Engagement

An exhibit at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose that displays a mammoth bone. A ruler is placed next to it to give the bone a sense of scale. The plaque is presented in several languages to provide a more inclusive experience.

This exhibit at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose is designed to educate children how much mammoths weighed through a practical example. By attempting to balance a few mammoth figures with a plethora of objects and animals that children are well familiar with, they can learn just how heavy these ancient creatures really were.

Images showcase an exhibit designed to demonstrate how different levels of sediment exist. By connecting the subject to fossils, it engages with something that many children are interested in, making them more receptive to what is being taught (in this case, explaining how Fossils are formed). Like many description placards in the museum, it then asks the children a question to make them consider what they learned.

This exhibit at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose depicts the mechanics behind how gears work. The gears can be freely removed and swapped to allow children to experiment and discover what provides the best result. Multiple languages are included on the plaque to promote inclusiveness.

This exhibit at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose demonstrates how whirlpools effect water flow. One element that this exhibit is missing however is an explanation behind the physics of how a whirlpool works or is formed, a missed opportunity to help educate children.

This outdoor garden at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose allows children to learn about and even eat organically grown foods.

The exhibits at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose are all designed to have children engage with scientific principles through interactive activities. This is accomplished by typically taking concepts and topics children are already interested in (such as ancient animals) and using them as a vehicle for education.

The learning is tried to be made as entertaining as possible so that children better retain what they experience and take away from their time at the museum. By making learning a fun experience, these children become more invested and more willing to learn about the inner workings behind their interests.

A notable example of this is that most of the plaques at the museum end their explaination with a question, encouraging children to apply their new knowledge and think critically about what they're interacting with.

Please make sure to click on the pictures to view multiple images regarding a single exhibit.