Why Teach Science (process) to Middle Schoolers?

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If your school is still teaching middle schoolers to memorize the periodic table and the muscles in the body and calling that science, it may be underutilizing that aspect of the curriculum. The true lessons of science for the decision-makers of the mid-21^st century- aka, our current middle schoolers- is its' process: the deductive reasoning skills, the twin powers of curiosity and collaboration, and the deliberate thinking skills that repeated exposure to use of scientific process imbues.

The idea that so few kids begin high school with an avid interest in the sciences is surprising, given the suite of skills practicing scientists use. Real science is driven by curiosity- something children have in spades- furthered by the bantering about of ideas and insights- and banter is something every middle school classroom is full of- realized by the creation and execution of experiments- and that is always hands on- and culminates with hard-earned discovery and revelation, two things the boundary-pushing, challenge-hungry middle school mind craves. If middle school science were more like real science, wouldn’t our students love it? Wouldn’t it feel most natural to them? Wouldn’t they love their time at school?

Most science at the elementary and middle levels is taught by people who have not been practicing scientists, thus their understanding of the potential of the subject is limited. As a result, the middle school science students taught by these people are exercising parts of their brain that prepare them for managing information. They are certainly not learning to be practicing scientists- nor to be perceptive, creative problem-solvers who approach the pursuit of answers both deliberately and enthusiastically in all aspects of their lives.

The scientific mind is the original human mind: that which tries new things out of the necessity of saving its family, thrives with those ideas' successes, and corrects with their failures (when they were survived!). Such a mind flexes its' strengths in pursuit of solutions, and greatly appreciates its' accomplishments because they improve its' life. 60,000 years ago, these compulsions successfully propelled humanity forth from the cradle of Africa onward to the myriad new environments in which the species has come to thrive. Necessity was the driver for sure, but the behavioral- read, intellectual- adaptations honed along the way, are the offspring. 

The young adolescents of today both bear those adaptations and mirror that perpetual state of evolution, albeit compressed into years 10-15.  They are restless with cravings for novelty, thrilled by success at their own hands, and perpetually purposeful. In the limited environment of an institution- which is metaphorical- the best analog for the experience of saving your family is doing experimental science.  Its process of coming up with the idea for solving a problem, trying out the idea, experiencing the results of that attempt, and deciding whether or not it was a good idea in the first place is what the evolving human has done all along- and it is exactly what the evolving adolescent will find most satisfying today. 

So why teach science to middle schoolers? Because it is their birthright, it exercises their most human instincts, it validates their compulsions. Can you imagine how attached to school your middle school students would be if every day they were doing what was instinctual and validating? Can you imagine how positive they would feel about the institution that facilitated that? Can you imagine how fun they would be to hang around?

And can you imagine how strong our society would be in the middle of the 21^st century if the middle schoolers of today carried forth that sense of validation and that good will towards educational institutions? That’s why we need to teach science process to middle schoolers.