Communicating Science to Children

Sites for Communicating Science to Children

Science communication for children happens in a range of different spaces, in various forms of (multi) media. Although young people are often associated with electronic communication, science for children is just as likely to take place outdoors; there is a powerful tradition of connecting science, nature study, health education, and the outdoors movement. Arguably most science communication for children takes place in some form of school environment. Even outside the classroom, informal learning and “edutainment” products are branded with the logos of educational policy programs or at least reflect the topics and concerns of school curricula.

School science is especially noteworthy as an area of science communication that comes under the close inspection of a range of nonscientists: parents, nonspecialist teachers, businesspeople, politicians, community leaders, and others. As Dorothy Nelkin wrote in her study of arguments over creationism, education is often seen as an ideological instrument, a tool both for social reform and, sometimes in conflict with this, for the preservation of cultural values. This can make school science a contentious subject, and an area where more than just science gets covered. There is a long tradition of using science to teach children what is seen as the magnificence of God's creation. Arguably, even explicitly nonreligious science education reverberates with such messages today, if only through appeals to the sublime. There is also a history of teaching ideas of society through examples drawn from scientific views on, for example, ants or stardust—making scientific study a parable for moral or political lessons.

It is noticeable that some science communication spaces are especially full of children, whereas others tend to ignore young audiences. Science museums have long been associated with young people, especially when it comes to interactive exhibits. Indeed, some museums worry this damages their brand when it comes to chasing the young professional market (though others equally cash in on adult nostalgia for memories of childhood science experiences). Young people's media often exist quite separately from those aimed at adults, a no-go area for the old just as much as adult media can exclude under-18s. This might be due to concerns over child safety, with explicit barriers for unaccompanied adults. It may also be because grownups do not want to be bothered with what they see as childishness or because media producers think a no-adults-allowed aesthetic will appeal to young audiences.

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