Rethinking How Kids Learn Science

How important are museums, TV shows and after school clubs to teaching kids science? Ira Flatow and guests look at "informal science education" and what researchers are learning about learning science.

Oobleck

Oobleck is a hands-on science activity that introduces kids to inquiry, observation and states of matter. Here's one after-school educator trying Oobleck for the first time with her kids:

Oobleck from The After-School Corporation on Vimeo.

Science Training for After-School Educators

Programs don't need science or math experts to lead activities. Well-trained after-school educators are in some ways better prepared to model the inquiry process, given that they discover the answers to science inquiries alongside kids. See the difference training can make:

Science Training for After-School Educators from The After-School Corporation on Vimeo.

Who Does Science?

At the beginning of the After-School Science PLUS curriculum, after-school educators ask kids to draw pictures of scientists. After several months of science programming, the kids do the "Who Does Science?" activity again. This time, the results are very different:

Who Does Science? from The After-School Corporation on Vimeo.

Why Do Science After School?

Engaging in science after school is not a substitute for having kids acquire basic math/science skills and knowledge at school. It's a way to excite kids about acquiring that knowledge, to involve them in tactile, surprising, real-world applications. See the telescope build by Harlem third graders in this video:

Why Do Science After School? from The After-School Corporation on Vimeo.