Is It Really Science If It 's Fun?

Science is in my blood. I grew up always being fascinated in science both physical and environmental. My love for science started early when I was able to play outside every day and performing my own experiments in the backyard. Throughout middle school and high school, I took every available science course, I simply just wanted to know more. I did not know my exact path of study until my senior year in high school. I enrolled into an AP Environmental Science class, a brand new test run course at my school. Thinking back to AP Environmental Science, it was not just the material that directed my study. Ultimately it was my teacher, Mrs. Andre, who strengthen the flames of desire and intrigue to continue along the environmental studies path. Her drive and passion every day is what inspired me to focus on environmental education and communication.

I have always been interested in science, but the hands on experiments have helped me understand and grasp concepts much easier. I recall my first experiment in first grade when the class was given the lima bean sprout experiment, which required students to plant a bean in a paper cup. The purpose of this experiment was to teach us about photosynthesis and practice our observation skills. I recall how others were fascinated about why their sprout grew. I, on the other hand, was more captivated by why the other sprouts did not grow and the factors, which contributed to that outcome. This basic experiment taught me to look at things through different lenses and not always to the most obvious path.

Ever since I was younger, science has captivated my interest and has molded me into the person I am today. When the rain would come crashing down on my elementary

My passion for science became prominent in my freshman year of high school. That year, I was introduced to Pre-AP Biology, and I enjoyed it beyond measure. We learned about living beings and how they worked from the most general of ecosystems they lived in all the way down to the insides of their cells. My teacher made sure to push our limits of what we could learn, and although many people despised it because of this, it helped my knowledge of science grow stronger. One of the most memorable moments from that class was when we dissected a pig. Although most dissections during high school just end with a mangled pig and little to no knowledge from the encounter, we went through each and every organ and made sure we knew the function and relative

When teaching natural sciences and technology, teachers need to promote an understanding of seeing these subjects as activities to promote curiosity and enjoyment about the world and that what we encounter around us. The history of science and technology should also be integrated with other subjects. Science and technology should be seen as a contribution to social justice and societal development (Motshekga, 2011). A growing need of discovery in science and technology needs to be promoted in order to form interest in ourselves, society and

My earliest memory of science in elementary school was in first grade. I remember walking into the classroom early in the morning and seeing plant pots lined up in the back of the room. Of course one of us asked, Mrs. Denny, what are those for? She answered like any experienced teacher “We will get to those after lunch. Thank you for noticing though.” As a young student, I was more interested about taking the plant home to my mom and showing her what I did. After lunch, we went on a walk to the atrium in the center of the school. Mrs. Denny pointed out the different kinds of plants that were in the atrium like flowers, and other small plants. We walked back to our classroom and talked about what a plant needs to grow and finally got to make a plant ourselves. We each had a cup of water, a cup of soil, a pot, and a plant. I also remember in third grade learning about the weather by creating a big picture of the water cycle with the clouds and why there is lightening and thunder. After we made the picture, we each got to write down a question about weather and Mrs. Heffernan went over each one. I loved science when I was little because I was able to explore and try new things. I struggled in math and reading because they were very black and white but science allowed creativity. I enjoyed science in elementary school because it was very hands on so I didn’t have to sit in my seat. I would define science has a content area that allows the individual to research and develop

My best memory from year 7\8 would be technology because I enjoyed learning how to make different items such as a plane,truck,wind chimes and a pencil holder.

For as long as I can remember math and science classes fascinated me to no end. Once I started wielding science as a tool to understand life, a whole new world opened up. There is nothing more satisfying

So far my favorite activity from this class is when we learn about oobleck. During this activity I was able to see what types of things I can teach in a science lesson. In this activity we were able to read a story related to what we were going to learn, have a hands-on activity with the oobleck, being able to discuss what we observe during the activity, and discuss if the oobleck is liquid or solid.

Being a STEM amateur, the love of creation in science or math fueled by curiosity is something that I cherish. At a very young age, I was a natural investigator exploring the world by touch in order to quench my thirst for knowledge. Simple things such as toy cars and action figures were my books as I read them through the process of testing. I explored the laws of physics by constantly dropping and pushing my toys down the hallway, while learning mechanics by incessantly activating my action figure’s movement abilities. My meals where chemistry experiments mixing and matching different foods to view their binding qualities. As I grew older, I began to delve into more advance concepts with the increase of technology being incorporated into

trips. Our job as educators is to enable as much access to this type of learning

Science has and always will play a constant important role in my daily life, maybe more so than others. Science for me has not always been my strong subject in school and I very easily tend to get intimidated. But when I look at my daily life and realize how much science plays a role in it, I cannot help but smile. Science is not at all bad, it has allowed me to do many things every day, even if I do not take the time to stop and think about it, it is there. From the way the microwave heats up the water for my coffee every morning or the way my body digests the food I eat every meal and makes

Whether it was seeing and learning things for the first time, getting reacquainted with something that I had not focused on in a while, or just learning something new about a subject that I didn’t know before, the act of discovering it for myself is what keeps me interested in science. After seeing the Big Dipper and Orion the Hunter for the first time as a kid, I just wanted to keep discovering more constellations. In middle school, I didn’t know that making ice cream could be easy and fun. Once I discovered this new perspective of life, I wanted to learn more. I became fascinated by chemical reactions in my high school’s lab. When I discovered that beans could grow in various amounts of mine tailings and soil, all I could think about was how we could be could be growing more plants in areas where we are just dumping iron pellets. Discovering something that was previously unknown through observing, measuring or experimenting with is one of the many ways that describes what science

Science is, by its nature, inquiry based and science knowledge is built through processes in which discoveries of the natural world are made (Abruscato, 2000). It utilizes discovery and scientific thinking process to explore and learn knowledge and skills. Learning by doing is the new efficient method in teaching science. For kindergarten, this method leads to better understanding of science concepts and builds skills that children will use in future life .What a child can do with assistance now, they can later do on their own (Vygotsky, 1978). John Dewey (1916) stated that children must be engaged in an active quest for learning and new ideas. Inquiry is important in educating kindergarteners because it not only keeps them interested in lessons but also helps them retain more information when performing exploration and investigation. Children are naturally motivated to learn and actively seek out information to help their understanding (Piaget, 1950).The success of students who participate in hands- on inquiry activities suggests that if students have first hands experience with science, concepts are easier to understand and apply and students are generally more favorable to science and have better understanding of the nature of science .Within a conceptual framework, inquiry learning and active learner involvement can lead to important outcomes in the classroom. In kindergarten, students who are actively making observations, collecting results and drawing

Most children are born with an innate curiosity about the world around them. However, most of these children lose this curiosity somewhere within their education. Specifically when looking at modern science education. The science education of today has various problems such as killing the curiosity of students, which leads to science becoming this rigid field of study that does not allow for excitement, understanding, or the ability to question the science authorities. These problems in science education lead to long term problems of not creating forward thinkers who are committed to driving science for the sake of scientific curiosity as opposed to being driven by personal gain such as money or publication, and an alarming portion of the