Why Science Matters

October 2007 Special Sections

Science is in everything we see, use, and do. It explains how the world works and it teaches us to reason, question, test, problem solve, and think creatively. Science is not just for the future researchers, technologists, or engineers of the world—it’s for every child. Parents hold the key to unlocking the world of scientific curiosity and discovery for their children. Luckily, they have very willing participants on the journey. “Every child is naturally scientific,” says Kirsten Ellenbogen, director of evaluation and research in learning at the Science Museum of Minnesota. “Children are born with these innate tendencies for observation and exploration.”

Just watch kids play—their enthusiasm when they add water to the dirt pile in the backyard, their awe at the airplane flying overhead. Their innate desire to explore, inquire, experiment, and invent is the very foundation of science.

Science isn’t contained within the four walls of the classroom, so why should science education be just a classroom activity? By age eighteen, a child will have spent just 9 percent of his life in school, which is all the more reason to make sure science is a priority in and outside of school. Next year, the Minnesota Department of Education will review the state’s science standards with the goal of ensuring that students are science literate when they graduate and with an eye to preparing qualified students to serve the future needs of scientific fields.

Parents can complement this initiative outside of the classroom by encouraging their children to find the science around them, to observe how science touches all facets of their lives. “Usually the things that people think of as science are ‘fancy’ science,” says Rebecca Schatz, who runs The Works, a hands-on museum of science and engineering in Edina. “[Science is] paper, pencils, televisions, phones, basketballs, schools, roads, the family car.”

Kids who are encouraged early and often to spot science in their everyday lives are more likely than not to be interested in science in school. “You’ve got to get kids interested early,” says Kelly Finnerty of The Bakken Museum in Minneapolis. “Once they hit middle school, there are classes they need to take if they want to continue their interest in science. It’s important to work with children so they understand that science is fun, interesting, and for them.”

Even if science doesn’t become their college major, the skills they’ll learn will transcend academic disciplines. “Science helps you develop all sorts of life skills: testing carefully, asking questions, discovering, perseverance, honesty, patience, curiosity, and thoroughness,” Schatz says. “You learn how to describe what you’ve done. Science helps you articulate things very carefully.”