FISH: Fun Interactive Science Hour

Welcome to our website! Fun Interactive Science Hour (FISH) is a project that aims to improve access for all kids to ocean science literacy through low-cost, hands-on experiments. Our main goal is to relate – make connections – between the kids and the natural world. By helping to make these connections, we hope that these kids will grow up loving and caring for the natural environment that they understand they are part of (being better citizens of the world!). We believe that we can help to build these connections by understanding what surrounds us. Science empowers us to understand how nature expresses itself and how we are part of it. And we believe that science is fun!

FISH was created during the COVID-19 pandemic by a group of postdoctoral scientists at the University of Southern California who believe that we can inspire kids to connect with the natural world by:

• Having fun and exploring the many wonders of the natural world together!
• Showing that science is about asking questions driven by our natural curiosity, which is something we all share!
• Teaching that science can help us understand our everyday lives and that scientists are people just like us!

We want everyone to have the chance to explore first-hand the beauty and complexity of natural marine ecosystems and learn more about our shared home - planet Earth! We believe that everyone is a scientist at heart and that everyone can do science. We believe that doing scientific exploration can help develop a student’s personal science identity. We also believe that working through the process of scientific exploration can help students see that science is a way of thinking and problem solving, not a formal thing only people with lab coats and complicated expensive equipment can do. Finally, we believe that building connections between students and the places they live (e.g. Pacific marine ecosystems) can reveal the importance of conservation at the local and global scale.

Here you will find a series of hands-on experiments on diverse topics related to the ocean that were developed to foster the following discussions:

• How can we use scientific thinking to help us protect our natural world?
• What does it take to think like a scientist? Can I be a scientist?
• How do scientific experiments work? Can I do them at home?

You can perform the learning activities with children at home or in the classroom (both in person and virtually). We also welcome anyone who are interested in using these materials to run specific workshops with their local communities.

In the Los Angeles area, we are developing a place-based, sustainable (continuing) program to support learners and build a learning community that promotes these values, provides resources, and mentorship for anyone who wants to explore the natural world around them. We currently run these workshops in collaboration with the Neighborhood Science Program at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Please reach out if you would like more information or to collaborate with us on this mission!