Use the Superpowers of Science to Play and Learn

By Beth Daniels

May 22, 2020

My grandson loves heroes and superpowers. He loves to pretend that he has superpowers. But what does this have to do with science? How can I play with my grandson’s love for all things “super” as we explore our local playground, or even the kitchen? We play and learn together by using our Superpowers of Science, just like the kids in Hero Elementary do!

What are the Superpowers of Science? They are powers that everyone has and everyone can use. You may have heard that children are natural scientists and natural engineers. It’s true. Have you ever watched a child build a block tower? Engineering in action! Have you seen kids lie still in the grass to watch an ant crawl? Scientific observation! Have you mixed up a batch of cookie dough with your child and talked about the way the powdery flour and flowing, liquid milk mix together to make a sticky, gooey glob? That’s science, too.

You don’t have to know the answers about why things work the way they do. Just investigate with your child, let them ask questions, test out their ideas and find out what happens! That’s it — you’re using the Superpowers of Science!

The Superpowers of Science help kids play with science and practice science. At Hero Elementary, we developed the Superpowers of Science based on the Next Generation Science Standards, which help children work and learn the same ways that real scientists do. The standards list these four keys to science learning:

What are we trying to figure out?
How will we figure this out?
How can we keep track of ideas?
How does it all fit together?

Just like scientists, we all use the Superpowers of Science to understand the world and solve problems in our community. Think about it — how many times do you use these Superpowers in your work? In your home? With your kids?

All kids can use their Superpowers of Science to find out about the world around them, solve problems, and save the day! Here are a few of the Superpowers of Science you can start using with your little hero.

1 Ask questions.

Heroes are curious! Asking questions helps them make sense of the world. All heroes need to know that their questions will be heard. But they aren’t looking for someone to hand them the answers. Questions inspire heroes to work together and to find answers themselves. That’s how heroes save the day. Help your child ask questions:

What do I wonder about this?
What am I curious about?
What do we think is going on here?
How can we find out together?

2 Compare.

Heroes compare what’s the same and what’s different so they can understand what they observe. Then heroes use what they find out, to solve problems and save the day. Help your child compare:

What’s the same?
What’s different?

3 Observe.

Heroes observe to find out what’s going on or how things work. They use their senses to observe. When heroes observe, they notice things that can help them answer questions and save the day. Help your child observe:

What senses can I use to get the information?
How can I observe this?
What do I notice?

4 Investigate.

Heroes investigate to answer a question or test an idea about how the world works. There are lots of ways to investigate. Heroes decide what information they need. They gather evidence. They share what they find out! Help your child get an investigation started:

What do I want to find out?
What’s interesting about this?
How can I find out?

5 Predict.

Heroes want to know what will happen. So heroes use what they already know — the evidence that they have. They tell what they think will happen next. This isn’t a guess! It’s a prediction based on the evidence. That’s what makes it science. Help your child predict:

What do I think will happen?
Why do I think that will happen?

6 Test.

Heroes can’t rely on wild guesses. They try out their ideas. When heroes are done wondering what will happen, they are ready to test it out. That’s how heroes find out what works, and what doesn’t. Help your child test their ideas: