Expanding the Science and Technology Learning Experiences of Children Expanding the Science and Technology Learning Experiences of Children David Moursund Email: [email protected] Version 4/1/2011 "Mankind owes to the child the best it has to give." (United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959.) Origami: See Chapter 2 and Wikipedia. Copyright, Free Distribution, and Disclaimer This book is Copyright © 2011 David Moursund. However, it is being made available on the Web for free downloading. This is a “one string loosely attached” free distribution. If you find the book useful, you are encouraged (but in no sense required) to make a small tax- deductible contribution to the University of Oregon to show your appreciation. Details are available at the site http://iae- pedia.org/David_Moursund_Legacy_Fund. My experience is that each year about five to ten percent of the links in my publications become broken. Please send me email concerning errors in content, broken links, and suggestions for content to be added or deleted. Page 1 Expanding the Science and Technology Learning Experiences of Children About the Author David Moursund "In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have." (Lee Iacocca, American industrialist; 1924-.) • Doctorate in mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Madison. • Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Computing Center (School of Engineering), Michigan State University. • Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Computing Center, University of Oregon. • Associate and then Full Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Oregon. Served six years as the first Head of the Computer Science Department. • Full Professor in the College of Education at the University of Oregon for more than 20 years. • Started the publication that eventually became Learning and Leading with Technology, the flagship periodical of the International Society for Technology in Education. • Founded the International Society for Technology in Education. Headed this organization for 19 years. • Author or co-author of more than 40 commercially-published books and several hundred articles. • Major professor or co-major professor for 82 Ph.D. students. See http://www.genealogy.ams.org/id.php?id=8415. • For more information about David Moursund, see http://iae- pedia.org/David_Moursund. Page 2 Expanding the Science and Technology Learning Experiences of Children Table of Contents “Children are the message we send to the future.” (Abraham Lincoln; sixteenth US President; 1809–1865.) “Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” (John Fitzgerald Kennedy; 35th US President; 1917-1963.) Preface for Parents and Teachers ..............................................................................6 1. Important Educational Background Information ............................................11 Informal and Formal Education ..........................................................................11 Some Key Ideas in Education .............................................................................12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math ....................................................16 Cognitive Development (Mental Maturity) ........................................................20 Final Remarks .....................................................................................................21 2. Arts, Crafts & Constructions..............................................................................22 Origami ...............................................................................................................23 Paper Airplanes ...................................................................................................24 Other Paper Folding Projects ..............................................................................25 Paper Snowflakes................................................................................................26 Bridge Building...................................................................................................27 Building and Flying Kites ...................................................................................28 Construction Projects ..........................................................................................29 Lego ....................................................................................................................30 Final Remarks .....................................................................................................31 3. Educational Puzzles .............................................................................................32 Free Puzzles Usually Come with a Price ............................................................33 Brainteaser—Think Outside the Box—Puzzle ...................................................33 Toothpick (Matchstick) Puzzles..........................................................................36 More Logic Puzzles ............................................................................................37 Jigsaw Puzzles.....................................................................................................39 Sudoku Puzzles ...................................................................................................41 KenKen Puzzles ..................................................................................................43 Additional Types of Puzzles ...............................................................................45 Science-based Magic...........................................................................................47 Final Remarks .....................................................................................................48 4. Educational Games ..............................................................................................49 Play is a Child’s Job............................................................................................50 Competitive Games.............................................................................................51 Page 3 Expanding the Science and Technology Learning Experiences of Children Learning to Plan Ahead.......................................................................................52 Computer-based Games ......................................................................................53 Learning to Play a Game.....................................................................................55 Some Free Educational Games ...........................................................................59 Word Games .......................................................................................................62 Math Games ........................................................................................................64 Tetris ...................................................................................................................65 Card Games.........................................................................................................66 Final Remarks .....................................................................................................68 5. Virtual Field Trips & Other Aids to Learning..................................................69 The Web is a Virtual Library ..............................................................................69 Virtual Manipulatives .........................................................................................71 Virtual Field Trips...............................................................................................73 Virtual Calculators ..............................................................................................76 Virtual Microscope .............................................................................................76 Virtual Manipulatives and Science Activities.....................................................77 Final Remarks .....................................................................................................78 6. Digital Photography, Videography, and Graphics ...........................................80 Virtual Digital Photography................................................................................81 Brief History .......................................................................................................82 Learning to Use the Digital Photography Tools .................................................84 Creating Computer Graphics ..............................................................................86 Final Remarks .....................................................................................................88 7. Educational Videos ..............................................................................................90 A Huge Collection of Free Educational Videos..................................................90 STEM Videos......................................................................................................90 Technology, Entertainment, Design Videos .......................................................92 Miscellaneous Topics..........................................................................................95