Science Circus

In my Elementary Science Curriculum and Instruction class we have been exposed to and taught about the use of a science circus. For those who do not know, a science circus is a large activity that has 5 or 6 stations based around a theme. The theme could be weather, animals, plants, motion, energy, etc. It is great to use as an introduction to a unit or as a wrap-up at the end of a unit. The stations are meant to have students explore some aspect of the theme and each station should only have 2-3 students at it. For younger students, it is best to have a teacher or helper at the station to assist them with the directions. Each station has student directions, teacher directions and all the supplies necessary for the activity. The students are given a certain amount of time to complete each activity and answer a variety of related questions. The teacher or assistant at each station should follow up with more discussion questions that are on the teacher instruction card. Prior to my elementary science course I had not heard of a science circus and now I am hooked. I think they are great for exploration, inquiry and imagination. Students are given the ability to discover and work through problems and potentially develop a curiosity for the subject matter. I think that more teachers should use science circus' often in their classrooms and maybe aim to have one for every other unit and eventually one for every unit. It would be easy to work with other teachers to share circus ideas or plans. I know it takes a while to create a science circus, but once it is created it can be saved and used over and over again. This is a great way to engage students and let them become junior scientists.