Forming a Science Club
Judy Jones
Why Science Clubs?
When I was a second-year teacher, a couple of students
came to me and asked me if I would sponsor a science
club. They wanted a club that would allow them to go
on interesting field trips. I was a newly married but
then childless teacher who thought this sounded like
a wonderful idea. So my husband and I became chaperones
for some wonderful trips to places like Joshua Tree
National Monument and the Pacific tide pools as well
as more local sites such as the Los Angeles Zoo and
the Museum of Science and Industry.
The club included about 15-20 students and was very
loosely organized. The original two students were joined
by two others to form the officer group and mainly they
called meetings to plan their next adventures. I did
not attempt to “curriculum” plan their experiences.
They were a group of very enthusiastic young people
who loved to learn on their own. This experience convinced
me that science clubs have a great deal of value. They
provide an opportunity for students to learn from leadership
roles; they allow for more informal learning of science;
and they allow students to work together cooperatively
and have a great deal of fun in the process. Science
clubs often draw students who love hands-on science
but are not necessarily on the “valedictorian
track.”
What Do We Do?
Now, 38 years after my first experience, I still have
a science club. This club has a very different focus
due to the interests of the students. These students
are very motivated to compete in the Science Olympiad
and the National
Science Bowl competitions as well as more traditional
quiz bowl competitions. They also plan picnics and games
(such as “capture the flag”) to build club
friendships, but primarily they are involved in preparing
for the competitions. I believe that my role as advisor
is to help them decide what they want from their club.
For the last several years, my students have been most
interested in the competitions. North
Carolina has a very active Science Olympiad, so
each year we compete at a regional level and then again
at the state level. We have never been one of the two
teams to make it to the National level – but we
are still working at it! Part of the dilemma is that
I have the philosophy that this club belongs to the
students. I don’t think that adults should be
more than consultants and advisors. Students should
build their own devices and do their own preparation
for their events. This is not the philosophy at every
school that competes. However, when my students do win,
they have that wonderful sense of pride that comes from
the rewards of hard work.
The Science Olympiad is a competition that consists
of 20 plus events. All events are done by a pair or
a trio of students who work together. The events range
from typical academic-style such as Designer Genes and
Fossils to building events such as Mission Possible
and Storm the Castle. You can go to the national website
and to the North Carolina website to get a better idea
of the wonderful variety of these events. Science Olympiad
in North Carolina does require an application fee per
team, but our school system pays this. They also pay
for the school bus for the Saturday competitions.
The National Science Bowl is a competition for teams
of 5 students (4 plus an alternate). It is typical quiz
bowl style. The national website lists the rules and
provides an array of practice questions. You need to
win your state regional event to attend the national
event. Almost every state has a regional. This event
is usually free!
The traditional quiz bowl competitions function very
similarly to the Science Bowl except students are asked
questions from all areas of knowledge, including current
culture.
How Did We Get Started and How Do We Function?
At my previous high school I merely helped the science
club advisor but in 1996 when I began teaching at my
current high school, I decided to see if students were
interested in forming a club. I put a notice in the
daily announcements that there would be an organizational
meeting to form a science club. At the meeting, I first
asked if the students wanted a science club. The response
was overwhelmingly positive! I then passed around a
questionnaire asking students to indicate their interests.
From that point, we were off and running!
(Note: We still use a similar
questionnaire today (pdf file). My officers and I are always willing to shift
the focus of the club if the current membership desires.
I include e-mail addresses. All of our students have
access to e-mail and this has become the most reliable
way to give students information about upcoming meetings
and events.)
In the spring we elect a secretary, a treasurer, two
vice-presidents, and president-elect for the next year.
We also have a webmaster (visit our
webpage). By having a president-elect, it ensures
that we have some continuity from year to year. We developed
this process about 4 years ago and it has worked very
well. Our vice-presidents each take a focus area, either
competitions or other club activities. Our secretary
does all the e-mails and sets up the original e-mail
address book. Our treasurer organizes fundraising and
repayment for event materials. Our science club does
need money for materials for the building events (Science
Olympiad) and to buy a buzzer system, etc. My officers
have conducted candy sales, car washes, and other typical
events to earn money. We usually spend about what we
make! But the fundraising provides an opportunity for
a different kind of leadership and organization.
I always let my officers work together to form the
Olympiad and quiz bowl teams. This means that they have
to do the difficult job of informing people when they
have not been chosen for a team. But this is part of
learning to be a leader. (If I do all the work, they
will never learn to be initiators and leaders.) My officers
meet every week to plan and organize for club events.
The club meets every two weeks (usually) but when we
are gearing up for a competition, the meetings are much
more often. The Science Bowl team meets every Friday
afternoon for an hour to practice – all their
own initiative!
Running a science club does
take time, but the rewards are great. I recommend this
adventure to new teachers (especially after you have
successfully finished your first year!). Please e-mail
me if you have any questions.
These links will be very helpful to you, if you decide
to form a science club:
National Science Bowl: http://scied.science.doe.gov/nsb/default.htm
National Science Olympiad: http://soinc.org/
North Carolina Science Olympiad: http://tx.ncsu.edu/science_olympiad/
East Chapel Hill High School Science Club website: http://unc.edu/~mxhe/sciclub/
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