What’s better than reading about a worm? Touching it with your own fingertips of course! Any administrator who has visited a science class and watched eager students huddle around an experiment can attest to the importance of hands-on learning. And that’s why we love this free guide from the Smithsonian—because it helps school leaders ensure that students get to “focus on the stuff.”Â
What is “the stuff”?
Learning experts describe “the stuff” as hands-on, student-led, and interactive learning experiences. Digital learning has enhanced science exploration in many ways, but learning can only be deepened with the skills that come from close observation by the senses. When you combine digital tools with hands-on activities, that’s when learning really comes alive—and sticks!
And it’s not just science scores that get a boost from student-led, interactive learning that happens in science class.
“We now have evidence from state-level reading and math tests that, for students who receive … hands-on multimodal learning, their math and reading scores go up,” says Smithsonian Science Education Center Director Carol O’Donnell.
What’s inside the guide?
Inside the guide, you’ll find carefully curated resources from the Smithsonian, including tips for increasing science, math, and reading scores through hands-on, student-led, and interactive learning experiences. Plus you’ll get access to a TEDx Talk by Carol O’Donnell from the Smithsonian.
Curious to learn more—including how to align experiential learning projects with state standards? Click the button below to get your free guide.Â