6 Elements of a Fun Science School Assembly
Is your school considering hosting a STEM school assembly on science? Science is a wonderful topic for an in-school assembly. Getting kids excited about science opens unlimited doors for them to explore. With new and exciting careers in science created almost daily, there has never been a better time to inspire your students to explore science.
I’m New Jersey-based school assembly performer Michael Kirschner. For years, I have delivered fun and amazing school assemblies to schools in New Jersey, New York Connecticut, and other areas. School officials praise my ability to mix entertainment with important curriculum messages.
Science is a perfect topic for a school assembly…if done correctly. This article details the key elements any good science assembly must have.
Fun Science School Assembly Element #1: Audience Interaction
Getting kids in on the action is critically important! Many so-called science assemblies are nothing more than extended lectures. 400 kids watch the presenter drone on about core scientific concepts…but no one will remember anything. They’re too bored!
Instead, the best science assembly presenters know how important it is to get students involved. There should be moments where the entire audience feels involved with what’s happening. And getting student volunteers onstage is the easiest, fastest way to get the audience interested in what’s happening.
Fun Science School Assembly Element #2: Kid-Friendly Humor
Kids, like any person, love to laugh! With all the important science lessons should come a good sprinkling of laughter. Goofy, silly, kid-friendly laughs can enhance any assembly. And laughter comes with a bonus: we learn more!
Education experts know that laughter helps to ‘loosen up the neurology.’ We become more open to accepting and retaining new information. When we laugh, we also pay more attention. It makes sense – when we have fun, we want more of those good feelings. So we focus on whatever it is that makes us laugh.
Fun Science School Assembly Element #3: Science in the Real World
This is a biggie! Kids and even some adults claim science is boring because we will never use it in the real world. Not true! Most of us don’t think about it, but science makes our modern world and ways of living possible.
Your science assembly program should address this early and often. They should demonstrate how all aspects of us relate to real-world applications. The list is unlimited: Food preparation tablets, cell phones, television, lights, clothing…is there anything in our modern world that is possible without science? Probably not…but unless you tell them, many kids won’t realize it on their own.
Fun Science School Assembly Element #4: Visual Elements
Science can be endlessly entertaining. But to engage 400 or so students at once during an assembly, the program needs things for kids to see. Your science school assembly presenter should choose experiments and demonstrations that are visual and easy to understand.
But that’s not all. To gain and hold young audiences’ attention, your presenter should use colorful displays, banners, and other stage embellishments. These stage embellishments can include key terms or talking points. The presenter can use these elements to reinforce key concepts of the show.
Fun Science School Assembly Element #5: Brisk Pace
Remember, your assembly presenter only has 45 minutes. Yes, they need to use and reinforce key curriculum concepts and terms. But they should avoid getting too bogged down in minutiae. To keep students fully engaged, they should keep the show moving. The show should include a variety of different experiments or routines during the show.
Fun Science School Assembly Element #6: Science Safety
By the end of the show, if your science school assembly presenter has done their job, your students should be excited about science. Chances are that many kids will invade the library or media center looking for books on science.
With that excitement should come caution. Your school assembly presenter should stress the importance of safety when doing experiments of any kind. The kids should be reminded to only do science experiments when they have adult supervision.
Let’s face it, science is a lot of fun, but sometimes it’s hard for kids to tell what the dangers are. Your presenter should do everything they can to instill a sense of caution and responsibility in your students.
Amazing STEM Science Assemblies
My incredible science assembly, “Supermarket Science,” is a fun-filled scientific adventure! Students help out throughout the assembly with goofy science combined with key STEM messages and concepts. With colorful graphics, hysterical fun, and real scientific lessons, your school’s faculty and students will love this program. Contact me today for more information.