Building Science Sleuths

							                                      Building Science Sleuths
                              Marianne Bird, M.S., 4-H Youth Development Advisor

The Importance of Science After School

Children need science activities in after school programs
for many reasons. The emphasis schools place on
increasing reading, writing and math test scores leaves
little, if any, time in the elementary school day for science
education. Many classroom teachers, especially those
who teach in low-income neighborhoods where test scores
often lag, admit to placing little emphasis on science. In
addition, a growing number of after school programs
identify academic achievement for youth as a primary
goal. Science is at the root of discovery and an excellent
vehicle for strengthening deductive reasoning and problem
solving skills. But perhaps the most important reason for
including a science component in after school settings is
that it’s fun. Children enjoy the active process of
exploring, of questioning, and learning about their world.

Exploring With, Not Teaching About
All science—whether it’s biology, chemistry, anthropology, or psychology—is about asking
questions and seeking answers. The curiosity children possess make them natural explorers.
Scientists don’t make discoveries by being told the answers, but by making observations,
organizing information, and drawing conclusions. The key for those teaching science in non-
formal settings is to resist giving answers to children’s questions, and to encourage young
thinkers to arrive at their own conclusions.

                                       Developing Young Scientists
                                       After school program staff can weave science experiences into
                                       most any activity. Finding ways to encourage children to
                                       question and explore their world creates the basis for science
                                       learning. Primary-aged elementary school children (grades K-
                                       3), have the ability to engage in the following scientific
                                       processes:

                                              Observe: All science begins with observation. Ask
                                               the children what they see, hear, smell, feel. Introduce
                                               them to using their five senses to observe what is
                                               taking place in the activity.

                                              Compare: Scientists look for similarities and
                                               differences. Involve children in making comparisons:
                                               Bigger, faster, more, less, taller, heavier.


www.afterschool.ucdavis.edu                             University of California Cooperative Extension
       Organize: Science involves organizing information so that patterns can be identified.
        Children can sort and organize, grouping similar things together. Have them categorize
        items then share how they chose categories. Are there other ways they can organize the
        items?

       Communicate: Through words, pictures and graphs, scientists communicate what they
        discover. Children can do the same. Have them draw pictures and write about what they
        observe. Look for opportunities for children to graph their observations to help them
        make comparisons. Always engage them in explaining what they observe. Ask
        questions to spur their thinking.

Older students (grade 4 and above) not only enjoy observing, comparing, organizing and
communicating, but also have the capacity to take scientific thinking further. Encourage them to
do the following:

       Relate: Scientists seek relationships between different things. For example, what’s the
        relationship between different types of soil and how tall seeds grow? Here is where the
        ideas of experimentation and controlling variables enter science. If I raise the
        temperature or add more water, what will happen? Have children try and see.

As children reach adolescence (around the 6th grade), they develop the ability to think abstractly.
They have the ability to conceptualize things they cannot observe and to ponder possibilities.
Youth this age can:

       Infer: Inference is coming up with ideas about things that are not directly observable. If
        a plant’s leaves are wilted, we might infer that it’s not been getting enough water. Older
        children can generate explanations, form hypothesis (an educated guess), and make
        predictions. Ask them “What if…” questions to encourage this.

       Apply: How can we use what we’ve discovered? It’s a simple question that sparks
        creative thinking and problem solving. Allow young people to generate ideas and to try a
        few.

References

Ponzio, R., & Fisher, C. (1998). The Joy of Sciencing. San Francisco, CA: Gap Press.

University of California Cooperative Extension (2001). Science Process Content and
Developmental Stages. Youth Experiences in Science: YES, Oakland, CA: University of
California Press.




www.afterschool.ucdavis.edu                        University of California Cooperative Extension