Science activity
Lab Tech for a Day
Find a science helper in your community — a nurse, a gardener, a person who fixes the water — and say hi.
Materials and setup
- paper
- pencil
- phone or computer for video call (optional)
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Find a science helper in your community — a nurse, a gardener, a person who fixes the water — and say hi.
Steps
- With a grown-up, point out one science helper in your community (nurse, gardener, water worker). Say hi or wave. Talk together about what they do.
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Notice that real people do science jobs in your community
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Interview a science helper in your community: ask them what they do all day.
Steps
- With a grown-up, find a science helper you know (a nurse, a vet, a gardener, a school science teacher). Ask them: 'What is one thing you do at your job?' Draw a picture of their answer.
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Practice asking a real adult about their work
- Connect a job to a real activity
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Interview a science helper in your community. Prepare 3 questions ahead of time and write down their answers.
Steps
- Pick a science helper to interview (school nurse, vet tech, water department worker, science teacher, gardener).
- Prepare 3 questions ahead of time. Sample questions: What do you do most days? What's the hardest part? What tools do you use?
- Conduct the interview (in person, by phone, or by video call with a grown-up). Write down the answers.
- Draw a picture of them at work and write 2-3 sentences about what you learned.
Learning objectives
- Plan and conduct a short real-world interview
- Take simple notes from a live conversation
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Arrange a 30-min visit or video call with a real lab technician. Prepare 5 questions. Take notes. Write a 1-page reflection on whether you'd do this work.
Steps
- With a parent, arrange a 30-minute visit or video call with a real lab technician. Good places to ask: a hospital lab, a vet clinic, a city water treatment facility, a university research lab, a forensics lab.
- Prepare 5 thoughtful questions ahead of time. Examples: What does a typical day look like? What is the most interesting test you've run? What schooling did you need? What do you wish more people knew about your job? What was something that surprised you when you started?
- Take notes during the conversation. Don't just write keywords — write enough that you'll understand it later.
- Send a thank-you note (email is fine) within 2 days of the conversation.
Learning objectives
- Conduct a structured informational interview with a real professional
- Take usable notes from a live conversation
- Reflect honestly on a career fit using real evidence
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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