vessel to be filled will help children understand the conservation of volume. He filled a large bottle, and then move into a smaller bottle and sebalaiknya, children learn to use numbers to calculate the amount of water that is inserted into the bottle. Children will also be trained to understand the sense of more and less. This activity should be done outside the classroom. In order not to get wet, the child should be asked to wear a plastic vest.
b. Sinking and floating
This activity can be done in class or outside class. If in class, give plastic mats and newspapers so that water does not mmbasahi place. The purpose of this activity is for children are given the experience that there is an existing sink objects that float. Children often think of small-sized objects floating and sinking large. Sinking or floating is not determined by the size of the objects but by the density of objects. .
c. Creating a floating object
The purpose of this activity addalah to introduce to the children that objects can be made floating sink. From this activity the child will also understand, why are heavy boats can float. .
d. Soluble and insoluble.
Some things dissolve into the water and some will not. Sugar, salt and color to the tea dissolve in water so it will form a solution. If the solution is left, it will form a precipitate, unless all the water evaporated. Other objects are not soluble in water, such as flour, sand and oil. If the object is mixed with water it will not form a solution, but form a mixture. Homogeneous mixture is not visible and if deposited, it will show the existence of sediment.
e. Water flowing.
Water flows from a high place to place lower because of gravity. Water from the lower spot can be streamed to a more high-pressure by adding, for example with water pump. Children love to play with flowing water and gain firsthand experience that will be useful for studying science.
f. Knowing the nature of various liquids
Through this activity children are introduced in a fluid is varied, not just water. Liquid objects also have different properties.
3. Knowing the scales (balance).
Balance is very good to train anakmenghubungkan causation because the results will appear in langsung.jika load on one arm plus scales, then the burden will fall. Similarly, if the load on the slide away from the axis. Various different types of objects have mass. Cotton and sponge has a density smaller than the iron and stone, although stone and iron of small size but will be heavier than cotton or sponge.
4. Playing soap bubbles
Children love playing with soap bubbles. By adding one teaspoon of glycerin to two liters of water, a solution of soap, the soap will diperoleeh amazing solution that can be used to form a giant bubble, window glass, or any other form of foam ..
5. Familiar objects Resilience
The objects of the rubber in general memuliki flexibility so it can bounce if dropped. Thus pulla object of curry filled the air, are like basketball, volleyball and plastic balls. Children are very pleased bermin with these objects.
6. Knowing Animals
Animals are creatures that appeal to children being able to respond to stimuli. Dogs, for example, able to restore objects thrown bnda owners. The kitten will chase and pounce on moving objects. Although still debated in terms of sanaitasi and hygiene, maintaining pets can develop a sense of love and affection in children. Through animals children will learn a lot about these creatures. Therefore, in nagara-developed countries, the zoo is equipped with a corner of science (science center) where children can interact with a star benign and clean while study them. There are several benefits when children interact with animals. First, children learn to recognize and appreciate living things, he learned that living things need food, shelter and affection. Second, children learn to love the animals that will eventually menumuhkan compassion on living things.
Still a lot of material that can help children recognize familiar science including their own bodies. Teachers can develop their own phenomena that exist and are happening around the child. Including plants that are around them.
REFERENCES
Appleton, K. Using theory to guide practice: Teaching science from a perspective constrictivist. (1993) School Science and Mathematics.Washington DC.
Bybee, R.W. & Sund, R.B. (1982). Piaget for educators. Columbus, OH: Charles Merrill.
Djohar (2001). Basic Concepts of Biology Education. Department of Biology Education, UNY.
Gagne, R.M. (1985). The Conditions of Learning. (4th ed). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Piaget, J. (1970). The Science of Education and The Psichology of The Child. New York: Grossman
Suyanto, Slamet. (2005). Learning for Children kindergarten. Jakarta: Ministry of National Education Directorate of Higher Education, TOD and the Directorate of Higher Education workforce.
Author: Dra. Kartini Marzuki, M. Si (PLS FIP Lecturer State University of Makassar)
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