Oakland Discovery Center

Discovery Science · Field Notes A glowing emblem, a quiet challenge, and a room full of superheroes. Oakland students built their first paper circuit — and discovered that troubleshooting is a kind of power too. Circuits Build Identity Theme Try again Mindset Oakland Location “If you were a superhero, what power would you use to help someone in your community that you care about?” — How the Session Started This curriculum begins with a simple belief: when students build and troubleshoot in a safe, low‑risk environment, their sense of what they can make expands.  A paper circuit is small, but it asks a lot — precision, patience, and a willingness to keep testing when the light stays dark.  Today’s lesson invited students to connect that persistence to their own identities, imagination, and community. Instructor demo: "My Mind is My Superpower"; now it's your turn to share your superpowers Lesson snapshot Superhero pape...

Discovery Science · Week 6 Water and Wonder: six stations, one honest “oops.” Our most scientific lesson yet wasn’t because everything worked perfectly — it was because it didn’t, and we stayed curious anyway. 6 Stations Water Theme Try again Mindset Oakland Location “Real science experiments don’t always look like they do on YouTube.” — A student, mid-experiment Today’s lesson was our most scientific yet, not because everything worked perfectly, but because it didn’t—and we stayed curious anyway.  Lesson snapshot The Water & Wonder Stations Students rotated through six short, hands-on experiments, each with its own materials, steps, and surprise. 1. Soap & “run-away” parsley Materials: pie tra...

Discovery Science · Field Notes A popsicle stick, a rubber band, and a shot at the buzzer. Oakland students turned favorite basketball and soccer memories into working ball launchers — then spent an hour thinking like sports engineers to make their shot go farther. Catapults Design Basketball & soccer Inspiration All ages Builders Oakland Location “What would it look like if we could build a machine that could help us learn how to be better at one of our favorite games?” — The question that started the build In this session, we started by sharing sports memories — watching the NBA Finals with family, cheering a World Cup match, shooting hoops at the park.  Then we asked students a simple question: had they ever noticed ways science shows up in the games they love, a...