Boston Children's Museum
308 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
In order for children to understand why an experience matters to them, it is helpful to first present it in a real-world context.
After you have set the context, present the challenge and materials and send the children off to engage in the activity for 10–20 minutes.
It is at this moment, when many children are starting to have success but are not finished, that you should break to share experiences.
After sharing with their peers and gathering some new ideas for their own project, send children back to complete the challenge.
Cooking activities are great for teaching kids how to use measurement tools, giving them a chance to apply math skills like counting, adding, multiplying, etc. In addition, when you give them a chance to design their own recipe, children have to rely on estimation, problem solving and other critical science, math and engineering skills.VIEW ACTIVITY
Many of the activities in this curriculum rely on kids working together as a team. Engaging children early on in team-building activities such as this one can help to create a foundation for later team-based work in which collaborating together is critical to students’ success.VIEW ACTIVITY
Engineering challenges like this one help children develop problem solving, observation and teamwork skills and much more. In this challenge, your students will learn about properties of different materials and the transmission of sound as they work to design working “telephones” using simple materials.VIEW ACTIVITY
“What I find very helpful with your curriculum are the 4 steps that really could help even a novice staff lead a very successful and meaningful learning experience. I love the connections and use of questions to help with 'sense-making' that engage youth in thinking about what they are doing and learning – it's all about the process!”Sheryl Godsy Professional Development Specialist, Coach and Afterschool Regional Educator (ARE), Francis Institute for Child and Youth Development, Kansas City, Missouri
“This website has completely changed the way I design and deliver my after-school program curriculum. I have found that my students remain much more engaged and have shown an increased desire to verbally explain 'what' they are seeing. I will continue to use this website and look forward to sharing it with as many educators as I can. It has become my top resource for curriculum!”Lauren DuBois SET Adventures, Springfield, Massachusetts