As a science and math teacher, I constantly had to encourage my students, that they were scientists, especially by nature. My students often had a difficult time visualizing themselves as scientists (at the beginning of the year), and often thought a scientist was an older, white, male in a lab coat that hadn’t seen the sunshine in eons. I took it upon myself to convince them that they, themselves were scientists.
We humans are a curious species, ask lots of questions, and investigate the answers to these questions. In the most basic sense, we all follow the scientific method. How many times have you used the scientific method in your life? Probably, you’re thinking back to middle school or high school science fairs. Which is likely the last time you remember using the specific steps of the scientific method, but I’m here to tell you that you’ve likely been using the scientific method (in its most basic form) more than you will be able to count.
In your middle and high school days, you probably remember the terms “hypothesis” and “variable,” “experiment,” and “results.” In the more academically taught system, you start your experiment with a question, do a little research, develop a hypothesis, design an experiment with an independent and a dependent variable, experiment, collect the data, analyze the results, and tape it on a cardboard trifold, just hoping you’ll at least get a good grade, or for those of us nerdy type; hope you win a place ribbon.
If we take the scientific jargon out of the scientific method, you’ll probably recognize that you do use it more than you think you do. For example, you walk into your home, and turn on a lamp. You notice it’s not working, so you start to wonder why (the asking of a question). You might guess (formulate a hypothesis) that the power is out, so you check another electronic (an experiment), and it looks like the power is on. Next you might check to see if the lightbulb needs to be changed, (revising your experiment, and creating a new hypothesis), so you swap it out for a new bulb (testing your new hypothesis). Voila! It works! You conclude that your light just needed a new bulb, and swapped it out.
Or, perhaps it didn’t, and you then conclude that there is something wrong with the lamp, so you ask a friend or a family member for their advice (receiving feedback on your conclusion), and they notice that the lamp is unplugged from the wall, thus providing your feedback on your conclusion, and giving you an updated conclusion. Sometimes scientists work together, and provide each other feedback.
We curious humans utilize the scientific method in a basic way when we solve most of our problems, or answer the questions that we have. Through the STEM Discovery opportunity with me, students will explore the scientific method, engage in their own experiments, and dive deep into the understanding that they can be scientists too. We’ll explore topics the student is interested in, research them, and develop a question to answer. This question will lead us to collecting data, either through a specific set of experiments, or through online research. We’ll analyze this data, write up a conclusion, and share their scientific conclusion with either you, a teacher, or a scientist within that field.
This will provide your child with the experience of investigating a scientific question, and working through the scientific method. We’ll go through each step; asking a question, gathering research about that question, formulating a hypothesis, designing an experiment/research project, collecting and analyzing data, writing up their conclusion and sharing their results. By doing this, they’ll be strengthening their critical thinking skills, scientific literacy skills, mathematical skills (collecting data, analyzing data, graphing information), as well as learning to receive feedback, and developing independent research practices. All of this will also immerse your child in science literacy, communication, and their own curiosity.
Further questions? Sign up for a free discovery session with me where we can connect further about what type of support that will be best for your child. Feel free to reach out and email me with any questions as well.
Rooted in STEM 