On weekend mornings when we wake up, Miles and I sit and watch some TV and eat our breakfast. Besides the big name shows: Sesame Street, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Thomas the Tank Engine, Miles has become a big fan of Sid the Science Kid. The daily program on PBS (locally on WHYY) is a 30 minute CGI’d animation program for the pre-school set. Centered on Sid, an aspiring pre-school scientist. Each program follows the same storyline: Sid has question and over the course of the show he learns the answer, culminating with him stating the answer at the end of each “day.”
Since we are a one TV home, I have watched a number of Sid episodes. Something always strikes me, that I thought I would share. Each episode is a perfect example of inquiry learning! Sid starts his day getting ready for school and presenting a question to the “audience”. His question is fine tuned over breakfast with his parents, and his investigation begins when get gets to school. Sid interviews each of this three friends (after a singing introduction of each character) which gives us a sense of prior knowledge each kid brings. Then Sid and his peers are welcomed into the classroom where, his teacher (Susie) focuses the question and begins the lesson, providing necessary background information. With the new information in hand, the students move to test the idea and create new knowledge (in the Super Fab Lab!). Sid and Co. are then directed to take their new knowledge and play with their ideas. The end of school provides the teacher the chance to go even deeper by providing detailed information in the form of a song. The show ends with Sid back at home sharing his answers and new knowledge with this parents. Finally, just before the credits Sid is in his PJs at the end of the day reflecting on the learning that has happened over the day.
Why does a show that focuses on inquiry learning always have to be about science?
Little Sid may grow up and fall in love with the social Sciences or even the humanities, but do not worry about little Sid he can use his pre-school inquiry skills in all of these academic areas. Then why do we always choose to present inquiry as only the domain of science?
What would a non-science Sid show look like? Well current episodes deal with: simple machines, human senses, healthy eating. I would like to propose some new topics: why do we vote, free speech, what is money, making rules, what is art, good vs. bad.
