This Unit lays the foundation for children’s understanding time on various levels. Children will begin to understand time through the context of changes, through observations of objects before and after changes occur, and through sequences of events. As children develop, this understanding will aid them in making observations, collecting data, and sequencing events.
Children will begin to understand time as it relates to events and observations in their environment. This understanding will serve as a foundation for children as they broaden this understanding and later learn to use numbers to describe time in terms of hours, minutes, and seconds.
During these investigations, children will begin to develop a vocabulary through which they can describe their world in terms of time. Children will use terms such as first, next, and last to put the steps of a process in an order. In addition, children will use terms such as before and after when comparing objects and noting changes that have occurred. These investigations will lay the groundwork for further understanding of their environment and allow them to use language to communicate their observations.
Conceptual Themes addressed in this Unit:
- Force and Motion
- Changes and Reactions
- Properties of Matter