Our Concept

The concept of Carolina Science GmbH is based on the Science and Technology for Children© program (STC©) and includes 24 science experiment units for ages 5 to 12, in which students investigate biological, physical-chemical, geological, and technical phenomena. The program was developed by scientists from the NSRC in collaboration with experienced elementary school teachers.

Research has shown that children learn science best through concrete experiences. The instructional activities should directly relate to the children's understanding of the world by allowing students to encounter scientific phenomena firsthand and investigate them independently. The STC© experiment units provide students with the opportunity to acquire age-appropriate scientific concepts and skills. Students work both independently and collaboratively on their investigations while conducting the units. They ask questions, make predictions (hypotheses), and test them, document their data, reflect on, and discuss their results. Finally, students apply their acquired knowledge and skills to new situations. This method of instruction culminates in the independent development of experiments to investigate their own questions.

The goals of the program:

• In addition to the content goals, the units should help students develop scientific understanding, tailored to their cognitive development.
• The curiosity of the students should be awakened, and scientific thinking structures and approaches should be promoted, such as the search for evidence for statements, critical evaluation of results, flexibility, and an awareness of the needs of living organisms.
• Furthermore, scientific argumentation and critical thinking are promoted.

The German version of the experimental units was adapted to the German school system and the curriculum framework by scientists from the Free University of Berlin in collaboration with experienced elementary school teachers, tested in Berlin schools, and further developed. Currently, the experimental units are being used and further developed as part of the TuWaS! project of the Free University of Berlin and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences in about 100 Berlin schools. Every year, two new units are revised and introduced into the testing phase.

Language support through our units

  Die Carolina Science GmbH möchte Ihren Schülern helfen, naturwissenschaftliche Themen selbstständig zu erforschen. Dazu bieten wir Unterrichtsmaterial zu vier naturwissenschaftlichen Themenfeldern, die Sie in den Klassenstufen 1 bis 6 einsetzen können.

Within each subject area, the experimental units build on one another.

For example, students can apply and deepen the knowledge acquired in Grade 1 from the experiment unit on solids and liquids in Grade 3 during the unit on chemical tests. However, we have ensured that all experiment units also work independently.

While the units for the first and second grade primarily focus on the skills of hypothesizing, observing, measuring, and identifying properties, from grade 3 onwards, evidence for statements is sought, connections are made, and recurring patterns and cycles are recognized. The recognition of cause and effect, as well as the development of controlled experiments to investigate one's own questions, is the goal of the experimental units starting from grade 5.

Interdisciplinarity

With the help of our units, interdisciplinary learning is possible! With targeted guidance in the teacher's manual, we show you ways to explore scientific fundamentals in other subjects or to consider them from different perspectives.

Soon you will also find additional material on our homepage for differentiation!

We integrate other subjects such as German, Mathematics, or Art into our scientific experiment units.

In each unit, it is necessary to record observations and collected data in a lab journal (research diary). Especially through the discussion of results in small groups or the class, language competence is promoted. Informational and reading texts are part of the units and form the basis for evaluating experiments. Following the instructions for experiments precisely is essential for successful experimentation.

Studies suggest that in an informal, motivating atmosphere, students are more willing to engage in reading and writing longer texts, especially when these relate to a classroom activity.

There are points of connection for mathematics in many STC experimental units. Comparing and measuring is fundamentally a mathematical unit. For example, in the development of a plant, measurements are taken, and diagrams are created and analyzed. In motion and construction, distances and time are measured, averages are calculated, and various types of diagrams, such as histograms, are created.

Some activities from the units can also be incorporated into art class (designing a mountain model for movement and construction, building a fantasy fruit in the life cycle of a plant…) or social studies class (visiting a nearby bike shop, …).

We have recorded ideas and suggestions for interdisciplinary activities at the end of each lesson, under the section "Continue Researching."