Science in Our Heads

Earth Day might be officially over, until next year, but that doesn’t mean we can forget any of the lessons we’ve learned about keeping our planet green, and recycling, and using earth-friendly products, etc.

It seems as though styrofoam, for example, is EVERYWHERE. At the beach. In restaurants. At home. At school. In the workplace. Coffee? Styrofoam. Cola to go? Styrofoam. Tailgate party? Styrofoam. What is it? What happens to it when we throw it away? What’s it made of?

A parent, or a teacher, or an environmentalist, or a celebrity can talk ’til they’re blue in the face about cutting back, and using recyclable and biodegradable products, but until a student sees, with his/her own eyes, exactly what styrofoam is, it doesn’t really mean much. Educators must know how to get the information into a student’s head. Just reading about it in a book, or listening to an adult explain it, isn’t good enough.

Watching a cool science demo can make all the difference!

Science has such incredible potential to amaze, and entrance, and ENCHANT. As teachers and parents and citizens of the planet, we all need to strive to show our children that when we understand how our world is put together, and how all parts interact and don’t interact, how cause and effect impacts our daily lives, and how much FUN it can be to learn it all.