The Atlantic utilized the expertise of UW–Madison’s John Rudolph for an article examining an innovative approach to K-12 science learning that started in a Michigan elementary school.
Rudolph is the department chair and a professor in the School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
The article — titled “Children Are Born Scientists. What If School Encouraged That?” — focuses on the work of Gary Koppelman, who designed an acclaimed science lab at Blissfield Elementary, a small rural school in southeast Michigan. A “hands-on, minds-on” teaching approach drives instruction in the lab — now used by over 1,200 students in Blissfield’s elementary, middle, and high schools — and students have daily opportunities to “engage with the natural world, ask questions, collect and analyze data, and work with their peers to come up with answers.”
Inquiry-driven science classrooms (such as the one at Blissfield) are rare in elementary grades, said Rudolph in the article. He explained that that most schools focus on factual content, for instance, memorizing the parts of the eye, and drawing diagrams and writing reports to supplement learning.
It’s less common, Rudolph said, for students to get the chance to engage in intellectual dialogue around questions such as “Why do humans have eyes?” or “How are the eyes of various animals different and why?”
Rudolph explained that the latter approach requires more “teacher training, funding, and complex assessments,” but he believes “the payoff is worth it.”
The article continues: “Not only do students learn critical thinking and communication skills, they also develop an intimate understanding of and appreciation for how scientists come up with evidence and develop conclusions, which Rudolph views as a largely neglected part of science education. A lack of such understanding, he thinks, contributes to scientific illiteracy — from skepticism about climate change to growing opposition to vaccination.”
In Blissfield, the article explains, the impact of Koppelman’s Environmental Life Lab has been huge. The district has consistently outperformed state averages on standardized science tests, and more of the district’s students are going on to major in STEM fields in college.
To learn more about the science lab at Blissfield Elementary and their hands-on approach to science learning, check out the full article on The Atlantic website, here.