Family Science Nights
Benefit Everyone!
Joan Chadde
Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science,
Mathematics & Environmental Education
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI 49931
Email: jchadde@mtu.edu
Website: http://wupcenter.mtu.edu/
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Financial support for this work was provided by the Wege Foundation and
the Michigan Department of Education
Geographic Area Served by the Programs of the
Western U.P. Center for Science, Mathematics
and Environmental Education
Why Family Science Nights?
Value to Children:
• Have “fun” doing science.
• Bring scientific learning to family unit.
• Encourage doing science at home with
everyday materials.
• Spark children’s scientific interest by
allowing them to manipulate objects and
participate actively.
Value to Children:
• Allows interaction with “practicing scientists.”
• Provides forum for presenters to share
information about careers in science.
• Stimulates parents’ interest in science and
their children’s science education.
• Research shows direct link between parental
attitudes and student achievement.
Value to Children:
 Builds connections between classroom
science and the real world.
 Demonstrates life-long learning
amongst parents.
Why Family Science Nights?
Value to Parents:
Provides an excellent opportunity for
intellectual interaction with their children.
Increases parents’
scientific interest
and knowledge.
Top 10 Reasons Why Parents
Come to Family Nights !!
1. It helps the children learn!
2. The kids really enjoy it!
3. To do something together!
4. It’s interesting, educational, and fun!
5. Good interaction with my kids!
Top 10 Reasons Why Parents
Come to Family Nights !!
6. Gets us away from the TV and spending time
as a family.
7. To have an opportunity to learn new
things and spend time with my children!
8. The children enjoy showing what they can do!
9. I learn a lot and meet other parents!
10. It’s a fun, sharing, educational time for
my child and me—and its free!
Why Family Science Nights?
Value to Math & Science Center
 Enhances the scientific education of
students that participate.
 Provides role models in science and
mathematics-related careers for children.
 Highly visible program in community.
 Creates community advocates for
improved science education.
Supports NSTA Position Statement on:
Informal Science Education
 Complements, supplements, deepens, and
enhances classroom science studies.
 Presents opportunity for mentors,
professionals, and citizens to share time,
effort, creativity and expertise with
youngsters and adult learners.
 Provides an effective means for parents
to share intellectual curiosity with their
children.
Supports NSTA Position Statement on:
Parent Involvement in Science Education
• Parents play essential role in the success
of students in schools.
• By doing science together, parents
demonstrate importance and enjoyment of
learning science.
• Parents can reinforce learning at home, and
encourage students to see science
everywhere.
Ways to Deliver
Family Science Nights
1) School Science Coordinator sets up
“activity stations” for K-6 parents &
students to rotate through.
Contact: Okemos Schools (Michigan)
Cost:
$2.00/family
Ways to Deliver
Family Science Nights
2) Teachers set-up a self-explanatory
hands-on activity for their grade level,
in their classroom. Families visit classrooms and do activities. Teachers
available for questions.
Contact: Beal City Elementary (MI)
Dexter Middle School (MI)
TELL = Teacher Education
Through Leadership & Literacy
2) Provide training and packaged activities for
Title I teachers in each school district to
conduct family math, science, and technology
programs. Provide with new activities each year.
Contact:
Tom Abramson (tabramson@dsisd.k12.mi.us)
Northwoods Math & Science Center
Delta Schoolcraft ISD
1-906-786-9300
Ways to Deliver
Family Science Nights
3) Contract with private company, nature center,
or other organization to design “packaged
stations.” School must provide 18+ volunteers
to staff stations.
Contact: Wonderama
P.O. Box 132, E. Lansing
(517) 371-5070
Cost:
$600+ per night
Ways to Deliver
Family Science Nights
4) Send an administrator, teacher and
parent to attend a Family Math & Science
Leadership Workshop.
Contact: Family Science Leadership Workshops
Programs for Educational Opportunity
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
TEL: (734) 763-9910
EMAIL: elinn@umich.edu
Contact:
Family Math Book (1986)
Lawrence Hall of Science #5200
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-5200
(510) 642-1823 (program)
800-897-5036 (books)
Website: www.lhs.berkeley.edu/equals
Email:
eqs_pubs@uclink4.berkeley.edu
Ways to Deliver
Family Science Nights
5) A trained Family Science facilitator
offers family science sessions as a
“class” that parents & students
attend weekly for 3-6 weeks.
Ways to Deliver
Family Science Nights
6) For more family program ideas - see
October 1996 issue of NSTA’s
Science & Children that’s devoted to
‘family science’ and describes a wide
variety of possible programs:
~ Saturday Science
~ Super Science Sleep-Over
~ Family Nature Walks
Ways to Deliver
Family Science Nights
7) Family Science by David Heil
Tel:
503-245-2102
Email:
dheil@teleport.com
Website: familyscience.org
Ways to Deliver
Family Science Nights
8) Collaborate with a university
Education Dept. to have students
deliver family science programs.
