Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, CA, will develop a three-pronged project called "Round and Round" focused on the geometry, science and technology of circles and wheels. All three project products (one permanent and one traveling version of a 2000-sq. ft. exhibition; an array of complementary educational programs for children ages 3-10; and published research on patterns of interactions among families of diverse backgrounds in museum settings) will be developed in cooperation with developmental psychologists from the University of California at Santa Cruz and advisors from Latino and Vietnamese communities in San Jose. "Round and Round" exhibits and programs will offer a trans-cultural, gender-neutral, and multi-disciplinary look at the ingenuity and ubiquity of circles. Together they will provide a comprehensive array of interactive experiences that help children, ages 3-10, and adults explore the mathematics, physics, physical properties and engineering advantages of circles and wheels. The project is expected to serve three million visitors in science and children's museums across the nation within four years of implementation.
The Bay Area Discovery Museum will expand their "My Place by the Bay" theme with new programmatic elements that "reinforce the theme that people, plants and animals live together and depend upon each other to survive." Three new activity areas will be developed that focus on science learning: A) an outdoor "Tot Lot" for early science learners; B) an outdoor "Discovery Cove" focusing on place-specific elements of their bayshore site; and C) an indoor recreated "Research Vessel" outfitted with a simulated navigaion station and marine biology laboratory. The learning goals for these three areas are: 1) "The Bay environment is home to many living things"; and 2) "I can do science to explore and learn about my world". The "Tot Lot," built into a hill, will be a one-half acre, multi-sensory, outdoor, prepared environment for children under five to learn about animals living in three distinct Bay habitats: woodland, stream and meadow. The "Discovery Cove" will be a two-acre area prepared environment for children up to age eight. Learners will be encouraged to see the bay as an integrated system that includes animal adaptations, ecological relationships and human activity. The "Research Vessel" is inspired by the R/V Questuary and is the place where visitors will use authentic tools to do science. Other features of this project include an integrated system of Parenting Messages that includes special signage for parents and a Families Ask Guide for families with children ages seven and under that is a joint effort of DABM, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Golden Gate National Parks Association. They will also develop a series of teacher workshops that will link this informal learning space with the needs of formal education. One specific school group with whom they will work is the Junipero Serra, an NSF Urban Systemic Intiative site.
The Brooklyn Children's Museum (BCM) will develop "LifeTrek," a 6000-sq. ft. permanent exhibition and related educational extensions. LifeTrek will be an integrated learning environment comprised of a series of immersive indoor habitats where children will investigate natural phenomena and processes. Designed for urban children ages 4-11 and their families and teachers, LifeTrek will provide a range of open-ended and challenging opportunities to practice science skills, and facilitate greater awareness of and respect for the natural world. Reflecting the ecological framework in which New York City resides, a northern estuary system, the exhibition will feature twelve object-rich habitats: stream's edge, flowing stream, freshwater pond, salt marsh, tidal pool, shore, dune, cliff, cave, meadow, fallen log and living tree.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will develop "Outdoors Indoors, an Interactive Natural Science Exhibition for Young Children," ages 3-8, and their families. Two 2,500 sq. ft. versions of the exhibition will be developed -- one to be installed at OMSI and the other to travel. Building on children's innate curiosity about the natural world, the exhibition invites visitors to explore a woodland environment where they can develop process skills and learn natural science concepts. The exhibition will also focus on ways that parents can help encourage their children's science learning, both through exhibit activities and through exploration of the natural world outdoors. Bilingual text (English and Spanish) will help make the exhibition accessible to a diverse audience. Ancillary materials for families and educators will further enhance learning.
WGBH is requesting a planning grant to support the development of a new public television initiative aimed at enhancing young children's mathematical competencies. The target age for the "Go Figure" series is 3- to 6-year olds. The goal of the proposed planning phase is to: complete a math curriculum serving as the overall pedagogical framework for the series; develop a production bible that will include descriptions of the format, setting, characters, tone, sample storylines and possible interstitials; produce a sample script and animatic, and conduct formative testing of the animatic. Devising an outreach strategy in collaboration with key national partners will also be part of the planning phase. The project will be developed by the WGBH children's television team, and advised by leading child development specialists and experts in early math education.
