INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO K-12 GEOLOGY OUTREACH USING HANDS-ON SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

We at MCC have created a science education outreach program that engages over 1000 K-12 students per year and excites them about learning science. Through 5 years of outreach, we have created a very successful program because each child performs every experiment maintaining a high interest level throughout the day. College students (mostly non-science majors) enrolled in introductory geology courses volunteer to teach children geologic concepts in a hands-on, active learning approach.

Working primarily with low-income schools with diverse populations, we use everyday, inexpensive products for the experiments. As a result, we reach more children, while minimizing cost. The size of outreach events range from a class of 25 up to 400 in a Science Day format. Teachers appreciate the ideas and the means of teaching geoscience topics in innovative ways. Typically children rotate through 4 - 6 topic stations. Each topic station has a designated activity, which lasts 10-20 minutes. Time is provided for the children to write down what they learned at each station. In the end, they walk away with a notebook full of information about the experiments and a final product from each of the different topics covered (e.g., plaster of paris fossil). These topic stations include volcanoes, earthquakes, fossils, mining, and minerals. Other disciplines-chemistry, engineering, physics, astronomy, and geography-have been added with success. Each child is assured of visiting every topic station, maintaining an interest level throughout the day. The college students introduce the concepts, using an inquiry-based format, while each child performs the experiments.

Our approach actively engages children in learning by having them perform hands-on activities that stimulate their interest in science. It also provides MCC students the opportunity to be role models, since they do the teaching (reinforcing their learning). In order to have a greater impact on the children, we encourage the schools to come to our campus. Since we have a diverse student population, the kids can see first hand that college is for all students and that going to college is something they can attain. Based on years of feedback, this approach has proven to be extremely popular with the children, the teachers, and the students.