Classes on science, art open to kids

The IU School of Education is continuing a tradition of educating and involving young students in the arts and sciences.

Saturday Science and the Saturday Art School are two programs offered by the school to introduce kids to the fun of learning.

Saturday Science began in 1990 after a million dollar grant was given to the school by the National Science Foundation. The program has sessions in the fall and spring, each costing $65. Each session consists of five consecutive Saturdays where kids from kindergarten through eighth grade are able to learn about science.

“It’s a fun, hands-on kind of thing. There’s no grade. They have a good time with it,” said Lisa Baer, the Saturday Science graduate student coordinator . “The kids like it because they form friendships. They may not go to school together, but they go to Saturday Science together.”

The program goes from 9:30 a.m. to noon each Saturday. During this time, the students typically watch videos that introduce the day’s topic, do a science investigation and have snacks. Sometimes the students do outdoor activities or go on field trips around the IU campus.

“The kids are actually engaging in science themselves. It definitely supports young children in science,” said Valarie Akerson, Saturday Science fall coordinator, Ph.D.

During these sessions, the children are split into groups of kindergarten through second grade, third through fourth grade and fifth through eighth grade. By doing this, the program leaders are able to cater their lessons to each age group.

In the fall session, the program is taught by doctoral students, while pre-service teachers help and observe. In the spring session, students in Q405: Integrated Sciences for Science Education are able to teach and lead the classes as a part of the lab for their class.

Similarly, students in M330: Foundations of Art Education and Methods 1 teach both the fall and spring sessions of the Saturday Art School. This program is open to students from kindergarten through sixth grade and costs $35.

It takes place from 10:30 a.m. to noon on six consecutive Saturdays, the final class being an open house and exhibit of the children’s artwork.

“In the schools, there are not always areas for show, and it’s cool for them to see their work behind the glass with a spotlight on it,” said Dianna Huxhold, Saturday Art School associate instructor.

On a typical Saturday, students in the program start in their sketchbooks, see a demonstration and then start on their project. For some of these projects, the students make objects from clay or paper maché, while other weeks the kids paint or make collages.

Through the program, the IU students are able to gain experience for the future, and the students in the program are able to learn about art.

“I think it’s important for the pre-service teachers to have some experience prior to teaching. It’s also important for the students to explore art in different venues. It gives them an extra area for creativity and opportunities they wouldn’t have in the classroom,” Huxhold said.