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[Editorial published 2/7/08]
Hi Everyone,
All parents expect to be asked at some point, "Why is the sky blue?" but I've been learning that talking to little kids about science comes across often as a lot of hot air. Kids use their senses to learn. When we present science in a way that they can see, touch, hear, or even smell then kids are more likely to connect with the concepts. At a local level, many museums and some libraries have programs that include science demonstrations and programs. Zoos and nature centers also offer opportunities for hands-on exploration and educational hikes. Inside the home, families have access to books, magazines, television/DVDs, web sites, and video clips. In this week's editorial I'm focusing on media tools we can use at home to help teach young kids about Science & Nature.
Let me first introduce a resource that I just learned about recently: National Geographic Video Clips. Sometimes you'll see them included on msn.com but the quality and selection of science, nature, and environmental segments is significantly greater at the source. Spend a few minutes and you'll be hooked (the navigation is pretty easy and there is a helpful search box on the page that launches to play videos). Here's some favorites: "Volcanoes 101", "Octopus Escape", "Moon 101", and "Dinosaur Builder".
If you are seeking more child-centric narration, check out Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies. Fantastic montages from National Geographic are set to music in every episode. Or, for the other end of the nature-video spectrum watch the breathtaking Planet Earth DVD series as a family. My pre-K kids stay enthralled for full-length episodes (they particularly like Caves).
I let each kid choose one TV show a day, for months, their big request was the Magic School Bus (available as DVD and books). I was initially reluctant because I thought it was too goofy, but in between the goofiness there's a lot of teaching happening and my 4-yr old actually retained the knowledge, not the goofiness.
Both my kids enjoy Popular Mechanics for Kids (PMK) and I do too. It is broadcast sporadically but I recommend starting with the Radical Rockets DVD (featuring the episodes of Submarines, Space Shuttle, Cars, & Boats). There are many other excellent DVDs available, but I should mention that it was filmed a decade ago and in some of the other DVDs, the hosts occasionally use some PG words. Between the main segments, each episode features real-world experiments and good cartoon explanations of scientific concepts.
A couple years ago, the mantle of science TV was passed from PMK to Dragonfly TV. Although I think they do a nice job, my kids aren't as interested. Perhaps the target audience for Dragonfly TV is 6-10? Another show for slightly older audiences is Design Squad which aired engineering challenges last year. It featured kids solving engineering problems in teams and seemed to focus more on conveying the fun of engineering than about teaching science. My son (4) didn't resonate with the show until the final episode when they had to design and construct the grass sled!
For more of a mix I recommend Fetch with Ruff Ruffman, it combines educational adventures with a game show hosted by a wacky cartoon dog. The featured kids are divided into pairs with different objectives. Science appears in at least half the episodes. Last week my kids loved an episode that asked one pair of kids to work with experts to investigate whether it was true that humans only use 10% of their brain, while the other pair met with the Blue Man Group. The target audience is 5+.
As a catalyst to spark further inquiry, here are 5 magazines that are great ideas:
+ Your Big Backyard (3-7)
+ Click (3-7)
+ Zoobooks (6+)
+ Ranger Rick (7+)
+ Ask (7+)
Finally, to answer questions like "Why is the sky blue?", I recommend: How Come? Every Kid's Science Questions Explained. For other excellent books and DVDs, check out (by topic): science & nature, space & planes.
I hope your week is filled with laughter,
Jill
p.s. It is always a good idea to test-drive video content before introducing it to your kids.
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