Context
This science center was created for my Science Methods class in the Fall 2005 semester.  It was designed for kindergarten and first grade students as an inquiry based center on solid and liquid mixtures.  I designed the center on my own to meet NCSCOS goals for first grade.

Impact
In designing this center, I have demonstrated that I can impact student learning because I am allowing students to discover science concepts on their own, thus making the concepts more meaningful to the student.  I also impacted student learning because I tested this center on a kindergarten/first grade combination class in Catawba Heights Elementary, where it seemed as if the students enjoyed the center and gained a better understanding of solid/solid mixtures, liquid/solid mixtures, and liquid/liquid mixtures.  This center meets the NCSCOS goal 3.05 for first grade, which requires that students observe the above stated mixtures.  This center also meets the kindergarten SCOS 3.01 and 3.02 in providing a variety of objects with different properties, textures, shapes, and sizes. 

Alignment
The following NCDPI standards for teachers were met:

• Standard 3
  Indicator 2:  This indicator was met in designing and implementing my science center because I demonstrated an understanding of the physical concepts of matter in solids and liquids.  I had to have a sound understanding of these concepts in order to devise a center that would be inquiry based for young learners.

• Standard 10
  This standard was met by providing an active inquiry based experience for students in which they made predictions about what they were mixing together and then made inferences as to why these things happened.  Because the students were allowed to freely explore the materials, the center was a completely student-centered inquiry experience.