Earth Systems Science, Inc.

A Practice Neighborhood Teachback

Apr 06, 2002

On a quiet Sunday afternoon in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, CA, it was a special day. A small group of people gathered for some outdoor science lessons taught by students. This was a demonstration of community-based education; youth and families learning together.

The teachers were secondary school students who had learned some outdoor science lessons from ESSI. As part of their learning program, they now had to teach the lessons back to others. In this case, younger brothers, sisters, neighborhood children, and their parents.

Earth Systems Science provided the equipment, lesson materials, and mentors. The main goal was to increase people?’s awareness of the environment and science in an outdoors setting. The informal learning method gives everyone a chance to be together, make new friends, learn together, enjoy fresh air, sunshine and develop a sense of community.

When parents and children are learning together, something special happens. They have a chance to see each other in a different light. No one knows all the answers. But they find ways to work together to learn how to find the answers. For the youth doing the teachback, it is a different kind of test of their knowledge and understanding. For the parents, they see their children a more responsible role---perhaps a role they didn?’t realize about their child. And in some cases, the teachback was bi-lingual, something that isn?’t possible in many classrooms.

The teaching didn?’t end with the environmental lessons. Sharing a meal was another opportunity to share knowledge---recipes and food preparation expanded the lessons into the realm of cultural diversity as well.

?© 2002, Earth Systems Science, Inc. All rights reserved.