(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2022) Sauer, Christina Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Dennis Aig
A child's natural inclination to explore the world around him/her has been a fundamental part of child development theory. From 2- to 5-years-old, or preschool-aged, children are 'tiny scientists' who are capable of understanding basic concepts of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Through the examination of child development studies and children's educational programming history with an analysis of three renowned educational television programs for the preschool audience, this paper creates a framework for developing preschool television programming with STEM content. A concluding discussion details how the Framework is then implemented in the creation of a film 'Discovery Camp: Busy Bees Make Honey'.
