The 2013 Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) did not include the importance of learning about viruses, antibodies, immunization and vaccines. Nor did they describe the roles of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). My, how things have changed over the last seven years!
Today, there’s an abundance of scientific topics (not to mention the political questions associated with them) related to the current pandemic that, because of their heightened relevance, have the capacity to deeply engage students. For example, how are vaccines developed and should certain vaccines be required to keep our communities protected? How are viruses transmitted and should we ever return to greeting people with a handshake? What role do government and international agencies such as the CDC and the WHO play in the research and development of policies that are designed to protect the public? And these questions just skim the surface. In the years ahead, there will likely be numerous topics teachers can explore connected to climate change and how it’s impacting our weather patterns, water usage, and the potential for forest fires.
Each of these sets of timely questions can be geared toward an appropriate age level. As students progress through the grades, teachers can establish a foundation of conceptual understanding in scientific principles so students can begin to develop their own theories and test hypotheses. With our school’s collaboration with the New Hampshire Academy of Science and our own Core Knowledge science curriculum, Crossroads students are able to get a jump start on this process by conducting their own research and in some instances even publishing their results in peer-review journals.
Whether or not our students decide to enter a STEM-related field, having the ability to consider these topics, form opinions, and test hypotheses will have a wide range of beneficial applications. With this training and knowledge, students will be more likely to make better decisions on everything from their health to who to vote for in the next election. As a society, we have a long way to go in this area: a study from 2015 found that 40% of 8th grade students did not read a book or a magazine about science in the previous year and more than half of high school seniors did not use library resources in their science classes. These studies were not encouraged despite the fact that there’s an incredible range of science-related books available to students or all ages. It is up to current teachers to empower this next generation through scientific thinking. And it all can start with tapping into the many important topics that are highly relevant to today’s students.
