science at the dinner table: getting kids excited …science at the dinner table: getting kids...

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Science at the Dinner Table: Getting Kids

Excited About STEM

Amy Lynne SheltonCTY Director of Research

Professor of Education, Associate Dean for Research 

Adapted from Norman Rockwell’s Thanksgiving Dinner

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Why talk science?

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Let’s Talk Science

• “Do I have to be an expert?”  – “I don’t know, “ is OK‐–just not final!– Value in finding answers together

• ”I don’t know where to start.”– Start with the world around you.– Nearly every part of our life has been influenced by scientific discovery, engineering design, or inspired invention.

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Strategies

• Science in the news• Pop culture myth busters

• Curiosity‐driven experimentation

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Science in the News

• News stories only tell part of the story– What is the science behind the story?– How did they arrive at newsworthy claims?

– What was the process of inference?

– LOOK IT UP!

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Science in the News

• Children's National Website• Evidence is strong & clear that sleep is critical• Causality is inferred from

sleep studies

Early Start

Lack of Sleep

Adverse Effects

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Pop Culture Myth Busting

• Popular media forms use real & fake science all the time.  Can you support or debunk the claims?

• The Office “Phyllis’s Wedding” 

https://vimeo.com/35754924

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Pop Culture Myth Busting

• Popular media forms use real & fake science all the time.  Can you support or debunk the claims?

• Could Jim condition Dwight tounconsciously expect an Altoid?

YES… Pavlov’s Dogs

CORRECT USE OF SCIENCE!

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Pop Culture Myth Busting

• Another commonly believed myth in the media…

• Race to Witch Mountain (2009)– The source of the

aliens’ powers…

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Pop Culture Myth Busting

• We only use 10% of our brain???• What would happen to the other 90% 

if it were not used? (Biological principles)

• What does the brain look like when it is in action?  Are some areas “silent”?(Functional neuroanatomy)

• How do people with brain damage function? (Neuropsychology)

BADSCIENCE!

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Pop Culture Myth Busting

• Books, movies, TV can generate questions• Look to see whether they are grounded• Use as a springboard to learn more

• BUT‐‐Don’t stop enjoying the movies!• Bad science ≠ bad movie• Bad science = bad source of scientific knowledge but 

GREAT source for exploring scientific ideas!

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Curiosity-Driven Experimentation

• Science really is everywhere• Take advantage of kids’ natural curiosity

• Listen to their questions• Look for opportunities to answer 

questions together• Encourage them to set up 

experiments• Learn from what works AND

what does not (permission to fail)

• Examples...

http://www.stuartmcmillen.com/

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Curiosity-Driven Experimentation

• “Why are some things waterproof?”• What motivated the question?• What kinds of things can you find in the house

that are waterproof?– What properties do they seem to have in common?– Are they waterproof or water resistant? 

(e.g., rain boots vs. umbrellas)

• Experiment with different materials• Look up chemical properties

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Curiosity-Driven Experimentation

• Key elements of this approach• RELEVANCE—driven by your child’s interests & passions• Not bound by prior knowledge• Problem solving on multiple levels

– What do you want to know?– How can you explore it?

• Find limits of information available• Benefits most from trial‐and‐error• Often opens up new question

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Experiments at Home

• https://sciencebob.com/category/experiments/• http://www.iflscience.com/chemistry/unfinished‐20‐fun‐

science‐experiments‐you‐can‐do‐home• http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/homeexpts.html

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Take-Home Messages

• Multiple ways to encourage learning at home• Help kids see relevance of science• Many tools & ideas from everyday life• Learning through exploration is trial‐and‐error

– Permission to fail as part of the process– Play can be science & science should feel like play!

© 2017 Johns Hopkins University

Questions?