#3

When young kids are growing up, they have the fortune of experiencing basic science firsthand, not just hearing about it in the classroom. They watch movies, both factual and fictional about dinosaurs, learning their names and even which dinosaurs ate which, so when they play with dinosaur toys, oftentimes they can almost mimic the ecological processes of predation and competition that have been illustrated to them. When they play on the playground during the summer, a plethora of caterpillars are found in the trees and leaves. They can observe the caterpillars, noting their movements, body structure and diets. Those who decide to collect and raise those caterpillars reap an even better benefit—seeing metamorphosis in action, one of the coolest developmental processes in science. And we can’t forget rocks—the diversity of which in shape, size, color, and shine is so vast and fascinating. Whether they’re simply collecting pebbles or finding nice chunks of quartz, it’s not uncommon to see a rock collection.

An old Chinese proverb once said “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.” The immediate love that kids acquire for science stems from the fact that they are allowed to involve themselves in their own kind of field research and make all sorts of observations and inferences. And no matter how much they see, there’s always more; nature’s bounds are limitless. A former insect collector myself, I remember buying countless butterfly nets and caterpillar “homes.” I remember the excitement of waking up to find that a gypsy moth had emerged from its cocoon and was ready to fly out. My love for insects evolved into a love for reptiles, specifically snakes. I suddenly wanted to know all I could about them—their anatomy, their behavior, their diet, their interactions with other animals—everything. But science as a class in school wasn’t nearly as exciting.

Having science teachers in middle school and high school just talk science at their students is not an effective approach in maintaining peoples’ interest in science. A pure hour-long lecture of facts is just going to deter most people from listening—never mind retaining the information. Once the stigma of science being a daunting, boring subject is in place, most peoples’ perspectives are not easily reversible. What’s sad is so few people are actually exposed to the fun side of science when they are learning it in the classroom.

Once people can no longer involve themselves in science and experience things firsthand, a disconnection is established. Perhaps science writers need to do some extra research and find nearby activities related to what they are writing about—opportunities for firsthand exposure to science. If you’re writing about the poor water conditions in the area, include details about the nearby river cleanups going on that people can attend. If you’re writing about cancer research, let people know where the nearest cancer centers are that they can volunteer at to learn more information. Science is a field that must stay hands-on to maintain its grip on those who are interested.