encouraging life science for girls, 3rd garde

[lightheart]

at a parents meeting the other day a mom voiced her concern that her daughter, grade 3 was not enjoying life science, she was saying her daughter was really downing the subject.

I remember seeing somewhere, maybe tv ad?? about something encouraging girls in science, anyone know what I'm talking about? any links or resources that might help mom explain to daughter how fun science is and let the girl see science in a new light?

[Momily]

I wouldn't explain it, I'd just do it in fun exciting ways and let my child know that the things we did at home were closer to real science than what was happening in her classroom.

So, I'd order some bugs -- caterpillars, moth coccoons and let her watch the changes, I'd hunt for tadpoles and raise them into frogs, I'd pick white flowers and color them with food coloring or grow a garden or visit an aquarium, or read books about dolphins. Then if she enjoys those activities I'd point out that these are things that adults who enjoy science do.

Seriously, you'd have to work pretty hard to make life science boring. Unfortunately some text book companies have done just that.

[karne]

You might enjoy reading the book Girls Who Looked Under Rocks (can find it on Amazon). This boook profiles six women naturalists who "looked under rocks" as young girls, and how this led to their futures as scientists. There are a number of other related titles, different authors, that discuss or promote girls and women as scientists, inventors, etc.

I second the pp re: caterpillers, frogs, etc. Get messy, explore the backyard, keep a nature journal. Set up a fishtank or aquarium. Raise plants, or garden. The audabon (?sp) society sponsors walks, sometimes even "owl prowls" at night which is fun. If you figure out what the girls' interest is in, ie collections, animals, art-there are any number of tie-ins from the life science perspective.

I know that these are home-based projects, not scool based, but one of the best ways to encourage an interest in anything is for the parents to show an interest, or barring that, a willingness to explore, with the child. We have definitely noticed this in our family around many different topics!

[Aura_Kitten]

I say buy her a microscope and let her analyze anything she wants. That's what got my interest sparked.