This semester I have had the opportunity to participate in the Wonders of Our World Program or WOW for short. The WOW program works with students from kindergarten to fifth grade in the Columbus, OH area. The program will bring a group of college student to visit a class of students from kindergarten through fifth grade every week or two. The students will bring in organized hands-on experiments for the class of students to learn and see science concepts. Then every month or so the program will change science concepts that will vary from magnetism and seeing how magnets work to buoyancy and talking about why boats float. For an example, the buoyancy unit gave a small group of students some clay to make a boat that will float. Once the students are able to make a boat out of clay that floats, they will be given small marbles and try to make a boat that will hold the most marbles without sinking. This lab gives students an opportunity to have a hands on experience about the concept of buoyancy and think about why things float and how to improve those boats they made. This program promotes the idea that science is something that they can be interested in and is not as stuffy or boring as they might believe it to be. Overall, this program has been enjoyable to amaze children about science and promote them to become future scientist.
