'Science: It's Elementary' grants aim to reintroduce wonder

Hands-on instruction in science is being promoted at select Pennsylvania elementary schools via grants issued by the state's Department of Education.

The grants allow participation in a state-wide program known as "Science: It's Elementary."The total effort utilizes a series of assorted science

Within northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA), public school districts that successfully received the science grants include Southern Columbia, Lakeland, North Pocono, Wyoming Valley West, Shamokin, Schuylkill Haven and Forest City. Within elementary schools in these districts, classrooms are being provided with the kits to allow students to experiment and see the "big picture" of how science impacts their lives.

Mike Race, deputy press secretary with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, explains that "Science: It's Elementary" has been successfully funded for its second year, and is still growing.

"We added 57 schools this year, bringing the statewide total to more than120," says Race. "Any schools could apply. The criteria to be chosen for participation includes need-based reasons, the intended use of the kits and the school's implementation plans in the classroom."

Race refers to the science kits as a "laboratory in a box," creating an early introduction to hands-on research with topics that increase in complexity per grade level from kindergarten through Grade 6.

The kits feature topics such as weather, water, balance and motion, electricity, and rocks and minerals, with the actual monetary price per kit widely varying.

"There are more substantial contents in the kits as the grade level increases," says Race. "Grade 1 focuses on topics such as air and weather, with Grade 4 experimenting with water and electricity. In Grades 5 and 6, the subjects include physics, levers and pulleys, " mixtures and solutions. High schools already have biology and Chemistry labs for hands-on participation. But by the time a student gets to high school - for success in science - they must have already developed an interest in hands-on instruction."

Race says that Gov. Ed Rendell, who proposed the program, understands that proficiency in math, science and technology are vital for students to eventually compete in the global economy. High-skill careers also require employees to possess strong problem-solving and critical analytical abilities.

"You must start the piquing of a student's curiosity about these things at an early age, explains Race. "Pennsylvania's business community will reap the benefits of better science instruction, because the workforce will be better prepared.''

Roy Clippinger, director of curriculum at the Southern Columbia School District, says that the process to obtain the grants was timely for his district.

"We saw that the governor was making the grants available from the Department of Education, and at the time we were revamping our science curriculum as part of a six year cycle, says Clippinger. "One of our goals was to present hands-on science at every level, and for the elementary schools to be more like the secondary schools with actual laboratories. This type of instruction motivates students, and we wanted to see this at every level."

Southern Columbia investigated the grant, and learned it was flexible to match classroom specifcs. The district applied for $20,000, knowing that the funds also provide training for the professional development of teachers, as well as the science kits.

Clippinger notes that the nation's infamous No Child Left Behind initiative will now include assessment for science achievement. Because of this, the introduction of the science kits is a big plus for districts that applied to enter the program. "I'm very excited about this and, once our teachers become involved, they'll also be excited," says Clippinger. "Science is both practical and necessary today, and by studying hands-on science kids have a chance to become cooperative and creative workers and problem solvers, and to work better in teams."

Clippinger speculates that changes to American society have actually hindered student scientific curiosity.

He believes today's "busy" lives with a multitude of activities have created compartmentalized lives for the vast majority of students, leaving little space for simple curiosity about the world.

He also says that many parents ask educators to limit homework assignments. "I'm afraid that many kids simply are not doing as much in-depth thinking as in years past, and they're just not wondering about what makes things tick," he adds. "That's why a program like this is so important."

Vital teacher training

Ruby M. Michetti, supervisor of curriculum and instruction with the Shamokin Area school district, comments that teacher training is a vital part of the state's program.

At her district 58 teachers will be involved and, according to state rules, an administrator must be present at the training to ensure "buy-in" of the program.

She also says that the type of science instruction inherent with a hands-on environment stimulates several advanced modes of student thinking.

"This type of instruction is exploratory and not just memorization, which is a low-level skill, says Michetti. "Science stimulates high-level problem solving, as well as collaboration with peers." The actual kits, according to Michetti, are like a Christmas wish list for a science teacher.

Grade 4 students will build working electric circuits, and will receive everything needed to do so in their kits.

Through their kits, kindergarten students will explore absorbency with fabrics and droppers, while fifth-graders explore motion and friction resistance as they build vehides from a "Connect" kit.

"Global warming is a warning to all of us, that both society and government have had a low emphasis on science," comments Machetti. "Schools are not comfortable playing catch-up with science. We need a deeper content level."

Machetti adds that everyday conversations in the home also guide a student's interest in subjects such as science, and that when learning about a subject does not occur early in life, it is much tougher later on.

Science ability, according to Machetti, is also tied to ability in math.