Linking My Experiences to Societal Needs
Watch the activity overview video. This video shows staff facilitating the activity featured in the skill video.
As you watch the skill video below, think about these questions:
- How does the staff member, Gauri, connect youth to different topics to guide the discussion? (Listen at 0:43, 1:06)
- What does she do that connects to what youth already know? (Watch at 0:10, 0:55, 1:25)
- How does Gauri re-state the youth’s responses and how does that link to their experiences in the current activity? (Listen at 1:35, 1:47)
- How would you lead this discussion differently? What would you do the same?
Now that you’ve watched the video, reflect on what you saw and post your responses.
- How did the youth use their prior knowledge to guide the planning and building of their stoves?
- Why do you think it is important for STEM to be linked to everyday experiences?
- What are some ways you have connected STEM to the needs of others?
- What are some examples of ways you could connect to prior knowledge or experiences of the youth you work with?
Explore Engineering Practices
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Using Questions for Many Purposes
Watch an experienced frontline staff member, Katie, use purposeful questions to encourage youth to think deeply about their STEM learning experience.
Video
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Making Meaning from STEM Learning
To make STEM experiences meaningful, youth need to make the STEM learning personal. Staff use “provocations” and “plussing” to challenge youth to think of new ideas based on what they have discovered while creating an object that can fly out of a wind tunnel.
Video
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Teens Lead in 4-H Computer Science
4-H experiences help teens develop a wide variety of interests and skills, including leadership. These teen leaders use their skills to lead computer science experiences and build meaningful relationships and help young people see themselves as computer scientists.