I really enjoyed reading this chapter from Surrounded by Science, especially because I am one of those people who learns more about a certain topic through my own interaction. Simply listening to someone explain a specific concept, or even reading about it on your own, doesn’t produce the same effect as does actively participating in what you have just learned. For example, I took Anatomy in high school. In order to learn about the skeletal system, I read around ten or more pages of an anatomy textbook and committed what I learned to memory. Even though the topic itself was interesting, my mode of learning about it was not. Don’t get me wrong—reading is a great way to learn about a topic of interest—but unfortunately sometimes reading can get boring or monotone. And it’s times like that when we need to get creative and fun. So, in order to further understand the skeletal system and memorize where each bone was, my friends and I would randomly pat each other on certain spots on our bodies and say things like “Hey! That’s your humerus!” or “So this is where your phalanges are!” What I did with my classmates to learn about the skeletal system was similar to how the stationary bicycle pedaling exhibit taught children about the role and structure of the lower part of the skeleton. We were able to learn a topic simply by somehow relating it to ourselves, and being able to physically see and/or touch exactly what we previously read about. I completely agree with the notion that interactive experiences are key to understanding different scientific concepts.

In terms of learning about science through media, I believe that this is a perfect way of teaching any age group about a certain topic. Media is becoming more and more important in today’s world, in both informal and formal settings. So why not use it to our advantage by informing a general audience about science? One form of media that just came to my mind right now is the mini clip (I think it’s about ten minutes long) in one of the dinosaur halls at the American Museum of Natural History. I love watching it, even though I’ve probably seen it a lot of times. Even though I know what to expect in the mini movie clip, I still enjoy relearning the same information because it’s both entertaining and interesting at the same time.