Look around the house and rustle up a bottle, a balloon, vinegar and baking soda—you’re on the way toward one of the scientific demonstrations the Discovery Cube in Santa Ana is running for stuck-at-home young students online.
The interactive web platform, called Discovery Cube Connect and part of the Discovery Science Foundation, is aimed primarily at helping guide K-8 grade students toward STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering and math. The U.S. Department of Education said a strong STEM background is “essential” for the nation’s future.
“We’ve found hands-on science activities that can be done in the home that complement and reinforce the standards and lessons that are being taught by the teachers,” Discovery Cube Chief Executive Joe Adams told the Business Journal on May 18. “We have over 100 hands-on activities.”
Science Standards
The activities are shown for free and are aligned with multistate Next Generation Science Standards, developed by the National Research Council and the National Science Teachers Association among others.
The experiment with the bottle and baking soda is called “Build a Fizz Inflator” to blow up the balloon. Other topics include “Make a Levitating Orb” and “Make an Electromagnet.”
Adams said the learning must be “tactile” and hands-on for the kids to understand, adding that the focus for Discovery Cube Connect is on kids in the fifth grade and younger.
The lessons and instructions are prepared by a mix between the Discovery Team of Educators, plus a number of well-known content developers such as ScienceBob.com and Mysteryscience.com.
Corporate sponsors for the new project include the Allergan Foundation, Broadcom Foundation and Edwards Lifesciences Foundation.
Distance Learners
“During this time, it was important for us to find a way to better serve students who are now faced with being the first generation of distance learners and bring real-world science into the home or classroom,” said Adams as schools remain closed.
All content on the Discovery Cube Connect site has been rated and reviewed by parents and educators and is available free of charge for young learners at home or in the classroom.
Over 700 teachers came out and said they would help review the program, which provides science activities and instruction for students through the eighth grade, according to Adams.
Laptops, Mobile
Discovery Cube Connect is available on most connected devices including iOS and Android desktops, laptops and mobile phones.
Adams said the Discovery Cube Connect platform is open to everyone, especially “families right here in Southern California.”
The umbrella group, Discovery Science Foundation, serves as the educational program-development and fundraising arm for hands-on science learning centers in Orange County, Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California.
In 2013, Discovery Cube was awarded the National Medal of service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services at The White House.
Most recently, Discovery Cube’s Ocean Quest opened in Newport Beach as a base of operations for ocean and marine science education and programs.
