KLEIN's
GUIDE TO
SCIENCE EDUCATION
PHOTO CREDIT: Nadene Klein at Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park
So I mentioned in my last entry that I do a weekly demonstration for my classes. These Wednesdays Wonders utilize the notion of phenomena to motivate, interest, and get the attention of students. I thought I should give a specific example. Imagine you are a student walking into your science class during the first week of school. Then this happens... The first Wednesday Wonder I do every year is the "Candle?" demo. This can be done in any science class--any grade--any branch of science. I tell the students that I'm going to light this candle nub, which is the remnant of a larger candle that I didn't want to waste. I tell them that I want to show them something about the flame and how I can make it change color. I ask the person closest to the light switch to turn off the lights so we can all see it better. Then I use a lighter and light the candle. I talk about anything for a just long enough to waste time until the candle goes out. This usually takes less than 30 seconds, but you never know. This is were improv helps the scene. "Oh, no!" I'll exclaim as I frantically try to relight the candle. After a few tries I give up. I whine for a moment about how cool this was going to be, about how embarrassed I am that it isn't working, about how frustrated I feel. Then I say something along the lines of, "I don't know what to do. I guess I'll just..." I proceed to take a bite and eat the candle. The whole time I'm chewing I hear students saying, "Did she just really eat that?" "Ewww, gross." "I can't believe she ate?" "Did you really eat it?" Some students will immediate jump to the conclusion that either that wasn't a candle or I'm crazy. Both of which are true! My weekly prompt to launch the discussion is, "In the form of questions, what are you wondering?" I want students to get in the practice of asking questions before jumping to conclusions. Then I we proceed to, "Who thinks they can answer their classmates questions?" I answer the remaining unanswered questions. Lastly, I show the class how I did it. In this case, the candle is actually an apple section made cylindrical with aide of an apple corer with an almond sliver sticking out of the top to look like the wick. One scientific fact we talk about is how all nuts have some oil in them that will burn but it didn't take long before the almond oil was burnt up and could burn no more. Mostly we talk about the notion of how not everything we see with our eyes is necessarily what it looks like on the surface. As scientists we need to question everything. That includes our own eyes AND the information told to us by experts or authorities. Just because I said it was a candle didn't mean it really was. After the first Wednesdays Wonder, I find students exceptionally excited to come to class on the next Wednesday to see what else I'll be eating. Of course, I don't. I might pretend to cut myself and bleed all over my paper (Golden Rod pH paper that turns red) or I might crush cans just by dipping them in water or I might inflate a garbage bag with one breath after it takes a student 25, etc. Whether you call it Wednesdays Wonder, Demo A Day, or something else, we can make magic happen in the science classroom in more ways than one by harnessing the power of phenomena. Scientifically yours, Nadene
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Lately, I've been seeing more article and conference sessions promoting the use of phenomena to capture the attention of science students. Show them a WOW moment and they'll be motivated to learn the science that explains it. It would seem this is a new idea. But, it's not.
The guide, Demo A Day by Borislaw Bilash, was published in 1995. It's the same notion. Show your class a little science magic to peak their interest. I've been using this concept in my science classes for many years. I call them "Wednesday's Wonders." Students watch as I do one of the demos for them, then we discuss it, including connections to the science we're learning. This whole process can take as little as 10 minutes. The greatest part is that it really works. Students are thoroughly intrigued and often surprised as I do demos that on the surface appear like magic until you dive into the science. Sometimes, students need a bigger phenomena and/or shared experience to get over a stumbling block. My alternative ed physics students rather dislike doing math. Though they are mostly capable, they'd avoid it if at all possible. So when I wanted them to calculate terminal velocity (which includes calculating surface area of an irregular shape), I had to do something major. Luckily I won a small grant that made it possible to do that major thing. We went indoor skydiving!!! Talk about a phenomena that motivated/interested/thrilled my students and got them calculating terminal velocity of me, a ball, and themselves without a single complaint. I ask students for anonymous feedback at the end of every school. When I ask what were their favorite activities and what should I not change, the most frequent answer has been Wednesday's Wonders. Former students check and make sure I still do them. The truth is while I leverage the phenomena to inspire my students, it's super fun for me too! Scientifically yours, Nadene |
AuthorNadene Klein, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 25 years. She brings a passion and love for science to the classroom and through this blog to you. Archives
March 2024
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