Inventors, scientists and "do-it-yourself-ers" recently gathered, along with their best gadgets and inventions, at an event called the Maker Faire in San Mateo, Calif. The annual gathering is meant to encourage invention and innovation among kids and adults alike, and this year's Faire featured everything from talking giraffes to cupcake cars and guitar hero robots.
While the Faire is meant to be a fun event for those who love inventing and tinkering, it also serves another purpose: getting kids interested in science and engineering. U.S. kids have fallen behind many of the world's children in science and math education, and President Obama has set a goal of making American youngsters No. 1 in the world in math and science a decade from now.
Some students say, though, that their experience making and inventing things for fun is very different from science class, which they often find "boring." Many teachers and adults are working to find ways to bring the DIY movement into the classroom and spark students' interest in STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - by allowing them to invent and explore on their own.
Quotes
"It can help the students learn science content. And it can also help the students become the innovators of tomorrow. The hope is, they go on to their lives and maybe, a couple of years down the road, oh, you know, I could actually build this thing, because I know that I can do that. Or, in the more extreme case, they go become an engineer or a designer." - Aaron Vanderwerff, Lighthouse Community Charter School
"One of president's goals is to get more young girls and boys excited about what's called STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math. And I believe that the maker movement, the maker culture is a really powerful way of doing that." - Tom Kalil, Office of Science and Technology Policy
Warm Up Questions
1. What does STEM stand for?
2. What is the DIY movement?
3. What kinds of careers use science and math?
Discussion Questions
1. Which of the DIY projects featured in in the video most appealed to you? Why?
2. Have you ever made something yourself? If so, what did you learn from the experience? What was difficult about it?
3. Why do you think the kids interviewed in the video say they're not more interested in studying science, even though they enjoy inventing and making new things? What is the difference between studying science and 'doing' science? How do you think the two could be combined?
Additional Resources
'Mythbusters' Star Discusses the Joy of Invention
