This document discusses the importance of developing scientific literacy in children. It provides examples of scientists who made important contributions despite challenges, and defines scientific literacy as the ability to think scientifically and use science to understand the world. The document advocates that parents can foster scientific literacy by modeling curiosity, engaging children in home investigations, and discussing science news without lecturing. Simply providing science-focused toys is not enough; parents should make learning a fun process of asking questions together.

1. SCIENCE IN THE HOME
Turning kids onto Science and Developing Scientific Literacy
Tuesday 8th June 2010

2. When I push down on the top rod, the one on the side pops
out. What might be happening inside to make this happen?

3. ALICE
•PEAC student
•Top of the class for both maths
and English
•Highly motivated
•Accepted into a special Science
programme for High School

4. RICKY
•Class ratbag!
•Near bottom of class in literacy
and numeracy
•Not engaged in learning
•All standard academic
measures – really weak

5. Smart doesn’t always = normal!
Sir Isaac Newton
b.1642 d. 1727
•Codified the laws of Universal
Gravitation
•Inventor of the infinitesimal
calculus
•Inventor of the reflecting
telescope
•Explored and identified key
properties of light
Henry Cavendish
b.1731 d. 1810
•Recognised the elemental
nature of Hydrogen
•Calculated the density of the
Earth – to within 10 %
•Introduced the concept of
voltage and other important
electrical facts
J.B.S Haldane (and
Dad!)
b.1892 d. 1964
•Calculated the effects of
compressed gases on the
body
•Synthesised Darwin’s
theories into a modern
interpretation

6. The Role of Science
 To provide a framework with which to make sense of
the world around us
 To systematically collect and organise facts
according to a set process
 To look for patterns and connections within the
natural world and propose interpretations to explain
them
 To interpret natural phenomena through the
rigorous examination and testing of empirical
evidence
 To constantly re-examine current thinking and
modify understandings as new information becomes
available

7. Some Statistics...
 Only 53% of adults could say how long it took for the Earth
to travel once around the Sun.
 Just 59% of adults knew that the earliest humans did not live
at the same time as the dinosaurs.
 Only 47% of adults could even approximately guess the % of
the Earth’s surface covered by water.
 Only 21% of ALL adults surveyed scored all three questions
correctly.
A 2007 study by Michigan State University determined that just 28 percent of American adults
could be considered scientifically literate.
In February 2009, the California Academy of Sciences released the findings of a survey
which found that most Americans couldn’t pass a basic scientific literacy test. The findings:
At a recent Harvard University orientation for new students, an informal poll
found that less than 10% of the students knew why it is hotter in Summer
than Winter.

8. How do we stack up?
 Australia scored above the OECD average
and we came 7th overall out of 58 countries
(USA was 35th!)
15 year old students from OECD and non OECD countries – Scientific
Literacy (2006)
The bar for ‘minimum’ standards for scientific literacy isn’t very high!
Another ‘Australian only’ study conducted by the University of NSW
found that only 20% of the BEST Year 12 students would be
considered scientifically literate if measured by adult standards.

9. What is Scientific Literacy?
Scientific literacy relates to the ability to think scientifically and to
use scientific knowledge and processes to both understand the
world around us and to participate in decisions that affect it.
Increasingly, science and technology are shaping our lives. Scientific
literacy is considered to be a key outcome of education for all
students by the end of schooling – not just for future
scientists, given the growing centrality of science and technology
in modern societies.
The skill of being able to think scientifically about evidence and the
absence of evidence for claims that are made in the media and
elsewhere is vital to daily life.
It does not mean having to be a professional scientist!

10. Why is Scientific Literacy
Important?
 Knowledge = empowerment :The power and freedom to make
informed personal decisions on matters that matter!
 Active citizenship – having the skills and knowledge to
participate in local/national/global decision making
 Critical evaluation – having the tools and confidence to ‘weigh
up’ the truth (or otherwise) of often spurious or sensationalist
media pronouncements
 Applications – skills that are transferrable
 Exploration and discovery is hardwired - questioning and finding
out is a joy!
 Connection – part of being a well rounded, well educated person:
see ‘the bigger picture’
 Human rights – it is a fundamental right of every citizen to be
scientifically literate

11. What can you do?
 Model, Model, Model
 A love of learning (in general). Delight in discovery.
 Attitude towards Science in society – and scientists
 Model persistence and resilience – and instil both in
your child
 Model cooperative skills and how to deal with conflict
or disappointment
 Speak positively about your own school experiences
 ‘Think aloud’ – question things verbally and ponder
possible answers
 Model openness to new ideas, points of view and
model your preparedness to change your view or
opinion based on new evidence

12. What can you do?
 Engage and Involve
 Do some home investigations with your kids – they crave
your time and participation
 Teach them the value of asking questions – and ask
questions yourself...constantly. (including those without
‘black and white’ answers)
 Regular visits to library and have a range of
books, magazines, newspapers around the house. Speak
about them, model reading them, etc
 Seek your child’s opinion and teach them how to justify
their opinion
 Acknowledge your ignorance of some things – but
together, find out the answer
 Model healthy scepticism and not accepting things on ‘face
value’

13. What can you do?
 Engage and Involve (cont.)
 Speak about well publicised Science news around the
dinner table
 Don’t be afraid to bring up contentious issues – model
a balanced point of view
 Find out their hobbies and interests – kids want
DESPERATELY to share their ‘inner world’ with you
 Model scepticism but not cynicism
 Plan some family outings that involve some type of
discovery, exploration and can generate discussion

14. What shouldn’t you do!
 Lecture
 Force children to engage – no better way to turn them off!
 Buy heaps of expensive ‘sciencey’ toys and leave them to it
 Make learning new things seem a grim, arduous task
 Discuss things using ‘all’ statements and stereotypes
 Be afraid of your own science knowledge – it is your modelling of
‘enthusiasm for finding out’ that will help your child
 Make every family activity an educational experience – do a variety
of things; some purely for FUN!
 Give up if your child is initially reluctant to engage or rolls their eyes
at you – be patient, be persistent and they will start to come around
 Place too much emphasis on answers – they are, of
course, important, but the QUESTIONS, and the journey to find out
the answer are the real gold nuggets!

15. ‘The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he
delights in it because it is beautiful. If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if
nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living.’
Jules Henri Poincare
References
 Bill Bryson: A short history of nearly everything
BlackSwan Books 2003
 Carl Sagan:Cosmos Random House 1980,
2002
 Carl Sagan: Shadows of forgotten ancestors
Ballantine Books 1993
 http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/index.
php
 http://members.ozemail.com.au/~macinnis@oz
email.com.au/scifun/miniexp.htm
 http://www.easy-kids-science-experiments.com/
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/index
_flash.shtml
 http://childparenting.about.com/od/learninge
nrichment/a/sciencefair.htm
 http://wupcenter.mtu.edu/education/ed3510/2
006/NSTA-
Parent_Involvement_in_Science_Educ.pdf
 http://www.acer.edu.au/enews/2005/02/compa
ring-results-from-pisa-and-timss
 http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/di
scovery-videos.htm
 http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/di
scovery-videos.html
 http://www.parentsconnect.com/articles/learn
_to_love_school.jhtml

16. Finally.....the last word...
Go to YouTube.com and type in:
Crazy Sprinkler Lady
(it plays for 2.00 minutes)
This is the kind of thing we need to
combat!