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Should Elementary students take home science projects or should they be done during class time? At what grade level should students begin taking home science projects?
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Hi Berenice -- Could you explain what you mean by, or give an example of, a 'science project' that students would take home? That would help to focus our suggestions and ideas, especially with the safety factors, amount of parent involvement or supervision needed, and the resources or materials that students would need at home. Thanks -- Mary B
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I think this is an interesting question for a few reasons. When I first thought about students taking home science projects I did not really like this idea. However, the more I thought about this the more comfortable I got with the idea but I still find flaws in this process. I think the majority of science projects should be done in the classroom for multiple reasons. I think students (in elementary school) should still be guided with some instruction during science projects. I think teachers should allow them to explore on their own but guidance and support should still be accessible for students. I also think most science projects require a lot of preparation, supplies, and guided instruction. For this reason, I don't think a teacher should put these responsibility on parents.
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I believe it all depends on the teachers whether or not they'd let their students take their projects home. If I was the teacher I would like my students to experience both, let them take their first project home so they can have a feel for it then their 2nd project let them research out of class but have them keep their project at school and work on it only during Science time. I think at grade levels 2nd-3rd would be a good grade level for them to be allowed to take them home because at that age they are a little bit more responsible and more mature.
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I think that it is a good idea for elementary students take science projects home because it is a way where they can relate the information that they learned in class at home. It is also a way a student can connect with their parents when they are helping them and at the same time he is also informing their parents what they learned during the day. I am still not a teacher but I think 3rd grade would be a good great level for students to start taking science projects home.
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I believe that elementary students should be allowed to work on their science projects at home. The students get to use their creativity and have plenty more resources to work with at home. Working on their science project at home also allows the student to work at their own pace and have fun in the learning process. Science projects also allow for the students to bond with their parents. I would say that the students can start taking home their science projects in 2nd grade because it seems like a good age for them to be able to familiarize themselves with at home science projects.
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Wow! These responses were very helpful and gave me a new view on take-home science projects. Love the idea of how it encourages family/parent interactions
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Hi Taylor! I think this is a great question and after thinking about it I think there are a lot of factors that go into deciding whether a science project should be allowed to be taken home. I think the major deciding factor will be resources and tools needed for the project. Some parents may not have the tools and resources needed to get those tools and those students may be at a disadvantage. Another major deciding factor would be the culture at the school. If parents are expected to participate a lot and your school does have high participation rates, I believe it would be fine to take a project home, but otherwise again, you may be putting some students who do not have parents with a lot of time or resources at a disadvantage.
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