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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Well, while we are wordsmithing--

>> A way of understanding and learning about the natural world around  
>> us.
>>
>> Martin

Why "natural" world?  What does that mean to a 7 year old? Or to  
anyone?  Is it in contrast to the "supernatural" world? Or to the  
features of the world that are built by humans?  Are those excluded  
from science?

And why "around us?"  Does that exclude "within us?"  And if it  
doesn't exclude that, then what is the purpose of the phrase?

And what is the difference between "understanding" and "learning"  
from a 7 year old POV?

So, martin's suggestion might be rephrased: "A way of learning about  
the world."  Any useful definition has to include the characteristics  
that distinguish the object.  Richard Feynman defined science many  
times, but one of my favorites is "the belief in the ignorance of  
experts."

Anyway, maybe this modification would work for 7 year olds:  "A way  
of looking at the world in which everything has to be proved"  I  
think 7 year olds are familiar with the taunt "Prove it!"  I realize  
that this can be misleading, but it gets at the difference between  
science and other ways of knowing.

A grantwriter friend of mine has this above her desk:

There are four basic human needs:

Food
Shelter
Sex
and...

Editing other people's writing.

Eric Siegel
New York Hall of Science
[log in to unmask]
(718) 699-0005 x 317



On Apr 17, 2006, at 12:19 PM, Explorit Exhibits wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> Martin's definition is almost word-for-word what I was going say.
>
> Anna
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
>> Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
>> institutions.
>> ********************************************************************* 
>> ********
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
> -- 
> -----------------------
> Anna Grace
> Exhibit Developer
>
> Explorit Science Center
> 3141 5th Street
> P.O. Box 1288
> Davis, CA 95617
> 530.756.0191
> fax 530.756.1227
> http://www.explorit.org
>
> Explorit's expanding!  Read more about the four gallery spaces, how  
> the building connects to Explorit's current site and when  
> construction will begin at http://www.explorit.org/expansion/ 
> index.html.  Think it.  Try it. Explorit.
>
> ********************************************************************** 
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