Everyday Ways to Help Kids Learn

Looking at a Construction Site

Most adults think of science as an experiment or equation that has nothing to do with everyday life. But science is the process for figuring out how things work, explains Lisa Niver Rajna, a K-6 science teacher in Los Angeles. When you think of it that way, even a construction site can turn into a physics lesson.

What kids can learn: There’s plenty of physics involved in watching hardhats push wheelbarrows or hoist beams: Point out how hard the person has to push to get a wheelbarrow full of wet cement to move, and ask what he could do to make it go faster. Ask what would happen to the structure if the beams were all on one side, and now you’re on to engineering. If you stop by the same construction site on a regular basis, you’ll be able to sneak in another sequencing lesson when your child notices what comes first (the foundation), next (the beams and supports), and last (the roof and walls).