Local Rural Knowledge and Early Childhood Informal Science Education in Rural Nebraska

This study aims to discover the existing experiences that lead to local rural knowledge (LRK) of specific rural Northeast Nebraska communities. This information will assist in understanding the impact that LRK has on young children’s science knowledge in rural communities. By engaging in hands-on experiences and interactions, science learning goals for children may be achieved and developed through science outreach programs. During Phase 1 of this study, adults in the selected rural communities participated in an online survey indicating their knowledge of various common rural phrases with the option to share personal stories of experiences and family history. This information led to the development of an early childhood weather science summer camp (Phase 2) that measured science content knowledge and science practice skills of two different groups of children: LRK group and General Science group. Overall, the LRK group showed improved science content knowledge and science practice skills from the beginning to the end of camp. They discussed more relevant local weather patterns and experiences and used more explanations in conversations and artistic artifacts. The LRK group also showed more detail and coherence in science drawings that were collected each day of camp. The General Science group showed improvement in content knowledge and skill development, but it was not as pronounced. The results of this study indicate that informal science education programming, especially those informed by LRK, have the capacity to increase science knowledge of young children. Advisor: Soo-Young Hong