Supporting a Passion for Science through Genius Hour
The concept of Genius Hour has school administrators and teachers talking.
- Investigating phenomena through problem-based, hands-on science instruction can lead aspiring young scientists to even richer learning during Genius Hour as they not only discover more about a phenomenon they are curious or passionate about but also have an opportunity to gain experience in something they can apply to the world around them.
- For teachers, the student-driven learning experience can be an extension of a hands-on science curriculum that promotes additional questions from students and can build standards-based skills such as those aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards* (NGSS) and social-emotional skills considered necessary to be successful in educational endeavors and future careers.
“Engaging students through investigations of questions that are relevant to them and their immediate surroundings makes for a more impactful understanding of phenomena,” David Heller says. As director of Curriculum Products and Development at Carolina Biological Supply Company and a former middle school science teacher, Heller has an unmediated appreciation of challenges teachers face in achieving learning goals while keeping students motivated. He explains, “NGSS-based curriculum . . . can help develop students’ investigative skills—such as asking questions, planning investigations, modeling solutions, analyzing results, and presenting information—which can be transferred to personalized independent investigations in Genius Hour projects.”
What Is Genius Hour?
Setting a Framework

*Examples are from Building Blocks of Science® 3D curriculum.
Smoothing Out the Rough Patches
References
About Carolina
Carolina Biological Supply Company is a leading supplier of science teaching materials. Headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina, it serves customers worldwide, including teachers, professors, homeschool educators, and professionals in health- and science-related fields. Carolina is the exclusive developer, publisher, and distributor of the Building Blocks of Science™ 3D curriculum.
About Building Blocks of Science 3D
*Next Generation Science Standards is a registered trademark of Achieve/WestEd. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of, and do not endorse, these products.
Learn More
Learn how a robust three-dimensional, phenomena-based science curriculum supports outdoor learning experiences at Carolina.com/curriculum.
www.carolina.com/bbs
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