Science - Not Just for Scientists!

Easy Explorations for Young Children
by Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone
Author: Leonisa Ardizzone, EdD
ISBN: 978-0-87659-484-1
Publisher: Gryphon House
Paperback
Pages: 96

About The Book:

Children are natural scientists, drawn to wondering, exploration, discovery, and analysis. Science - Not Just for Scientists! gives you simple ideas to open up the world of discovery to young children.

Through open-ended explorations, you will discover how to cultivate children’s natural curiosity by asking simple questions: How? When? Where? And the most famous of all children’s questions: Why? The hands-on activities will empower children to question, experiment, and develop abstract reasoning skills.

Children will explore patterns, cause and effect, size and scale, change and growth, energy, and how things work. Easy to follow, step-by-step activities lead children and their caregivers through a new world of discovery.

It’s simple and fun to investigate:

  • Patterns in Our Neighborhood
  • Who Can Live Here?
  • Big, Small and In Between
  • Simple Machines
  • The Water Cycle
  • Energy Path
  • and so much more

Gettin’ My Word Out

Addresses the social, educational, and political implications of youth activism, especially peace activism.
Author: Leonisa Ardizzone, EdD
ISBN: 978-0791471807
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Paperback / Hardcover
Pages: 126

About The Book:

At a time when many adults criticize young people as being self-absorbed and apolitical, this book demonstrates, through research conducted with inner-city youth activists, the inaccuracy of this judgment. Working through nonformal activist organizations, Leonisa Ardizzone examines how youth activists respond to injustice, counteract violence, practice social responsibility, and form collaborative networks of individuals and organizations. These peace-builders embody the core values of peace education. They and their nonformal activist organizations model practices and methods that, if applied to formal education, would not only create more humane learning experiences for all, but would also reconfirm education as a catalyst and framework for personal and social transformation.

"Gettin' My Word Out addresses an important topic that has not been addressed in many others books. I particularly liked the inclusion of student voices throughout the text. There is relatively little scholarly work devoted to youth activism despite the fact that there is considerable interest in this topic."
-- Pedro Noguera, coeditor of Beyond Resistance! Youth Activism and Community Change: New Democratic Possibilities for Practice and Policy for America's Youth

Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone

Dr. Leonisa Ardizzone has been an educator for more than 20 years. She started her career as a middle and high school science teacher, teaching in Seattle, Ithaca, and New York City. After completing her doctorate at Columbia University (Teachers College), she was an assistant professor for five years at Adelphi University then Fordham University. Needing to feel more connected to education “on the ground”, she served as the Executive Director of the not-for-profit Salvadori Center for five years which teaches engineering in NYC public schools. In 2012, she founded Storefront Science, a play-based science learning space & program that focuses on exploration, inquiry and science process. Dr. Ardizzone also provides professional and curriculum development for schools, community centers, media outlets, and museums.

She holds BA in Biology, an M.Ed in Science Education and an Ed.D. in International Educational Development with a specialization in Peace Education.

She believes in providing children with holistic, cooperative and interdisciplinary learning experiences - through science and beyond - so that they can learn the underlying core values of peace education: Humane Relationship, Global Citizenship and Planetary Stewardship.