STEM EducationBring Exploration and Design to your Programs

Bridging the Bay Conference, January 31, 2015Presented by Steven Worker & Anne Iaccopucci

Agenda• Introductions

• Draw a scientist

• Science InquiryScience Activity

• Engineering DesignEngineering Activity

Children are natural scientists and engineers! Harness their curiosity and inquisitive spirit by engaging them in exploration and design (aka STEM activities) in your afterschool program.

This session will help participants explore methods to integrate science inquiry and engineering design into their programs. Learn how to select curricula, and implement using best practices, so that youth learn science content, reasoning skills, improve their interest and attitudes towards science, and are able to contribute to their communities.

Introductions• Who are you?

• Where are you from?

• Would you rather be a scientist or an engineer?

Children are natural scientists and engineers! Harness their curiosity and inquisitive spirit by engaging them in exploration and design (aka STEM activities) in your afterschool program.

This session will help participants explore methods to integrate science inquiry and engineering design into their programs. Learn how to select curricula, and implement using best practices, so that youth learn science content, reasoning skills, improve their interest and attitudes towards science, and are able to contribute to their communities.

4-H Youth Development

A vision of healthy, happy, thriving people who make a positive difference in their communities

4-H reaches 210,000 youth and 14,000 adult volunteers in Clubs, 4-H camps, schools, and short-term projects.

Positive Youth Development

ResearchHealth

Science & Engineering Civic Engagement

Who is a scientist?

In 2 minutes or less, draw a scientist at work.

Flip over your paper.

Now, in 2 minutes or less, draw yourself doing science.

Who is a scientist?

Score your two drawings.

Give a point if any of these are present in your drawings:

1. male gender2. White race3. lab coat4. eyeglasses5. facial hair6. symbols of research (instruments, lab equipment)7. symbols of knowledge (books, cabinets, clipboards)8. technology9. captions (like formulae or eureka)10. indications of danger11. light bulbs12. mythic stereotypes (like Frankenstein)13. indications of secrecy14. indoors15. middle age or elderly

Did your drawings look more like…

Or like this?

What does this mean?

What is science? What is engineering?

• No, really, what are these?

• Come up with a one sentence definition for science and a one sentence definition for engineering at your tables.

Your definitions

• Who does this? • Do only professional scientists/engineers do this?

• Is anything missing from these definitions?

• How do you think you can get children to do this in your afterschool program?

What is science? What is engineering? Here are my definitions:

Science is a process and practices to helppeople make sense of and

construct knowledge about the world.

Engineering is a process of solving problems by inventing, designing, building,

and testing solutions.

Inquiry

Design

Exploration Activity

• In pairs (or teams of 3): – Investigate the liquids.– What can you observe and describe about each?

• Tools available:– Eye droppers to handle the liquid– Various surfaces

Exploration Activity

• What does each smell like?• What does each look like?• What does each taste! Like?• What does each sound like?• What do they do on the surfaces?

Debrief Exploration Activity

• How would you describe this activity?

Design Activity

• A spill has occurred thatneeds cleaned-up!

• In pairs (or teams of 3), design and build an Eco-Bot to help clean-up the spill. Test your device when ready.

Design Activity

• Share your Eco-Bot.– What worked?– What did not work?– What was the most challenging?

Debrief Design Activity

• How would you describe this activity?

Science v. EngineeringScientific Inquiry Engineering Design

Reasoning processes used to find solutionsRequire creativity

Use similar cognitive tools (e.g., analogy, models, visual representations)Require testing and evaluation

Identifying general rules (universal truths) Finding solution to satisfy specific criteria

While endeavor may involve constraints, the outcome does not. Involves constraints (materials and finance)

Product judged for its universal application (e.g., core conceptual theory) Product judged by social values

One solution; generalizable to all situations Embrace multiple solutions Trade-offs Dependence on iteration

Science v. Engineering

• Science and engineering can be fun for kids!

