Reflective Journal: Science Centre Experiments for Young Learners

This reflective journal explores the importance of 'discovery of world' for children aged 2-6 through science experiments conducted at an interactive science center. The journal details five science experiments: botany (plant and seed activity), chemistry (lava lamp and water cycle), physics (balloon on string and sound with hanger), biology (skeleton and digestive system), and astronomy (moon eclipse and climate change). The experiments aimed to foster critical thinking, observation skills, and an understanding of the children's environment. The reflection highlights how these activities align with the NEL curriculum framework, promoting curiosity, knowledge building, and the development of essential thinking capabilities. The experiments allowed children to explore their world through personal experiences, encouraging them to develop new theories, analyze changes, and improve their prediction abilities. The journal concludes that these activities widen children's dimensions and knowledge, encouraging them to discover new things about themselves and their surroundings.

Running head: DISCOVERY OF WORLD
DISCOVERY OF WORLD
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

1DISCOVERY OF WORLD
Introduction
The main aim of the reflective journal is to depict the importance of discovery of world
for children. The reflection focus on the learning activity at interactive science centre
implemented for children of age 2-6 years old. The essay highlights the science experiment
conducted for children to make them critical thinker and competent.
Discovery of world is connected with the daily experience of the children where they
come across various learning activity (Bjorklund & Causey, 2017). It deals with their way of
interaction and exploration of surrounding environment, which include their home, cultures,
families and schools. The main idea that lie in discovery of world is behaviour and attitude of
children towards their environment. They are curious and full of wonder which create
opportunity for them to learn, explore and increase their dimension which is recognised as
discovery of world.
It is important for children to teach about discovery of world as it will assist them to
learn, built essential thinking capability and increase their knowledge (Van Manen, 2016).
Children are with new mind and by teaching about discovery of world, it will excite them, built
new curiosities and make them competent for new discoveries. Hence, it is important to make
them learn to increase their skill of observation, investigation, predication and drawing new idea
from discovery of world.
As a part of discovery of world, we have conducted 5 science experiment related to
botany, chemistry, physics, biology and astronomy in group of five. Our main motive was to
discover their world through personal experience. In botany experiment we did plant and seed
activity to make them aware about nature. Additionally, through chemistry experiment, children

2DISCOVERY OF WORLD
get an opportunity to know about water cycle and volcano. It will led them to come up new
theories and reasons. We have also added physic activity of balloon on string and sound with
hanger to enhance their sense about the world they live in. Student were showing great interest
and enjoying in such activities. When we did biology activity where we showed skeleton system
and digestive, children were excited and learned how their body looks from inside and how
digestion takes place. The session was fun for them as they come across new things and learned
about the something which is related to their self. This has benefited the children as they address
the activity with full zeal. In the activity of climate change and moon eclipse, children got to
know about universe and their surroundings. It increase their predication ability and skill of
analysing changes in climate (Butler, Pentoney & Bong, 2017).
Lastly, it can be concluded that all the science experiment has cultivated children with
new idea, notion about their surrounding environment. It will benefit the children as they will
discover new thing about themselves as well. It will increase their thinking ability and encourage
to come up with new solutions and explanation. Thus, activities related to discovery of world
will widen their dimension and knowledge.

3DISCOVERY OF WORLD
Reference
Bjorklund, D. F., & Causey, K. B. (2017). Children's thinking: Cognitive development and
individual differences. Sage Publications.
Butler, H. A., Pentoney, C., & Bong, M. P. (2017). Predicting real-world outcomes: Critical
thinking ability is a better predictor of life decisions than intelligence. Thinking Skills and
Creativity, 25, 38-46.
Van Manen, M. (2016). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive
pedagogy. Routledge.