I'm Ming Zheng.
I teach 18 children, ages three to five,
with two other team members.
Is it going to slide, roll, or stay still?
Stay still.
ZHENG: Dan and Polly.
You got it.
ZHENG: The children we care for
have a variety of learning styles, interests,
and are at different points in their development.
This one's sliding.
ZHENG: To support all of their science learning,
we offer many different ways to explore ramps,
both active and quiet...
There's the thought bubble.
In large groups...
Me!
ZHENG: And small...
Cool!
ZHENG: ...and inside and outside.
Get set, go!
What does a slide mean?
We introduce our ramp unit with a full group activity,
where we tested if different objects would slide...
Ready?
Roll.
...or stay in place on the ramp.
Did it slide?
No.
Gigi, would you like to try?
Come on.
This was a great way to get the kids excited.
(giggling)
And it allowed us to gauge their interest and understanding
so we could better determine how to group them later.
When we set up our learning centers,
we try to have something for everyone.
For the children with a good handle on the concepts,
or just more enthusiastic kids,
our marble track learning center was perfect.
What about up here?
Oh yeah, up there.
ZHENG: They were able to explore and play independently
without the need for much support.
But one of our students felt shy about joining in.
So we started her off at our art center,
where she designed a rollercoaster out of paper.
Where is this going to go, it's really big.
Can I test it out yet?
ZHENG: Later in the week, she was happily making
marble rollercoasters with a friend
and with the support of my team member Dan.
Mia, do you think you can get it in the bowl?
I got it!
ZHENG: We use the same strategy outside
where we have the whole class
rolling different objects down a hill...
Go, pick it up.
...to see which ones would go farther.
Which one goes furthest?
My ball!
ZHENG: The kids love this activity,
and it was a great way to keep a big group engaged.
It bounced up onto the cement and it keep going.
ZHENG: It also allowed me to work with smaller groups
to explore in a more focused way.
Why did the grass not stop your ball?
Because my ball is a little bit bigger than Patrick's ball.
ZHENG: As we support the children who need more help,
we also try hard not to forget those
with a deeper understanding of the concept we are learning.
BOY: I want it to hit here, to zoom off here,
and land in here.
ZHENG: I challenged one of my students
to try to set up blocks at an angle
so he could get a golf ball in a cup.
That was close, what do you need to do?
Maybe I'll change the angle.
ZHENG: This really pushed his understanding
in a positive and fun way.
Yay!
Give me a high-five!
What else could be a ramp?
It's important to vary
the way we explain the different science concepts.
Show me how you make a ramp with your body.
Like this.
ZHENG: For instance, what a ramp is and how it works.
What tells you about the special features of the ramp?
GIRL: One end's little
and then goes up, up, higher and higher and higher.
Can I say a ramp is a place
that one end is higher than the other end?
CHILDREN: Yes.
ZHENG: Just put it on gently.
What happened?
What did you notice?
It didn't slide.
ZHENG: Okay, now if you make the ramp higher,
you think it will slide?
Yeah.
ZHENG: What did you notice?
- It slide because I made...
I did it a little higher.
ZHENG: By offering different ways to explore ramps,
there's a better chance our children will understand
the science concepts we want them to learn.
What did you pick?
Alien.
What could I do to the ramp so the alien will go down the ramp?
Make it steeper.
Come on, let's make it steeper.
Now let's try it.
Great, let's try it.
Wait a minute, did it go down?
Yes.
ZHENG: With 18 children, it does take effort
to make sure every child is working on something
that interests and challenges them.
It's working!
ZHENG: But our extra effort is helping them develop
scientific thinking and a love of science.
Can I test it out yet?
ZHENG: It's really exciting.
Yay!