September 22, 2017
By Aileen Olson, Berkeley School of Education
As a science teacher in New York City, Kathryn Lanouette describes a moment of clarity she had teaching a class of 3rd graders. While discussing buoyancy she looked out her window and noticed a freighter slowly moving down the nearby East River. Taking her class outside, something intriguing happened as they watched the passing ship.
Kids started to consider more carefully what actually floats or sinks, and talk about relationships between ship design and materials. They also became curious about where the boats were headed, what cargo was inside, and how captains navigated the changing tidal estuaries’ currents.
“We were literally surrounded by dynamic science experiments in a big, vibrant city, experiments enmeshed in the social fabric of the city,” explains Lanouette. “I began to wonder how to tap into that richness to teach.” It was a powerful moment of children’s engagement in learning, but also a reminder of her frustration with existing constraints of school schedules and curriculums.
Kathryn Lanouette 