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Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: September 26, 2003
Author: Leslie Madsen
Contact: Tom Wickersham

EXPLORIT ENRICHES THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
WITH ONE MORE WEEKEND OF MATHEMATICAL FUN

For many students, the novelty of the new school year already has worn off: pencils grow dull, the best crayons have broken, and that math homework always seems to be the very last thing they want to do.

Explorit Science Center is offering an antidote to the math blues this weekend-the last two days of its popular "Count on It: Numbers in Nature" exhibition. Visitors to Explorit can reignite their interest in all things mathematical by learning about the math behind nature's shapes and forms, from crystal structures to weather patterns.

Recent research shows that parents should seek out experiences like that offered by Explorit and other area organizations that promote hands-on, informal science activities. 
Not only do these learning opportunities frequently bridge gaps in the curriculum, but the social interactions between students and family members provides the social setting in which meaningful learning can take place.

That research on learning comes from countless scholars, science center professionals, and the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC). ASTC also reports that open-ended, inquiry-based science activities, like those offered at Explorit, not only increase students' interest in science, but also improve their logical reasoning, communication, and reading skills. According to ASTC's web site, over the long term, informal science learning piques students' desire to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology.

This early enrichment may be especially important for girls and students of color because their adult counterparts are severely underrepresented in some areas of scientific endeavor, most notably as professionals in computer science and engineering. According to the National Science Foundation, the numbers and percentages of women and people of color in these two fields are declining.

Making learning in science and mathematics even more difficult and less inspiring for students are science and math textbooks that the American Association for the Advancement of Science has concluded are "unsatisfactory"-including ones frequently adopted by schools.

Such reports only underscore the necessity of community-based organizations that make science learning available to all people.

Parents can assume a greater role in their children's educational development by taking them on trips to science centers, museums, and nature preserves. On its web site, the Girl Scouts of America provides parents with guidelines for enriching children's lives with math and science learning. Among them are:

• encouraging children to hypothesize about outcomes in their everyday lives-from tomorrow's weather to how long it will take dinner to cook;
• providing children with scientific tools like magnifying glasses, simple microscopes, wildlife identification manuals, and star charts;
• introducing children to diverse role models-especially those that share the child's gender and culture; and
• encouraging children to participate fully in math and science classes and enrichment activities.

Parents who decide to spark their children's learning by visiting Explorit tomorrow will get into the science center for free. Admission is free at Explorit on the fourth Saturday of every month.


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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 5th Street in East Davis. The current exhibition is "Count on It: Numbers in Nature," which ends Sunday. Explorit will be closed Monday, Sept. 29 through Friday Oct. 3 and will reopen Saturday, Oct. 4 with "Earth Elements: Discovering Natural Resources." Public hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.explorit.org or call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.