
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
Nestled in the nation’s capital in the richest museum complex in the world is the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, a model early childhood program that places children at the center of every experience. SEEC utilizes an emergent curriculum, following the children's interests to teach content and developmental skills through objects in the museums and community.
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center's collections
Riding on a Carousel
<p>OBJECTIVES</p><ul><li>Look carefully at a variety of carousel animals </li><li>Identify the animals </li><li>Compare and contrast the animals </li><li>Talk about which animals people typically ride</li><li>Talk about real vs pretend</li><li>Create a model carousel</li></ul>
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Sink Float
<p>OBJECTIVES:</p>
<ul><li>Experiment with objects to see if they sink or float</li><li>Learn that boats float</li><li>Discuss how sometimes boats sink and learn the word shipwreck </li><li>Look closely at the 3D model of the Philadelphia Gunboat (a boat which sunk and was then later brought to the surface and into the Natural History Museum)</li><li>Make ships out of aluminum foil and experiment to see how many pennies can go on the boat before it sinks</li></ul>
22
Hot Air Balloons
<p>OBJECTIVES:<br /></p>
<ul><li>Explore the differences between the positions up and down</li><li>Imagine what it would look like to float high in the sky</li><li>Identify the parts of a hot air balloon—basket and envelope </li><li>Experiment with hot air balloon design</li><li>Be inspired to create own fabric design</li><li>Discover that the flame heats the air causing the balloon to float up</li></ul><p></p>
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Stanley - The Driverless Car
<p>Objectives </p>
<ul><li>Learn that robots need special sensors to help them understand the world around them</li><li>Discover that we use our senses to help learn more about the world around us</li><li>Explore our senses</li><li>Compare our senses to the senses of Stanley the driverless car </li></ul>
14
Robots that Help
<p>OBJECTIVES:<br /></p>
<ul><li>Learn that people make robots to do things to help people </li><li>Look closely at a robot that some people have in their house</li><li>Learn about other types of helping robots </li><li>Talk about why robots are made</li><li>Learn that robots are designed with a purpose </li><li>Think about times when it might be helpful to have a robot </li><li>Use creativity to design robots </li></ul>
22
Fire Engine vs Fire Pumper
<p>Objectives: </p>
<ul><li> Learn that firefighters are people who help keep you safe</li><li> Discover that firefighters use fire trucks to help them get to the fire quickly</li><li> Compare familiar firetrucks to the less familiar hand pump fire truck in the museum</li></ul><p></p>
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Emotion Eruptions
<p>Objectives </p><ul><li>Build an emotional literacy </li><li>Discuss ways to calm down body instead of erupting </li><li>Use bells to practice breathing and mindfulness</li><li>Explore ancient bells of China</li></ul>
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Volcano Eruptions
<p>Objectives - </p><p><br /></p><ul><li>Learn that active volcanoes erupt </li><li>Discover that volcanoes erupt when pressure builds up </li><li>Experiment with eruptions </li><li>Learn that some mountains are volcanoes </li></ul><p><br /></p>
22
Car Design
<p>Objectives: </p><ul><li>Discover that cars come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors </li><li>Learn that some design elements improve functions of cars and some are purely aesthetic </li><li>Have the opportunity to design own car </li></ul><p><br /></p>
13
Monkeys Grasp
<p>Objectives</p>
<ul><li>Compare movements of the flying trapeze artist to the movements of monkeys swinging from the trees </li><li>Imagine what it would feel like to swing (like a trapeze artist and like a monkey)</li><li>Learn about how monkeys move </li></ul>
12
Flying Trapeze
<p>Objectives</p>
<ul><li>Learn that trapeze artists had to be very precise with their timing</li><li>Experiment with motion and pendulums </li></ul>
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