By Nandita Baloo, Aurora Public Library Summer Intern
Throughout school, science never merited a second glance from me. I went through the motions of high school biology, chemistry, and physics, but never understood why I needed to understand these cookie-cutter, textbook concepts for more than just acing the test.
However, had I started learning the importance of science at a younger age in a hands-on way, my current feelings toward science probably would be completely different. Through the Aurora Public Library's Fizz Boom Read! program this summer, kids get to learn about science in this exact way and it creates a positive outlook toward learning and science.
This week, I had the opportunity to observe one of the library's programs called Pete the Cat Loves Color Science at the Aurora Public Library's West Branch. Librarians Vita Miceli and Diana Kocunik introduced dozens of kids to the magic of color with dance, a 'Pete the Cat' story, a breakdown of how colors work, and a fun science experiment!
What amazed me the most was the method of teaching. In order to describe how light refracts to create colors, the librarians physically put a prism in front of a flashlight to show refraction and a rainbow to the kids first-hand. Additionally, to show how secondary colors are created from primary colors, Miceli and Kocunik mixed colors together and showed the transformed colors in front of their eyes. They experienced magic first-hand; science was shown to them in a way that made them excited and thirsty for more knowledge.
Learning about science at a young age through programs such as Pete the Cat Loves Color Science enhances the curiosity already embedded in kids' minds. When I asked Kocunik about what gets kids excited to learn, she talked about this exact sense of wonder. 'Their curiosity is just everything,' she says. 'When the kids are younger they don't know the 'why' so they just keep asking questions. It's magical to see science to work for them this way.'
This curiosity is exactly what will fuel their science interest at this young age. And with programs like Pete the Cat Loves Color Science, kids have fond memories of science at a young age that will leave a lasting impression on them in the long run. I believe that this science education needs to be continued with kids, and when I asked Miceli about how this could be done, she talked about how kids can 'visit museums like SciTech and the Museum of Science and Industry, as well as have their parents read to them and quench their science curiosity.'
Overall, Pete the Cat Loves Color Science was an event that opened my eyes and the kids' eyes and is something I think all kids need to go to in order to see how fun learning about a seemingly mundane, academic subject can be!
This program will be repeated at the Eola Road Branch on July 24 and at the Main Library on July 25, and I highly recommend all kids attend this event and see how fun science can be. (Editor's note: Unfortunately, both of these programs have waiting lists!) I wish I had an exciting, early exposure to science like this! There are also many other science events occurring at the library this summer as part of the Fizz Boom Read! program, and you can see what's going on by looking at our newsletter: http://ift.tt/1kjAwVP.
Nandita Baloo is the Aurora Public Library's Public Information summer intern. She is a 2013 graduate of Metea Valley High School who currently is attending Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and majoring in International Relations and Economics.
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