Goal #1

We’re getting youth interested in science!

Iowa State University students and faculty traveled to Des Moines in the fall of 2015 to share ambitious science teaching at one of our partner agencies, Children and Family Urban Movement (www.cfum.org).  The ISU students taught about mealworms and assisted as the CFUM children conducted experiments and recorded their results.

During the spring of 2016, university students completed their Block 2 Practicum as part of their teacher education requirements.  All five were placed at Moulton Elementary School in fourth grade classrooms.  In addition to teaching reading lessons, these pre-service teachers taught ambitious science lessons about mosquitoes.  They started with the question, “How Do We Trap Mosquitoes?” and at the end of the lesson, the elementary students had the opportunity to design their own mosquito traps.

“I noticed that they were thinking deeply on the topic and adding to their peer’s responses. They were very excited about drawing their own traps and I saw many unique ideas that I hadn’t thought of previously,” pre-service teacher Olivia Hansen said as she reflected on her lesson.

After observing one of the ambitious science lessons, Darlys Baker, practicum supervisor, remarked “What you did with the kids today, they were obviously very interested.”

“I was just excited to see them excited about it.  Even planning the lesson, I didn’t realize they would be that engaged in it and that excited to do the designs,” commented pre-service teacher Bailey Oberbroeckling.