Science in the Preschool Classroom

STEM in the classroom is huge lately. I feel like every other day I see ideas on Pinterest on how to incorporate it into the early childhood classroom. My goal is to also make the NJ Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards accessible to my students. So, today I did a sink or float lesson with my class. This addressed standard 5.1.2 (Observe, question, predict, and investigate materials, objects, and phenomena during classroom activities indoors and outdoors and during any longer term investigations in progress. Seek answers to questions and test predictions using simple experiments or research media (e.g., cracking a nut to look inside; putting a toy car in water to determine whether it sinks))

I created a pictures using Boardmakeronline.com (free trial again, woo!). One says "sink" and the other says "float" and have the corresponding visuals. I decided to do this activity with fall items- an apple, a stick, a pine cone, a leaf, and a mini pumpkin. I also made visuals on Boardmaker for these items. This way the students got to choose which items we put in the water  first, second, etc. 

My students LOVED this activity. I mean water and preschoolers is an instant hit no matter what, but seriously they enjoyed making predictions by pointing to "sink" or float." This was also a great lesson on choice making for them. After we were done placing each item in the water and determining if they sank or floated I allowed the students to have some free play with the fall items in the water.