Engaging the YouTube generation in hands-on science

Girls engage in hands-on science activities through a program called Bringing Up Girls in Science. The after-school program was launched by Tandra Tyler-Wood of the University of North Texas with funding from the National Science Foundation.

Many of us remember a science class where we first had opportunities to conduct experiments. It may have been our first exposure to the scientific method, as we investigated phenomena, presented hypotheses and shared results.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) helps make research experiences accessible to students at all levels, and supports classroom math and science teachers through a number of programs encompassing teacher preparation, professional development, and partnering and mentoring opportunities with higher education faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. In addition, a select group of teachers has an opportunity to serve at NSF through the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program.

Cherlyn Anderson is one of eight Einstein Fellows spending this academic year at NSF. In her other life, Anderson is an eighth-grade science teacher in South Carolina. She has used an experiment involving Mentos candy and Diet Coke as a teaching tool. The accompanying video offers a demonstration of the experiment, and discusses its benefits for eighth-grade science students.

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http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111567&org=NSF