~ Recruit a student organization to
conduct science nights.
~ Establish a special course to train
students to be presenters.
Communicating Science Course
Course Credit
2 semester credits
Course Schedule
Meets 7:00-9:00 p.m.,
one night each week.
(On family science nights, students are
off-campus from 5:00-9:00 p.m.)
Communicating Science
Course Objectives
• Prepare students for making classroom
and community presentations.
• Train students in presentation skills,
effective teaching techniques, classroom
management, and hands-on learning.
•
• Introduce students to available
educational resources: websites,
curriculum/activity guides, university
faculty, journals, area teachers.
Communicating Science Course
Course Requirements
1. Write a paper reflecting on their
elementary science education.
2. Prepare lesson plans for two different
40-minute hands-on presentations.
3. Present at six Family Science Nights.
Communicating Science Course
Course Requirements
5. Instructors evaluate each presentation.
6. Write one-page self-critique of their
presentation after each Science Night.
7. Prepare one-page summary reflecting on:
"how this experience will benefit me
academically and professionally."
Lesson Plan
• Introduction - self/major/future career
• Attention-getter
• Clear, measurable objectives
• 25-30 minutes of activity
• Summary
• Take-home activities
Why Family Science Nights?
Value to the University
 Benefits University students.
 Brings University presence into local
schools—promotes goodwill in local
communities.
 Will increase future enrollment?!?
Why Family Science Nights?
Value to University Students:
• Rewarding experience
• Enhanced employability
• Encourages professional responsibility to
help create scientifically-informed
citizenry.
Value to University Students:
• Provides opportunity to enhance
communication skills—essential for successful
careers in science and engineering.
• Provides opportunity for science, math,
engineering & technology majors to discover
pleasure of teaching K-12 students.
• Provides real-world "service learning"
experience that demonstrates rewards of
community involvement.
Wall Street Journal
December 29, 1998
Ranked personal qualities of college
graduates sought by employers (in a
survey of 480 companies and public
organizations).
1st - Ability to communicate
2nd - Work experience
3rd - Motivation
6th - Academic credentials
Sample Comments from
University Students in Course
 I learned about the importance of flexibility and
how adapting to your audience is imperative to
effective communication.
 This course taught me how to convey complicated
ideas in a common, understandable way.
 This course provided the opportunity to develop
the communication skills essential to becoming
successful in the workplace.
Sample Comments from
University Students in Course
 This course sets us apart from our peers and
instills in us a sense of community involvement
and accomplishment.
 I am now sure that I will someday have to find a
way to incorporate students into my profession.
 Working with multiple-age groups and varying
populations helped me to improve my people skills
and become perceptive to a wide range of
interest levels.
Family Science Night Logistics
Center provides to Schools:
• Family Science Night flyer.
• Presenters to conduct activities.
• All activity supplies
• Nametags, sign-in forms, science night
program, and parent evaluation form.
Host School Provides:
 Registration tally.
 Sign-in table & greeters at door.
 Refreshments and childcare (optional).
Program Funding
• Western Upper Peninsula Center (via MDE)
funds .25 person to train university student
presenters and coordinate delivery of 20
family science and forest nights.
• Past National Science Foundation grant
funded coordinator to teach “Communicating
Science” course at Michigan Technological
University.
• Wege Foundation of Grand Rapids, MI
Michigan Technological University Students
Participating in Family Science Night Programs
~ Winter ’98 to Fall ’02 ~
Michigan Tech Department
Number of Students
Applied Math
10
Biomedical Engineering
8
Biological Sciences
35
Business Administration
7
Chemical Sciences & Chemical Engineering
23
Civil & Environmental Engineering
65
Computer Sciences
11
Education
2
Electrical Engineering
18
Forestry/Applied Ecology
43
Geological Sciences & Engineering
22
Mechanical Engineering
22
Other:
54 _
TOTAL
320
Family Science Night Attendance
2001-02 School Year
School
% Student Total
_____# Students Body_____Attendance
1. Baraga Elementary
35
2. Chassell Elementary
103
3. Dollar Bay Elementary
31
4. E.B. Holman School
56
5. Hancock Elementary
130
6. Houghton Elementary
82
7. Lake Linden Elementary
53
8. Sleight Elementary
86
9. Wakefield Elementary
59
10. Washington Elem (Bessemer) 83
TOTAL ATTENDING
1,286*
40 %
63 %
20 %
40 %
30 %
17 %
18 %
41 %
49 %
36 %
65
203
86
90
231
192
131
164
109
151
2,507* (All Schools)
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Thicket Game
Western Upper Peninsula Center
for Science, Mathematics and
Environmental Education
WEBSITE
wupcenter.mtu.edu