education Archives

Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research

April 3, 2019April 6, 2021 Science Connectedbook reviews, citizen science, education, environmental science, science education

Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research is a foundational text for researchers, educators, and volunteers. Dickinson, Janis L. & Bonney, Rick. (eds). Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research. Cornell University Press, 2012. 279 pages. Though it was published in 2012, Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research continues to be relevant. As discussions of environmental research increase in frequency and urgency, institutions at all levels will continue to raise questions about the public’s scientific literacy and the best methods of mobilizing scientific knowledge. This text works through these…

Science and Art STEM Education

Interactive, Educational Theater with Jargie the Science Girl

March 28, 2019January 3, 2020 Science Connectededucation, science art, science education, science experiments

By Shayna Keyles (@shaynakeyles) Since Jocelyn Argueta was young, science has been fun for her. It’s a creative endeavor that allows her to push forward and create new things. Most of all, it’s inspiring. That’s one of the inspirations behind Jargie the Science Girl!, an interactive science performance produced by Phantom Projects Theater Group. The nonprofit troupe, based in the La Mirada Theater for Performing Arts, has been producing educational, hard-hitting theater for teens and youth since 1997. Their shows cover themes including bullying, racism, prejudice, and tolerance, and are…

Citizen Science Environment

Citizen Science Promotes Environmental Engagement

January 4, 2018March 18, 2021 Science Connectedbiology, citizen science, climate change, education, research, students

When people get to help scientists with research projects, public scientific literacy and environmental engagement increase.

Physics

Using Cycling to Teach Physics

January 20, 2016April 1, 2021 Science Connectededucation, physics, science education, STEM education

Working together, scientists and teachers have developed a method to teach teens about aerodynamic drag. Are you using cycling to teach physics, yet? “Usually, describing a realistic motion including aerodynamic drag would be beyond the scope of a secondary physics course. However, I realized that this could be done fairly easily for a bike slowing down by aerodynamic drag,” explains Florian Theilmann from the Weingarten University of Education in Germany. From Textbook to Real-Life Physics “In a common physics class, physics seems to be presented in a very simplified way,”…

Psychology STEM Education

Family Support Needed for Future Scientists

December 4, 2014January 3, 2020 Science Connectededucation, psychology, STEM

Family support makes all the difference in bringing up the next generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, according to researchers at George Mason University. The researchers say that support from family is the primary factor in encouraging children to consider a future a science, with formal education playing a secondary role. The findings could shape public policy and encourage community-centered activities designed to foster a love of science. “We were surprised to learn that the family is more important than we ever thought in terms of igniting the passion of…