Science Museum Makes House Call at Bowman – December 13, 2007
By Elisabeth Donahue/Special to the Minuteman
Why travel all the way to the museum when it can come to you?

Bowman Elementary students were treated to a visit from the Boston Museum of Science in the school cafeteria. “Science on Wheels,” a program developed by the Museum to work hand-in-hand with the Massachusetts school curriculum, presented shows designed specifically to coordinate with each grade’s science program. It was funded by the Lexington Education Foundation (LEF).

Li Zhu-Qing, the LEF grantee for this program, was motivated to bring “Science on Wheels” to Bowman because of the museum educators’ enthusiasm, which she found “truly contagious for the participating children.” A parent at Bowman, she paired with third-grade teacher Vicky Schwartz to apply for the grant.

The programs covered electricity and magnets for the kindergartners and first graders, animal habitats for second graders, weather for third and fourth graders, and electromagnetism and motion for fourth and fifth graders. Each show was interactive and used a variety of props and sophisticated machinery to make the educational points. When possible, the programs geared toward the younger children shared many of the concepts introduced to older children, setting the stage for future learning.

Teachers and parents appreciated the program.

“The ‘Science on Wheels Program’ was fantastic,” said third-grade teacher Maureen Bennett. “The program at each grade level was very interactive, lots of children were able to get involved, the pace was quick, and lots of concepts were covered and explained in a fun, highly motivating way.”

Second-grade teacher Eric Pell agreed. “The program was relevant to what we are teaching in science and reading,” he said. “The presenter had the children focus on what they saw, not necessarily what they already knew — an important nonfiction reading skill we emphasize in our classrooms.”

LEF selected “Science on Wheels” because of its goal to enhance students’ learning experience in science. Moreover, using outside consultants was an efficient and cost-effective way to meet the LEF mission of providing an enriching experience for students.

“The program was incredibly worthwhile. My first and fourth grade girls came home bursting to tell me about what they learned from the shows,” said parent Diane Abe.

As part of the support LEF offers its grantees, the organization provides a “shepherd” for each funded program — an LEF board member who advises and guides or simply offers moral support when needed.

The Lexington Education Foundation is an independent charitable organization founded in 1989 to enhance educational excellence for the children of Lexington Public Schools. Its grants finance educational opportunities outside the scope of the school operating budget and target areas such as innovation in curriculum and instruction, professional development, and teacher mentoring.

Applications for 2008-2009 school year grants will be considered this spring. For more information, visit www.lexedfoundation.org .