• What is the role of the adult educator (YOU)? In your groups, brainstorm a list of strategies and tips you would offer other educators to facilitate science & engineering activities.

The inquiry continuum

• Open/Full – “doing science” – youth formulate their own problem to investigate.

• Guided - The educator provides only the materials and problem to investigate. Students devise their own procedure to solve the problem.

• Directed/Structured – “cookbook” - The educator provides youth with a hands-on problem to investigate, as well as the procedures but does not inform them of expected outcomes.

Resources

Curriculum Professional Development Evaluation

Utilize 4-H materials or invite local 4-H staff to help facilitate workshops.

4-H materials are often available for free or low cost. Materials are often peer reviewed for accuracy and quality.

Learn from our research, evaluation, and promising practices

CurriculaTo find curricula, search:

California 4-H http://www.ca4h.org/Projects/Curriculum/

My4H.org and National Directory of 4-H Materialshttp://www.4-h.org/my4-h

4-H MALLhttp://www.4-hmall.org/

Professional DevelopmentTools of the Trade I: Giving Kids a Lifetime Guarantee• http://ucanr.edu/sites/Afterschool/Tools_of_the_Trade_Training_Guid

es/• Using a hands-on, interactive skill-building approach, it provides the

latest tools to help afterschool staff enhance communication, management, and educational delivery of afterschool programs.

Tools of the Trade II: Inspiring Young Minds to be Science, Engineering, and Technology Ready for Life!• http://4h.ucanr.edu/Projects/SET/SETResources/ToTII/• 22 hour training guide for afterschool line staff

Online Course: Using Inquiry-based learning to Support 4-H Science • 3-20minute videos• http://www.4-h.org/

Research and EvaluationCalifornia Agriculture - http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.org/ Articles on professional development and youth agriculture education.

Journal of Extension - http://www.joe.org/

California 4-Hhttp://4h.ucanr.edu/Research/4HPublications/

– [Book] Advances in youth development: Research and evaluation from the University of California 2001-2010

– Monographs– Fact Sheets

Youth can participate in many ways…Camp and Afterschool programs provide opportunities for youth to gain skills that help them thrive and succeed. Through the outdoor experience youth can discover a new spark, establish a willingness to try new things, and develop qualities of Positive Youth Development.

A 4-H club is an organized group of at least five youth with two 4-H appointed adult volunteers. The purpose of a 4-H club is to provide positive youth development opportunities that enable youth to reach their full potential as competent, confident, leaders of character who contribute and are connected to their communities.

Steps to becoming a volunteer: Adults are eligible to participate in 4-H if they are 18 years of age or older. A volunteer cannot simultaneously be a 4-H member. Chaperones must be 21 years of age or older (county age requirement may differ).

To apply for 4-H, contact the adult 4-H volunteer club/camp leader or your County 4-H Office.

1. Enroll annually (July 1 through June 30). 2. 4-H Enrollment is conducted by the 4-H Club and County 4-H Office in each

county. Enrollment procedures may vary in each county, so check with your County 4-H Offices for more information.

Youth are eligible to participate in 4-H if they meet the following criteria:

Primary Members (also called Cloverbuds or Minimembers) - Must be 5 years old or in kindergarten by December 31 of the program year.

4-H Members - Must be 9 years old or in 4th grade by December 31 of the program year and may continue in the program until the end of the calendar year in which they become 19 years of age.

Steps to join:

ContactsUCCE Alameda 4-H Office1131 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 131Alameda, CA 94502

510-567-6886

UCCE Contra Costa 4-H Office75 Santa Barbara Road - 2nd FloorPleasant Hill, CA 94523

925-646-6543

UCCE San Mateo-San Francisco 4-H Office80 Stone Pine Road #100Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

650-726-9059

UCCE Marin 4-H Office1682 Novato Boulevard, Suite 150-BNovato, CA 94947

415-499-4207

California State 4-H Office2801 Second StreetDavis, CA 95618-7774(530) 750-1334ca4h@ucanr.edu