I’m trying to teach science to two young teenagers. They’re normal young teens, a boy and a girl, and most of the time they’re pretty attentive and interested. But at this point in their lives they aren’t inflamed by science, or much else academically. So I have to make what I’m teaching them as appealing as possible.
They like short videos. And the ones they like the most are on the “SciShow.” It’s probably because show’s hosts are (at least made out to be) teens, a boy and a girl, and kinda nerdy but cool. If you’re interested, here’s a good episode to watch, it’s only about 11 minutes long and involves some guessing, mysterious skeletons, and a strange lizard, so it’s perfect for teens of all ages, right?
It’s hard getting into the head of teens. These two I’m teaching are being home schooled by different teachers for each subject they study, so they’re exposed to different teachers and styles of teaching. Good storytelling is important. I can’t be sure, but my impression is they relate to the presenters on the SciShow, which is good because the messenger is often as important as the message.