 Would
you like to be a scientist?
“Are
we going to blow something up today?” “Did you bring
the snake?” and “Why did that happen?” are common
questions posed by Clallam County 4-H Afterschool Science Club members.
The club gives
4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from the four local elementary
schools the opportunity to experience hands-on science one day per
week. Three alternating focus themes provide variety, in-depth research,
and applied teaching experience.
The session
referred to as QUEST involves hands-on experiments such as “Why
do our feet stink?” “Building bridges,” or “Looking
at ugly stuff under the microscope.” Members keep a journal
of each activity by recording what they think will happen, what
actually happened, and what they learned.
The following
week is a STRETCH lesson, which is learning more about a subject
already familiar to the members such as birds of prey, forest trees,
or bug body parts. Games like “the food chain” and “ocean
animals” help students build their knowledge in a fun way.
The final theme
is a TARGET session, which is aimed at leadership development. Members
review all the lessons for the month, and then choose one they want
to develop into a short, simple lesson to present to the younger
attendees of the afterschool program. Some past featured lessons
were on rabbits, snakes, and the chemical reaction between Diet
Coke and Mentos.
Other science
topics members are learning about include electricity, robotics,
wildlife, embryology, and geometric structures.
|
