CGIF Material Science Kits Featured on Popular Television Show, Curious Crew

 

CGIF’s Material Science Classroom Kit lessons were recently featured on the PBS show, Curious Crew, hosted by Dr. Rob Stephenson.  The episode “Materials Science,” includes several CGIF experiments including How Strong is Chocolate and the Candy Fiber Pull.

Curious Crew is an award-winning educational PBS series, produced by WKAR in East Lansing MI, and has viewers all over the globe.  Each episode dives into a different topic of science, with Dr. Rob and a crew of students conducting experiments to showcase concepts in a fun and engaging way, getting students excited and curious about the world around them.

“I love working with inquisitive kids,” says Dr. Rob. “When I’m working with inquisitive kids, their energy feeds me, and gets me really excited about inquiry and phenomenon-based instruction and really starting to do authentic science.”

The episode, titled “Materials Science,” dives deeply into the sciences behind materials including ceramics, glass, composites, and metal alloys. CGIF’s Material Science experiments were tested thoroughly by Dr. Rob and his team of students, from mixing and smashing their own engineered concrete to finding out that metal has memory. The last section of the episode highlighted career opportunities within the materials science field.  During this segment, students were given a tour of MSU’s School of Packaging, showcasing the work that engineers do to create effective packaging.

“I love, love, love, seeing the profound impact that we are having, even in my own region, walking into a school, getting mobbed by kids recognizing me from Curious Crew, and have them share with me their favorite activity, their investigation.”

Dr. Rob is highly lauded, with the 2006 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, the 2009-2010 Michigan Teacher of the Year and two 2020 Michigan Regional Emmy Awards, with the Emmys given for his work on the show.

“It has been a delight just seeing the contagious effect of enthusiasm around STEM education.”

The show has been a hit on PBS, garnering thousands of views world-wide. CGIF’s collaboration with Dr. Rob enables more students to explore world of material science, especially those based around ceramics and glass.

“I get reports from teachers and parents, of how students have been turning their basements into labs and making crazy things in the kitchen.  That is extremely heartwarming for me, that they can celebrate science learning in an authentic way with their family and friends.”

The world of material science is an industry that continues to grow, with The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that the number of jobs for materials engineers will increase by 5% in the next 10 years.

“I’ve been really mindful about implementing three-dimensional learning. The fact that we are demystifying scientific modeling and the importance of trying to figure out science ideas, which let’s face it. That’s authentic and super exciting.”

Click here to see the full Curious Crew episode!

Collaborations like this are one of the many ways that CGIF continues to foster involvement and awareness of the ceramics and glass industry, which would not be possible without the help from all of our donors. If you would like to become one today or continue to show your support for the work we do here, please click on the link below.