Science Saturdays to Take Place at OCPL

The Youth Services department at OCPL has coordinated with volunteer science teachers to launch an exciting new program at OCPL called Science Saturdays.  Crystal Talley, one of the Science Saturday instructors says, “The purpose of ‘Science Saturdays’ is to engage children at a young age in math and science, provide hands-on opportunities for children to explore scientific principles and promote literary resources correlated to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics.” As noted in the National Research Council’s A Framework for K–12 Science Education Practices, “Current data on school readiness and early math and science achievement indicate we are not giving young children the support they need to be ‘STEM Smart’.”  OCPL Youth Services Librarian Stacie Powell says “tomorrow’s engineers are building bridges in the corner with blocks. Tomorrow’s scientists are doing “field work” at recess, inspecting the structure of a fallen leaf. If we take that a step further by providing STEM-focused play and hands-on learning in formal and informal settings, guided by knowledgeable educators, then we are giving children an invaluable learning advantage and hopefully fostering a life-long love of science and math.” The first Science Saturday will take place on May 17^th at the Walhalla Library from 9:30 to 10:30am.  Afterwards, the program will rotate among the other branches in the Oconee County Library system on the 3rd Saturday of each month from 9:30am – 10:30am. The program is designed for children ages 4-12.  However, we will provide sensory activities for children under the age of four who wish to attend that also align with the focus of the topic covered. At each program, students will be given a take-home sheet that summarizes the activity, reinforces the science concepts presented, and offers extensions and activities for home and alignment to SC State Standards.  The Library will also provide a list of “recommended readings” aligned to the activity for families to explore. Cohleen Vassey, another certified science teacher and coordinator of the Science Saturdays, is developing the curriculum.  Each month a new lesson and activity will be covered.  The lesson for May 17^th will be titled: “Wheels and ramps”.  We will explore incline planes and objects with wheels, as well as design and experiment on our own ramps. For more information or if you are interested in helping with the Science Saturdays call 864-638-4133.