“…it’s not magic, it’s a magnet!” Natural Resources & 4-H 

Kenton County 4^th grade 4-H members are experiencing the environment using hands-on experiments taught and provided by a Kenton County 4-H agent.   The young 4-H members are learning to connect science and the real-world.  The youth members live in mostly suburban communities in Kenton County.  Although they live near two major rivers, wooded areas, and natural habitats many have a limited understanding about the connections between daily activities and the natural forces around us.  Planning with teachers and a former curriculum coach from 2 different school districts, Kenton 4-H natural resource programming presented a series of experiential science lessons with great interest among students, teachers and administrators. 

Increasing natural resource awareness and STEM literacy, the 4-H natural resources program engaged fourth-grade students via a series of hands-on science experiments.  Activities are aligned with academic standards.  The natural resource lessons included owl pellets, magnets, rockets, stream bank erosion, water conservation, and solar energy. 

Dissecting an owl pellet allowed the youth members to analyze owl diets, the food web, and the reality of predator-prey relationships as well as the importance of birds of prey we don’t regularly see.  

Magnet experiments allowed youth to experience how magnets interact with different materials. The process of learning to make a compass is challenging in an indoor environment but learning about the factors that affect the process had value when attempting to make the maglev train move.  

Stream Bank Erosion permitted youth to visualize on a small scale a watershed that was compared to the school grounds.  Interaction with the model demonstrated to youth how flooding and land management can impact their commute to and from school. 

Ecobots provided the opportunity to demonstrate with small robots models how pollution can impact wildlife and life along two major waterways.  Combined with the real-world impact of a train derailment in the timeframe of the lesson allowed for comparison and discussion.   The timed experience and limited resources available also created urgency with which emergency workers also function and some youth verbalized as a necessity. 

Solar Energy presents a challenge on a cloudy day, but materials and a heat lamp were utilized to demonstrate the sun’s importance.  Youth relied on their prior electric energy lessons to make a fan circulate, a buzzer create sound waves, and together with an adult, a solar fountain aerating water.  Using cards, cloudy days and stormy days were simulated.  The impact on the solar powered equipment was noted by all the participants.  

Educational programs were classroom-based activities, facilitated by the Kenton County 4-H Youth Development Agent (Kelley) in collaboration with local schools.

Reaching 153 fourth-grade youth and additional lessons were provided by a program assistant at other locations.  Teachers, the special education teacher, and an administrator praised the engaging, hands-on lessons and youth understanding of science concepts. 

Evaluations and worksheets showed improvements in youth understanding of natural resources. Many interesting conversations and enlightened comments were shared throughout the year including: “the circle of life is real”, “it’s a magnet, not magic”, “is that what really happened after the floods?” (discussing the devastating floods and dam breach, in eastern Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Carolinas), “but I want clean water!”, and “the sun is important”. 

68% of participants demonstrated increased knowledge in natural resource science topics and 96% reported that they learned about science through experiments and they liked trying. Teachers repeatedly noted improved teamwork skills among youth.  An administrator commented on the interest and engagement demonstrated by whole classrooms and was grateful her school was involved in local 4-H programs.  

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