The Lawrence Hall of Science

The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.

Publications

Sunstones at The Lawrence

Leveraging Networks to Promote Ocean Literacy
Children playing on the DNA sculpture at the Lawrence

Science-Centered Content Integration
Two children and a staff member are working together during a science activity.

The value of outdoor environmental education programs for girls and youth of color: cultivating positive dispositions toward science and the environment

Outdoor environmental education (OEE) programs can provide a valuable entry point for youth of color and girls who may have felt excluded and/or marginalized from traditional science learning experiences. This study investigated: (1) Can OEE programs contribute to the development of positive dispositions toward science and the environment?, and (2) Are there differences in effects by racial/ethnic and gender identity, or interactions thereof?

The Lawrence Hall of Science

Peaks and Valleys: A landscape study of environmental literacy implementation in and out of California’s TK-12 classrooms
Children playing on Pheena the Whale

Scientific sensemaking supports science content learning across disciplines and instructional contexts

Science consists of a body of knowledge and a set of processes by which the knowledge is produced. Although these have traditionally been treated separately in science instruction, there has been a shift to an integration of knowledge and processes, or set of practices, in how science should be taught and assessed. We explore whether a general overall mastery of the processes drives learning in new science content areas and if this overall mastery can be improved through engaged science learning.