Scientific practical initiation in Kindergarten: the digestive system through inquiry and modeling based learning

Abstract

We present a didactical approach, that has been implemented in a kindergarten classroom with 24 children (5-6 years old). It was an inquiry-based proposal with snails which uses modeling to improve digestive system scientific models. To know what the learners have actually learned, initials interviews were made. Final data came from the comunication phase in the inquiry activity. The responses were analyzed and categorizated by intra- and inter-rater agreement. Initial and final analysis were compared. In general, we observed a positive development of the learnings and positive emotions when making science. It is concluded that this type of didactical approaches is able to take scientific practices to kindergarten classrooms.