Meeting Abstract
A challenge facing K-12 educators is showing that science is not simply memorized facts, but instead is a creative and iterative process of curiosity, investigation, analysis, and communication. To engage students in the process of science while increasing scientist accessibility, we formed the “What is a scientist?” outreach effort (WIAS) in association with the 2017 SICB meeting in New Orleans, LA. While most K-12 curricula include the scientific method, many students graduate unable to critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of reported science they encounter in daily life. Scientists are uniquely positioned to share real examples of assessing evidence and using the scientific process to discover new knowledge. We designed WIAS as a large-scale, low-cost program with two main goals: (1) help students understand the scientific process and what makes a study credible and (2) generate enthusiasm for science through interactions with research scientists. Over two days, 27 SICB scientists visited 47 middle school classrooms. In total, we reached about 1000 students. The WIAS program consisted of two components. First, scientists described (1) their research question, (2) how they seek answers to that question, (3) how they communicate their findings, and (4) their lives outside of the lab. Second, students worked in small groups to design a taste test study using M&Ms. The visiting scientists challenged the students to determine whether their methodology accurately tested the research question and finished with a group discussion on the limitations of the study and its implications for interacting with science in daily life. Our presentation will include both role-playing examples from the program and a discussion on ways to improve WIAS and implement large-scale outreach.
