Doing Family Science With Ball Pythons

Pamela Cantrell, Ph.D.

WHY SCIENCE IS RARELY TAUGHT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ANYMORE

One of the most distressing situations in the current education climate is that because of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the strong emphasis on literacy and mathematics in the elementary schools has nearly shut out science from the curriculum. This is a drastic mistake. Our global competitors continue to strongly emphasize science and mathematics as our 4th, 8th and 10th graders continue to fall farther and farther behind in their performance in these disciplines as measured by two major international performance assessments--TIMSS (Trends in Mathematics and Science Survey) and PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment).

WHY DOING SCIENCE IS SO IMPORTANT FOR CHILDREN

Take a look at just some of the thinking skills that are developed by children as they participate in inquiry science (adapted from the TIMSS Science Framework):

Factual Knowledge
Conceptual Understanding
Reasoning and Analysis
  • Recall/recognize
  • Define
  • Describe
  • Use tools and procedures
  • Illustrate with examples
  • Compare/contrast/classify
  • Represent/model
  • Relate
  • Extract/apply information
  • Find solutions
  • Explain
  • Analyze/interpret/solve problems
  • Integrate/synthesize
  • Hypothesize/predict
  • Design/plan
  • Collect/analyze/interpret data
  • Draw conclusions
  • Generalize
  • Evaluate
  • Justify

In addition, developing an understanding of science helps children grow into adults that know how the natural world works and who can make informed decisions about the ever increasing impact of science in our technical society.

HOW FAMILY SCIENCE ACTIVITIES CAN HELP

One way to help our children participate in inquiry science is to incorporate science activities into our family life. Many things in the world around us lend themselves beautifully to science experiences for children. Many normal family activities have an embedded element of science inquiry, and with a little guidance, parents can easily give thier children an edge in science literacy. Ball pythons as pets offer many opportunities to help your child develop science inquiry skills and the higher order thinking skills that come with participating in "real" science activities.

HOW YOUNG SCIENTISTS CAN EMULATE THE WORK OF REAL SCIENTISTS

Here are the five essential features of science inquiry for children--whether in the classroom or at home with family members:

  1. Pose a question
  2. Decide what evidence or data are needed to answer the question, and collect them
  3. Formulate explanations based on evidence
  4. Connect explanations to known scientific knowledge
  5. Communicate and justify explanations

Sound like rocket science? Sound too complicated to try at home? Well, there's help right here!

DOING FAMILY SCIENCE WITH BALL PYTHONS

The activities listed below in the red box are in downloadable format and are written as guide sheets for parents. Adjust them to fit the learning level of your child. Click on one of the links and the document will open--ready for you to read or print. Each activity follows the same format and contains helps and hints for parents and clear explanations of what you can do to engage your children in scientific inquiry. Be sure to email me about your experiences with these activities--I would love to hear from you or your child--send pictures--and if you give your permission, I will post them on this Web site!

Before you begin, here are a few considerations:

  1. Scientists observe and record data--Purchase a "field journal" for your child and encourage him/her to keep good records of every activity. The ones I have my students purchase are black and white (or green and white) speckled composition books that are 9-3/4" x 7-1/2" quad ruled (looks like graph paper). Each activity below has a journal component. A set of colored pencils or markers and a 6" flexible ruler are very handy for making journal entries.
  2. Scientists use tools to help them measure--Some of the activities below have a list of suggested tools. For the most part, the tools will be those that you have around the house--rulers, tape measures, thermometers, etc. Once in awhile a more specialized tool will be suggested. These are all under $25 and are optional. You might need to help your child develop the skills to use the tools--this can be a rewarding or frustrating experience--remember to keep it light and fun--be supportive and use lots of hugs and humor if the going gets rough.
  3. Scientists practice good safety at all times. Be sure to assist in anything that might pose a safety risk to your child.

ACTIVITIES:

  1. What Are A Ball Python's Habitat Requirements?
  2. What Does My Ball Python Do All Day and Night?
  3. What Cage Temperatures Does My Ball Python Like the Best?
  4. Does Digestion Affect My Ball Python's Body Temperature Preference?
  5. Is My Ball Python Healthy and Growing?