BACKYARD SAFARI (Working Title) is an engaging series of 26 half hour programs designed to introduce topics in Natural Science to children ages four to six. The series will be shot on-location and hosted by an appealing young women of color, who will serve as a role model to female and minority children who are normally disenfranchised from participation in science. A variety of settings and topics will be used that appeal to all preschoolers -- from urban/inner cities to surburbia to Appalachia. A special feature of the series will be an animated gnome - like character called Crinkleroot. Using the rotoscope technique similar to that in the "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", Crinklroot will interact in screen with the host and special, acquired footage. Thus, Crinkleroot is able to do things the host can't do -- for example, interacting with time-lapse photography as a flower blooms, or as a spider climbs its web. Outreach to parents and childcare providers will be an important part of BACKYARD SAFARI. It is imperative to communicate that all children, regardless of race, sex, or disability are "science material." Activities will be developed that engage adults and children in hands-on, physical science activities using materials commonly found in any home or school.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Twila LiggettCecily TruettLaurence LancitBarbara Flagg
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
The proposers will organize and conduct the first of what is hoped will become an Annual Symposium on Children's Science Books that will focus national attention on this important and overlooked channel for science literacy. This first two day symposium will involve 75 editors, authors, librarians and educators in an intensive exploration of science books intended as independent or collateral reading materials for children at home, classroom or library. A national advisory committee will help shape the symposium's content. Professional and popular articles and a book will disseminate the results of the meeting. This project will explore an often-overlooked area of popular science education, and will involve science researchers committed to participating in improving popular education and communication in science. NSF support will be supplemented by university funds and income from the symposium.
Reading Rainbow is an eighty (80) part PBS children's series (15 of which are science programs) that entices children five to eight years old to read good books, thus addressing the national tragedy of more and more young Americans reading less and less. The Emmy award winning series employs television to sell the joy of science and reading to young viewers. This proposal seeks funding for five additional Reading Rainbow programs which will focus on scientific themes. These programs will be added to the previously funded science programs (22) to become part of the on-going series in demonstrating to children how science is integrated into all aspects of our lives. The Reading Rainbow series premiered in the summer of l983 to phenomenal critical and popular acclaim. In the fall of 1990, Reading Rainbow expanded ta a year round, daily schedule-- after having spent seven years as a summer series. According to formal studies, the science shows are of great interest to children and pique children's interest in related science topics and books. The series is no in its tenth season and its popularity has grown among young viewers as well as with parents.
Michigan Technological University will collaborate with David Heil and Associates to implement the Family Engineering Program, working in conjunction with student chapters of engineering societies such as the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the Society of Hispanic Professionals (SHP) and a host of youth and community organizations. The Family Engineering Program is designed to increase technological literacy by introducing children ages 5-12 and their parents/caregivers to the field of engineering using the principles of design. The project will reach socio-economically diverse audiences in the upper peninsula of Michigan including Native American, Hispanic, Asian, and African American families. The secondary audience includes university STEM majors, informal science educators, and STEM professionals that are trained to deliver the program to families. A well-researched five step engineering design process utilized in the school-based Engineering is Elementary curriculum will be incorporated into mini design challenges and activities based in a variety of fields such as agricultural, chemical, environmental, and biomedical engineering. Deliverables include the Family Engineering event model, Family Engineering Activity Guide, Family Engineering Nights, project website, and facilitator training workshops. The activity guide will be pilot tested, field tested, and disseminated for use in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Strategic impact will result from the development of content-rich engineering activities for families and the dissemination of a project model that incorporates the expertise of engineering and educational professionals at multiple levels of implementation. It is anticipated that 300 facilitators and 7,000-10,000 parents and children will be directly impacted by this effort, while facilitator training may result in more than 27,000 program participants.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Neil HutzlerEric IversenChristine CunninghamJoan ChaddeDavid Heil
The Queens Borough Public Library (QBPL) will develop "Science in the Stacks," an integrated, multi-sensory, self-paced informal learning environment within its forthcoming Children's Library Discovery Center. It will include 36 Discovery Exhibits developed by the Exploratorium, three Learning Carts for scripted activities by librarians, six Information Plazas, a Discovery Teens program, a web site and supporting educational activities. The theme will be multiple pathways to the world of information. QBPL will be collaborating locally with the New York Hall of Science and the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Overall, QBPL receives some 16 million visits per year; the target audience for this project is children ages 3 to 12. In addition to its public impact, "Science in the Stacks" will have professional impact on both the science center and library fields, showing how it is possible to combine their different modes of STEM learning in complementary ways. Although library-museum colaaborations are not new, this one is the first attempt to combine their respective learning resources on a large scale. It offers the potential to serve as a new model for both fields, enabling visitor (patron) entry into self-directed STEM learning through books, media, programs or hands-on activities.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Nick BuronLorna Rudder-KilkennyThomas RockwellMarcia Rudy
This report presents the findings from a front-end evaluation of 1, 2, 3 Ready? Set. Go!, conducted by Randi Korn & Associates (RK&A) for the Minnesota Children's Museum. 1, 2, 3 Ready? Set. Go! is a traveling exhibition that will visit both libraries and children's museums across the country. The exhibition is being developed by the Minnesota Children's Museum in collaboration with the American Library Association to engage children 2 through 7 years and their parents in exploring math through hands-on, book-based math activities.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), with major funding from the National Science Foundation, developed the Animal Secrets exhibition for children ages 3-8 and their families. The exhibition seeks to provide families with an opportunity to discover nature from an animal's point of view as they explore immersive, naturalistic environments including a meadow, stream, woodland, cave, and naturalists' tent. The exhibit's "big idea" is for visitors to develop a sense of wonder about nature by exploring the secret world of animals. Evaluation instruments and surveys are included in the