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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

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collection

Cicadas

Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
12
 
collection

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>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
26
 
collection

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>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
22
 
collection

Pretend Robots

<p>Objectives</p><ul><li>Learn closely at a variety of fictional and toy robots</li><li>Compare and contrast a group of fictional and toy robots</li><li>Develop an understanding that people like to imagine different types of robots</li><li>Have the opportunity to create their own pretend robot using various household items</li><li>Think creatively and be inspired to wonder</li></ul>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
30
 
collection

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>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
14
 
collection

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>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
22
 
collection

Expressing Emotions

<p>Objectives</p><p>● Identify facial features<br />● Learn about different ways to communicate<br />● Discover that the way your face looks can communicate emotions<br />● Explore different emotions and how faces might look when expressing emotions<br />● Build empathy by learning how others might express their emotions</p><p></p>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
15
 
collection

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>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
38
 
collection

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>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
22
 
collection

Wheels and Axles

<p>Objectives:</p> <ul><li>Identify the shape of a wheel</li><li>Experiment with differently shaped wheels   </li><li>Learn that wheels and axles help heavy things move  </li></ul>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
9
 
collection

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>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
13
 
collection

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>
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
12