Ascent Outreach

Created on: Monday 7 April 2008
Updated on: Tuesday 7 April 2009

The BYU ASCENT project is collaborating with Timpanogos Elementary School's 5th grade classes. The purpose of this outreach is to increase the children's curiosity and desire to explore science and nature.

In line with the Intended Learning Outcomes for 5th grade, it is also our goal to help the 5th grade students:

1. Use Science Process and Thinking Skills
2. Manifest Scientific Attitudes and Interests
3. Understand Correct Science Concepts and Principles
4. Communicate Effectively Using Science Language and Reasoning
5. Demonstrate Awareness of Social and Historical Aspects of Science
6. Understand the Nature of Science

The ASCENT project has used several resources provided by BYU and the ASCENT grant. With the aid of these resources, several demonstrations were given to the 5th grade classes at Timpanogos Elementary that meet several of the science standards set for 5th grade students. The use of demonstrations (instead of a lecture-type class) help the children practice their observation, data-taking, questioning, and reasoning skills. Further, these demonstrations are also designed to have a "hands-on" portion to them where the students themselves are in charge of forming their own questions, and design a method to anwswer those questions. With the proper guidance the students are also able to understand that science is a way that they themselves may use to gain answers and knowledge to the questions they have using a variety of methods and procedures.

Some of the demos presented are:

1. Electrostatics
2. Homopolar Motors
3. Water Circuits
4. Christmas Lightbulb Circuits
5. Conservation of Mass
6. Liquid Nitrogen Icecream (Thanks to SUB-ZERO a local Icecream company headed by a former BYU chemistry graduate)

With these demos three different 5th grade standards were covered. These outreach experiences have been quite a pleasant experience for the ASCENT group members, the 5th grade teachers, and especially for the 5th grade students themselves.


BYU ASCENT project Subfolders:
Chemical Demo Pictures
Electrostatics Demo Pictures
Utah's 5th Grade Science Standards
Sample lesson plans