The aim of this study is to investigate if pedagogues, by different activities, can increase childrens awareness and curiosity for the ecological water cycle. Further, to identify the thoughts children between three and five years old have about the ecological water cycle. In order to review this, eight children participated in four group activities, and afterwards they were interviewed individually about their thoughts regarding water. The children were aware that water occurs in different aggregation forms, which is important to know when trying to understand the ecological water cycle. The activities were a valuable method to stimulate childrens interest in the ecological water cycle. It was reviled that it is difficult for children to understand the abstract parts in the water cycle, such as water vapor. Most of the children were able to describe a simple variant of the water cycle. / Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka om pedagogerna genom aktiviteter kan utveckla barnens intresse för vattnets kretslopp samt vilka tankar som barn i tre till femårsålder har om vattnets kretslopp. För att komma fram till resultatet så har 8 barn deltagit i fyra gruppaktiviteter och efter det har de intervjuats enskilt om deras tankar kring vatten. Alla barnen visste att vatten förekommer i olika aggregationsformer. För att förstå processen kring vattnets kretslopp är det viktigt att förstå att vatten förekommer i olika aggregationsformer. De aktiviteter som användes i studien visade sig vara bra aktiviteter för att stimmulera barnens intresse för vattnets kretslopp. Det är svårt för barnen att förstå det abstrakta i kretsloppet, som till exempel vattenånga. Flertalet av barnen kunde redogöra för en enkel variant av vattnets kretslopp.

While there has been research on development of multiplicative reasoning, and how to teach multiplication facts, there is little research on how children consider they learn these. This study explores the children's learning as they consider how they commit their multiplication facts to memory, discover calculation strategies and develop multiplicative thinking. A group of eleven Year 4 children (8 years old) participated in a series of 13 lessons where they became coresearchers in the exploration of their learning. A contextually based thematic approach was provided through 'Crocodilian Studies'. The mixed-method approach to this study included formal assessment, participant observation, individual interviews, the children's written ideas, and individual case studies. The most significant finding of this study was the powerful influence of peer learning. The children enriched and directed each other's learning as they shared ideas and reflected on their own mathematical learning as they observed and critiqued the thinking of peers. As the children were involved in thinking about how they learn they were able to identify gaps and construct their own learning pathways. A significant finding was that children can develop their multiplicative strategies while they commit their multiplication facts to memory, in a relatively short time provided that the learning process facilitates strategy development and understanding. By exposing the children to multiplication facts in sequenced clusters provided them with a manageable number of facts to be learnt at one time. Another finding related to how children develop calculation strategies through lesson activities rather than being explicitly taught them. The children considered practice important for memorisation. Parental support was significant in enriching the children's learning.