Now, more than ever, we need a supportive and scientifically literate populace. If you're looking for ways to help, look no further than your local school! Working with science teachers to reach the youngest of our society might not change budget allocations this year, but it will, slowly but surely, change the public's perception of science and scientists.
Here are three tips for getting started:
First and foremost, get the students to do the thinking. This comes in many forms—whether having students engage in a game or simulation like Mandy Gibson's (see page 7) or looking at carefully structured sample data and drawing conclusions as Armin Moczek has students do in his modules(page 3).
Storytelling is a very powerful mode of communication, and you might be tempted to put together a magnificent lecture about a compelling subject. But students, particularly adolescents, are being told things all the time—by their parents, their teachers, their religious leaders, their friends, their social media feeds—and many of these stories are directly conflicting.
If you can shift sensemaking to students, though, you accomplish a few important goals. First, you show that science is a process—that it's not about belief or identity. You also give a taste of the power of sensemaking at a time when students are looking for places in their lives to feel powerful.
It can be as easy as simplifying a key figure or getting students to move strips of a story around until the order is correct. But, to know what will work best . . .
Start by contacting a school or teacher directly and plan your visit with a classroom teacher. Teachers have information you deeply need to make your efforts go the farthest. Teachers like me know state and national science standards for our classroom, what our students studied last year, and what they'll study next year. We know which literacy and numeracy skills are easy for our students and which ones are challenging. We know what kinds of supports will work for the whole group and how to modify your plans to make sure you reach all learners. Co-planning your lesson will ensure that you won't put effort and time into materials that won't be used.
Finally, teachers need you to be a warm body in the classroom. To solve science's image problem, kids of all ages need engaged and interested scientists who bring them fun things to do. Making a great lesson and emailing it along isn't enough. Friendly, smiling, and encouraging questions can be a huge boost to students' motivation and engagement—as well as their perception of science.
If possible, put together a multi-age team. When IU Associate Professor of Biology Laura Hurley brings her animal behavior students to visit, my students talk for days afterwards about how cool it is. A large part of that is because they get to see themselves reflected in these young adults. But, the most important thing is to find little places throughout the lesson to share your thinking, your journey, and how much fun it can be to do the critical work that you do!
Kirstin Milks (on Twitter @DrMilks) trained to be a science teacher after getting a PhD in biochemistry from Stanford University. She now teaches AP Biology and Earth/Space Science at Bloomington (IN) High School South. Milks is a National Board Certified Teacher and a Senior Fellow of the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation, where she serves as co-editor-in-chief of Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives.
The College of Arts