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| 2009-02-03 register | login | ||
SPARKS - learn to teach science to your kids - better than free!If you're interested in getting your kids excited about science, SPARKS is a program you don't want to miss. Three workshops this spring will show you how to find 'teachable moments' in a normal day, and provide hands-on experience to share later with your kids. The workshops are free, with the requirement that you work a booth at a science fair one day in April - but you get paid $50 for the day. You can't beat the price!I had a chance last Tuesday to talk to Brooke Sanders-Silverman and Jennifer Phillips at the Tucson Children's Museum (Jennifer is the education coordinator and one of the trainers). I asked Jennifer what SPARKS is all about: - Teach parents of elementary school age children to identify and run with everyday teaching moments - reach an underserved minority audience, be available to families who don't usually go to science centers and zoos - Very hands on, behind the scenes tours, concrete activities in areas like nutrition, paleontology - de-mystifying what a scientist is and does - Kids learn from their parents, but learn better when they also practice with their parents The SPARKS program was originally developed at the Bronx Zoo and now is expanding funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. This is its first year in Tucson - the first set of workshops were in November and met with very positive parent feedback. For more about the bronx zoo program see http://www.wcs.org/353624/sparkswcs And some specific activities? - "How Do You Measure an Elephant" - children's book highly recommended - go to the zoo with a ruler, look at the ruler on the giraffe exhibit, measure yourself and other things, compare And some final take-aways: - that you can relay scientific info to kids if you present it at the right level - that its the primary responsibility of parents to make sure your kids are learning science - ( ed: don't just wait for the school to teach it, especially with all the test pressure) - Science is in everything! ============================================== The series of workshops will be held Thursday 3/26 6-8PM @ TCM (Children's Museum) Sunday 3/29/09 9-5PM @ ASDM (Desert Museum) Thursday 4/2/09 6-8PM @ TCM The fair to work will be one of the days (you choose) Sat Apr 25 @ the Zoo or Sun Apr 26 @ TCM To sign up, call Jennifer Phillips at 792-9985 x 111 or email jphillips *at* tucsonchildrensmuseum.org You can also pick up a flyer at the TCM, the Zoo or the Desert Museum. "" |
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