OVERVIEW

Reality programs are a staple in most households.

FETCH! shows that reality programs can help kids learn how to tackle problems, overcome fears, brainstorm, and collaborate. Reality programs allow viewers to see that real expertise often takes time to develop and that learning is about the journey, not the destination. And, rather than be an impetus for anti-social behavior, they can create a positive environment for modeling pro-social skills and resolving conflicts between kids.

A major goal of the series is to model for viewers that no matter what the challenge, contestants will need to apply a specific set of skills, which can be performed in different sequences and repeated as necessary, in order to find their solutions.

We might think of that model as follows:

Decide on Your Goals
State both inter-personal goals (how you hope your team will function in meeting the challenge) and intra-personal goals (such as overcoming a fear of heights or an aversion to trying new foods).
Brainstorm Solutions
Stop and think of as many solutions to the problem as you can: make your thinking broad and adventurous. Don't decide yet if your solutions are good or bad.
Choose Your Best Solution
Weigh the pros and cons of each solution; check in with each other, and then reach a consensus so that the solution is inclusive of everyone.
Plan It Out
Think through the solution, predict probable outcomes, and identify roles for each of the team members.
Try it Out
Gather information from a variety of sources (including from adults, books, media, and the Internet), call on your own resources and recognize your own abilities as well as those of your team members. If needed, recruit additional adults or other kids to mentor you through the learning process.
Reflect and Rethink
Reflect on the success of the challenge, learn from your experimentation, and apply your newly found knowledge to future challenges.

SCIENCE and FETCH!

FETCH!'s science curriculum uses a framework of production approaches, Habits of Mind, and season-long themes to present science as both process and inquiry.

Each season, three science themes give coherence to the science curriculum and act as a filter through which we select challenges for the show. By focusing the science content presented each season, we can also reinforce key concepts and present a more comprehensive view of the challenges.

In order to vary our format and keep kids' interest, we've also created a variety of ways to present science and math content on television. These production approaches include:

Data Challenges
Contestants collect and analyze data to answer a question.
Career Challenges
Contestants spend a day in the life of a scientist.
Design Challenges
Contestants engineer a solution to a problem using the steps of the engineering-design process.
Game Challenges
Contestants learn about science through play.

To solve all these challenges, the contestants draw from a variety of Habits of Mind. These are not rules, but tools that they use to solve problems.

These Habits of Mind can be divided into two categories: "attitudes" that kids use to approach all challenges (curiosity, perseverance, risk-taking, and creative and critical thinking) and "strategies." The four strategies are loosely but not directly correlated to production approaches (kids can still use prior knowledge and ask an expert in a design challenge, for instance).

The strategies are:

Investigate it Yourself
Contestants solve a challenge based on information they get through experimentation.
Ask the Expert
Contestants solve a challenge based on information they get from someone — either an adult or another kid — with more experience.
Design it Yourself
Contestants solve a challenge by designing a solution to an engineering problem.
Use Prior Knowledge
Contestants solve a challenge based on their own prior knowledge and experience.

How does all that come together? Watch this clip!