Students learn the anatomy of marine life through squid dissection.
Pop your head into a classroom at the Tiger Woods Learning Center (TWLC) any day of the week, and you will witness a flurry of activity. Kids in white lab coats analyze DNA, others in latex gloves look through microscopes to identify fingerprints, and still others gather around the wind tunnel to see if recent adjustments will give their rockets a little more oomph.
Some would argue that these probably shouldn't even be referred to as classrooms, because this is nothing like class. Students at the TWLC are actively engaged in their learning. You won't find them staring at textbooks or struggling to pay attention to lectures. Their bodies are moving, and their minds are engaged. They are IN it. And they are loving it.
Our hope is that every kid has a similar experience of learning. That's why we have taken our innovative curricula and put it online. Now educators, youth-serving organizations and young people worldwide have access to the magic taking place in TWLC "classrooms" every day.
A new lesson is featured each month to captivate student minds with fun activities that are relevant to their lives and teach them valuable skills, including how to collaborate and problem solve. Most of the lessons are STEM-focused (science, technology, engineering and math) and align with national educational standards, while others address subjects like fitness and golf skills.
Take Ice Creamistry, for example. What kid wouldn't want to participate in making ice cream? In this lesson, as you might have guessed, students learn about the basics of chemistry and endothermic reactions when ice is mixed with rock salt to create the delicious treat.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. In other lessons, students dissect squid to discover the anatomy of marine life, make paper rockets to witness the forces of flight, write if-then conditional statements to learn the basics of video game design and simulate oil spills to understand environmental-science concepts.
So if you are an educator or youth worker looking for new and creative ways to stimulate your students to higher learning, click here to begin the adventure. Who says learning can't be fun?
