Play-Doh, trivia, and a teen on a mission to fix science scores
Wayzata senior Megan Helm is testing her student-written science program aimed at getting younger students more interested in science. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS sat in on a summer school session in Plymouth where Helm. . .
Wayzata senior Megan Helm is testing her student-written science program aimed at getting younger students more interested in science. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS sat in on a summer school session in Plymouth where Helm is volunteering, using the science book and curriculum she created with students. That’s one reason why she said it stands out: it was written by a student for students. Helm is a Wayzata High School senior who started writing her own earth science textbook during her freshman year and published it at the end of her junior year. She also designed curriculum for fourth- through seventh-graders that uses materials and activities including Play-Doh and trivia games. “I had heard statewide scores were low in that science category, and I feel like that needs to be more of a focus, especially for young kids,” Helm said. “I want them to be more interested in the subject; that was my main motivation. ”So far, Helm has tried out her material with about 90 kids during summer school across the Wayzata School District. She said the material is meant to make science more interesting and accessible and could help students when it comes to standardized tests. She said that recent experience helps her understand what younger students respond to. “I understand firsthand what diagrams are going to help kids,” Helm said. “I understand what is interesting and what is not. ”Helm is volunteering at summer school sessions throughout the district. She is also trying to get her program into libraries in the west metro. For Related Stories:SchoolsScience