The Lawrence Hall of Science
The public science center of the University of California, Berkeley.
Open Daily 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Animal Discovery Zone 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
We’ll bring our science programs to you.
We partner with school districts to support science learning. We offer district-wide elementary, middle, and high school programs, either virtually or in-person.
We collaborate with a range of partners to innovate in science education. Together, we go further.
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Quality outdoor science experiences should be rich with opportunities for students to talk about science ideas. Students need to talk to learn, just as they need to read and write to learn. Talking helps students form and connect ideas. This includes talking with peers and also with those who know more about a topic, such as an instructor. Student talk also gives an instructor windows into what students are thinking, which gives the instructor information about how to guide the learning experience. One of the most interesting things about teaching is listening to students’ ideas and getting glimpses into their brains, while trying to figure out what they’re thinking, what their ideas are based on, what they understand, and what they’re confused about. Taking the time to build a culture of respectful discussion and curiosity creates an environment in which students are ready and excited to share their ideas. If you give students interesting science ideas to talk about, and support them by creating a culture of discussion, they’ll deepen their knowledge in meaningful ways through collaboration with their peers. It will also be more likely that students will keep talking about interesting science ideas, even when you don’t tell them to, and you will learn a lot more about what your students are thinking.