"Youth is the time of enterprise and hope."
--Samuel Johnson
Many teachers find it hard to design imaginative ways of teaching science, especially if science is not their specialty. I know this was a struggle for me when I was teaching 6th grade. Science seemed to take a back seat over my love for social studies and language arts. Today, with the use of productivity and creativity tools, doors are opening for teachers and students to creatively engage with content.
History has shown scientific revolutions are often led by the youngest scientists.
- In 1953, when James Watson was only 25, he co-wrote one of the most important scientific papers of all time.
- Marie Curie, the physicist, was just turning 30 when she began investigating radioactivity.
- Isaac Newton was 23 when he began inventing calculus.
- Albert Einstein published several of his most important papers at the age of 26.
- Werner Heisenberg pioneered quantum mechanics in his mid-20s.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) most grants today for science and research go to adults during their senior years. This is somewhat troubling given the stakes of 21st century learning. Many youth today are not given the opportunity to explore ideas of innovation and creativity in the classroom, therefore inhibiting the advancement of science concepts. Age does have its benefits in the field, but without the blossoming ideas of youth we may find ourselves further behind than we expect.
Tech4Learning has created free curriculum guides for elementary and secondary science to help you implement an inquiry-based approach to science through exciting digital projects. Explore the kits to find ideas you can use to foster your students' creativity, innovation, and a deeper level of understanding with important science concepts.