KLEIN's
GUIDE TO
SCIENCE EDUCATION
PHOTO CREDIT: Nadene Klein at Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park
I was just talking with my husband. He is, in my humble opinion, a brilliant scientist. Every school year, he is a guest speaker in my classes. He's done everything from taking my students to the pond on campus to capture sediment cores and examine them to teaching them how to use a sextant. I actually brings his 3 sextants (don't you have one?). He always does a hands-on experience...not just a presentation. He's most definitely not the typical guest speaker. Due to the Covid situation, I cannot have guest speakers at school and my husband's usual hand's on approach doesn't translate to Zoom.
He had just asked me about guest speaking to my classes and asked what that could be. I am well aware of my husband's current work with the affects of human activity on the quality of sediment in Yellowstone National Park. His specific work is not what I want him to share. Rather it's the way he does it that matters. I want my students to learn how to think like a scientist. He gathers data from his sediment samples, analyzes it via graphs, and identifies any changes or discrepancies in his findings. As I expressed this to him, my wishes for my students grew. I want them to see how academic content is not separated in the real world as it is in a school building. He does field work but has to have an understanding of so much more than just the environment. He does field work but has to have an understanding of so much more than just the environment to do his work. He has to have an understanding of the following: jet stream as it moves molecules in the atmosphere and creates a deposition of those molecules in a different place from their origin, geography to know where the location of origin is in proximity to the test site along with the jet stream movement, the history of those places, the math to calculate the changes and extrapolate future projections, physics to utilize his equipment and machine it to fit the current project, and language arts skills to effectively share his findings through both written and verbal communications. Then, as a side note, he could tell students why this particular project he's working on is important for our understanding of human impact on our environment. I have to confess I got super excited. I have to confess that both my inner nerd and inner teacher were motivated by the beauty of how all of this integrated and synthesized together. The face of science is so much more than a high school class. My hope is that my husband brings the example of real science to my students in the near future and that my students take that in with a notion of inspiration. Scientifically yours, Nadene
0 Comments
|
AuthorNadene Klein, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 25 years. She brings a passion and love for science to the classroom and through this blog to you. Archives
March 2024
Categories |