Teaching STEM outdoors : activities for young children / Patty Born Selly.

Includes bibliographical references.

Contents: What's in This Book? -- How Do I Use This Book? -- "Think STEM" -- ch. 1 What Is STEM? -- Integration Matters -- STEM in the Early Years -- STEM beyond the Classroom -- STEM and the Achievement Gap -- ch. 2 Why Kids Need Nature -- The Role of Nature in Learning -- The Benefits of Outdoor Time and Recess -- How Nature Supports the Development of Soft Skills -- Structured Play vs. Nature-Based Settings -- Loose Parts as Elements for STEM Learning -- ch. 3 An Overview of the STEM Disciplines -- Science -- Technology -- Engineering -- Math -- ch. 4 Building on a Strong STEM Foundation -- The Process of Inquiry -- Observation and Inference -- Consider Your Outcomes and the Children's Needs -- ch. 5 Putting It All Together -- Integrating the STEM Disciplines -- Catalysts for Learning -- Tools for Documenting Learning -- Using Questions to Guide Learning -- Using Materials to Spur STEM Thinking -- Creating a Community of Curiosity -- Conclusion -- ch. 6 STEM Starts -- Connecting to the Big Ideas -- Crosscutting Concepts -- STEM Starts.

Foreword / by David Sobel -- Introduction -- What is STEM? -- Why kids need nature -- An overview of the STEM disciplines -- Building on a strong STEM foundation -- Putting it all together -- STEM starts.

"Connect nature play, outdoor experiences, and STEM learning for young children with activities, real-life examples, and educator resources. Nurture young children's innate tendencies toward exploration, sensory stimulation, and STEM learning when you connect outdoor learning and STEM curriculum. Discover the developmental benefits of outdoor learning and how the rich diversity of settings and materials of nature gives rise to questions and inquiry for deeper learning. Full of activities, examples, and resources to take the fun of STEM outside, this book will help teachers articulate connections between nature play, outdoor experiences, and STEM learning in young children. Use STEM and nature-based learning to nurture children's curiosity and exploration of the world. Patty Born Selly is an assistant professor of environmental education and STEM at Hamline University. She previously served as the executive director of the National Center for STEM Elementary Education at St. Catherine University. Selly has over twenty years of experience in early childhood education, has written two books, and regularly consults other educators on science and nature education approaches for young children"--

"Research shows that an increasing number of early care and education providers want to take children outdoors more often and see real value in nature-based learning. This book will help them articulate connections between nature play, outdoor experiences, and STEM learning in young children. The book will include activities, examples, and resources for readers"--

An increasing number of early care and education providers want to take children outdoors more often and see real value in nature-based learning. Selly helps articulate connections between nature play, outdoor experiences, and STEM learning in young children. The book includes activities, examples, and resources for readers.

Rather than “experimenting with a new idea,” David Sobel’s introduction encourages teachers to think of the current push for science, mathematics, engineering and technology education as “the invigoration of an old idea, like walking to school, helping your neighbor, or eating straight from the garden.” Patty Born Selly’s chapters reveal how lessons in scientific observation coupled with opportunities to build things and solve problems outdoors can help preschoolers gain essential skills and confidence. (Miller Library Staff)