Welcome to Scientists in Schools!
Scientists in Schools is an online guide intended to provide resources to scientists who would like to foster connections between the scientific community and K-12 educational community. Research has shown that role models play an important part in determining the career paths of young people. Thus, visits to a local school by a scientist may inspire students to someday become a scientist themselves, or at least recognize the importance of science in society.
Specifically, this Scientists in Schools guide is intended to provide resources to scientists who are interested in visiting local schools.
A well-planned school visit can:
- Be the highlight of the day, week, or year for many students, and yourself ;
- Encourage an interest in and enthusiasm for science, technology, and mathematics;
- Demonstrate the variety of work opportunities in exciting research fields;
- Breakdown stereotypes and barriers that make science and research appear out of reach for many industrious students.
As with any group, there will be a variety of interest among the group of students that you visit. Not every member of the class will be on the edge of their seat as tell stories of the exciting world of science. And you will likely never know which students lives are most greatly impacted by your visit. However, outreach by the scientific community is a great service to schools and society.
Teachers and students face very different needs and challenges than those posed one or two decades ago. In order to serve these evolving needs and challenges, excellent progress has been made to identify what students know, how students learn, and the best instructional practices. Scientists in Schools aims to provide you with tools and background knowledge for successful, effective, and enjoyable classroom visits. Peruse the links below for information about schools, what students are learning at various levels, a checklist to facilitate the logistics of a school visit, and how to construct an interesting program for the students.
Resources:
- Scientists in Schools Home
- About Scientists in Schools
- Getting to Know a School
- Definitions of Common Educational Terms
- Checklist for a School Visit
- Working with K-12 Students
- Science Topics for Students of Different Ages
- Making a Lesson Plan
- Recommended Resources
