The ongoing catastrophe happening in the Gulf of Mexico isn’t nearly over yet and its effects will be with us for the rest of our lives. It’s difficult for adults to grapple with it... personally I cannot bear to watch or even listen to news stories about the many animals that have been soaked with petroleum. So how do we discuss it with children?
The National Wildlife Federation web site has a page where Ranger Rick answers kids’ questions about The Big Oil Spill. For parents and teachers, another article on the site has many good tips. They include how to talk with kids of varying ages and stay as positive as possible (e.g. about how people are working hard to shut down the leak, contain the spill, clean up beaches, and help wildlife.) An excellent suggestion is to foster children’s love of nature by taking them to parks and other natural areas. The NWF has a special web site called Be Out There devoted to that goal.
Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research is in the forefront of the response on behalf of wildlife. This page shows before and after pictures of an oily pelican that was cleaned up. I can personally attest that the process works—in the early 1980s before moving to Florida, I volunteered for a short time at Tri-State which is located in Newark, Delaware. It was a little tricky hanging onto an oil-slicked goose long enough to wash it, but with plenty of hands around the washtub, we managed. There were other stories, such as having to use the bathroom while a hawk perched on the shower curtain rod above. Solution? I held a trash can lid over my head in case he felt like taking an unscheduled flight. Looking at the photograph of the current facility, it looks like they’ve come a long way since those early days.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a multi-page story on its site about the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound that summarizes the spill, recovery efforts, and the extent of the area’s recovery. They need to update one fact on the site, though...the 1989 disaster is no longer the largest oil spill to occur in U.S. waters. Their FAQ page includes how spills spread, information about dispersants, how oil spills in rivers are different than those in the ocean, and science fair ideas on related topics.
2 Comments on Kids and the oil spill, last added: 6/16/2010
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Before there were interactive video games, or choice on a computer of alternative endings to a story, or the ability to download your own play-list of songs there was a simple verbal way to invite thought and interactivity---namely, the question. Asking interesting, thought provoking questions is one of the most effective ways to educate according to Socrates, who lived almost 2500 years ago. The Socratic method of inquiry was supposed to produce critical thinking as well as alter incorrect perceptions in the pursuit of real knowledge. “Socrates once said, ‘I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others.’” Such questions are the basis of the law and of science as well as education.
Kids ask a lot of questions, often to the point of annoyance. What are the reasons for these questions? Sometimes it’s to get a response from an inattentive adult, sometimes it’s to verify something they already know is true, sometimes it’s because of real curiosity. Often, in school, it’s to get an answer quickly and easily because there is a test coming up. And when this last kind of question gets the quick answer, what happens? The inquiry stops dead. That was not Socrates’ intention.
My new book, What’s the BIG Idea? Amazing Science Questions for the Curious Kid is an attempt to honor the question itself, before rushing into an answer. I explain in the introduction that a “BIG Idea” is one that has no quick or easy answer and that there are four BIG ideas in this book: motion, energy, matter and life. Science tackles big ideas. How? The same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time and each bite is a question. Sometimes the question can seem really dumb. So each question in the book is a double page spread with an illustration of kids making edito
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1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
2: Biological systems utilize energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain homeostasis.
3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes.
4: Biological systems interact, and these interactions possess complex properties.
A summary and link to the draft copy of the new biology curriculum can be found here.
There are also seven science practices that will be covered, including “The student can use mathematics appropriately” and “The student can plan and implement data collection strategies in relation to a particular scientific question.”
With that in mind, I’d like to mention my picture book that addresses a fundamental pursuit of science, collecting and interpreting data*. Graphs are found in many classrooms, and can be quite creative with just a little extra effort. The scene below from the Great Graph Contest shows a bar graph made from real cookies. As a bonus, it’s always fun to clean up after making food graphs.
*Math Standard: Data Analysis and Probabililty / Formulate Questions That Can Be Addressed With Data and Collect, Organize, and Display Relevant Data to Answer
Graphs can be made to explore virtually any subject, such as:
What birds fly into your yard?
What is your favorite _____? [Shape; number; color; planet; continent...]
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Let’s face it. Some elementary teachers don’t feel completely comfortable teaching science to their students.
Let’s face it. Many schools have scaled back on science education so they can devote more time to language arts and math, with the goal of improving student scores on assessment tests.
That means many elementary students are receiving limited science instruction, and that’s a shame. But there is a solution, a way to sneak science into your lesson plans. Teach science through literature.
Coupling inquiry-based science and language arts instruction allows educators to prepare students for the critical reading and open response portions of assessment tests without neglecting science education. It’s also a more comfortable approach for teachers who don’t feel adequately prepared to teach science concepts to their students.
I’ve talked about teaching science through literature before on this blog. Take a look here and here. Today I’m going to focus on a third technique for sneaking science into elementary classrooms. I call it Perfect Pairs—pairing fiction and nonfiction titles with a connection to the science topic you’d like to teach.
Different students enjoy different kinds of books and learn in different ways, so Perfect Pairs can be a great way to introduce and reinforce science concepts. Here’s a pair of books that is perfect for discussions of weather, habitats, or animal adaptations. One looks at how people sometimes react to rain and emphasizes cause and effect. The other shows young readers how a variety of animals behave during a rainstorm. The Rain Came Down by David Shannon will brighten any dreary day. Rollicking text complimented by witty caricatures describes how a rainstorm sets off a chain reaction that catapults an entire neighborhood into a grumpy, quarreling uproar. But then, the rain stops. The air smells fresh and sweet and a rainbow appears. Suddenly, everyone’s mood improves. The neighbors help each other clean up the mess caused by the ruckus, and everyone goes about their daily business.
Using clear, simple language and gentle watercolor illustrations, When Rain Falls by Melissa Stewart offers young readers a lyrical look at how animals living in forests, fields, wetlands, and deserts behave during a rainstorm. The book is sure to tap into your students’ natural curiosity about the natural world.
Discussion Questions
--Ask your students what the two books have in common. [They are about what happens when it rains.]
--How are they different? [One focuses on people living in a neighborhood. The other looks at animals living in a variety of natural habitats.]
--Discuss what makes one book fiction and one nonfiction.
Related Activities
Read students the following poem by Aileen Fisher:
How brave a ladybug must be.
Each drop of rain as big as she.
Can you imagine what you’d do,
if raindrops fell as big as you?
Ask students to write a story that answers the question in the poem.
Have your class to bring raingear to school and take them outside while it is raining. Ask students to use their five senses to observe the rain. They should consider these questions:
—How large are the drops?
—What sounds do the drops make?
—Does rain have a smell? (Rain can be polluted so children shouldn’t taste it.)
—How does rain feel?
—What happens to rain when it hits the pavement, the grass, or the school building?
Discuss the questions when you go back inside.
Do you know another great book that could be paired with the two I’ve discussed today? Can you think of other related activities for students? If so, please add a comment below. This blog is all about sharing ideas.
Other titles about recycling resources in general, like WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH AN OLD RED SHOE? by Anna Alter can be a great way to bring the idea of indirect impact into the discussion too.
Thank you, Loreen, for organizing this information. This is more than a "teaching moment." We're going to be learning more than we ever thought we needed to know over the next years and decades. Good information is truly empowering.