Advisors presented STEM overview and current methodology, and explored both the integration of and the underlying processes linking content areas for both the Sesame Street and The Electric Company target audiences.
Sesame Worskhop will be focusing on STEM over a 2 year period, targeting all platforms including TV, Online, Publishing, Products etc.
Sara Sweetman, M.Ed. Science Inquiry Specialist, University of Rhode Island
Preeti Gupta, Ph.D. Senior Vice President for Education and Family Programs, New York Hall of Science
Sybilla Beckmann, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics, University of Georgia
1. SCIENCE INQUIRY
Sara Sweetman, M.Ed.
Talked about the definition of 'technology' and how people often forget that it doesn't just refer to 'digital'. Technology refers to anything we create that makes life better. For example, a spoon is a piece of technology.
In describing the meaning of science inquiry Sarah outlined cross-content enduring knowledge as
d- Forces, Energy and Motion.
A - PROPERTIES OF MATTER
+ attributes such as size, color, shape, tescture, state
+ describe
+ sort and classify
+ recognize / identify
+ test / experiment
B - FORM & FUNCTION
| FORM | FUNCTION |
| fin | swim |
| wheel | roll |
| boomerang | throw & return |
C - MODELS & DESIGNS
Sarah described this category in terms of planning cost-saving effective tools for gathering evidence, gathering support and managing society.
D - FORCES, ENGERY & MOTION
Things that move, are stable, have balance, push and pull, stop and go.
Gave the example of a class science experiment about balls -- which ball was the bounciest? Students had to come up with a hypothesis then test against specific criteria different balls such as squash balls, ping pong balls, tennis balls etc. How squishy was it? How many times did it bounce?
* Sarah gave a suggested TV content idea that covered forces and motion: Super Grover moves 3 objects of different masses. He goes about it the same way with each object resulting in three different reactions. Payoff - Grover, by default learns Newton's 2nd law. By applying KNOWLEDGE he then experiences Newton's 3rd law.
* Sarah's game content idea: design and build a cart that can be pushed and pulled.
* Sarah's TEC game idea: STEM superpowers
- power of Observation
- power of Data Collection
- power of open mindedness (ability to discover and explore new concepts)
- power of Scientific Illustration
SUMMARY
Sarah finished off with three core takeaways
1. "Because" --> there are no claims without evidence
2. Try experiments before you teach them. Have fun with them.
3. Create a THINKING curriculum, not a telling curriculum.
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