As a Science teacher, I aim to get them excited about the subject and think imaginatively and creatively.
What better way to do that, I thought, to expose them to some problems that are out of this world!
So last week, I got them to imagine they were responsible for setting up a colony on the moon.
What did they need to sustain life up there? In the process of this creative exercise, we covered the conditions necessary for life, water and energy cycles, recycling, and much more. Best of all, it got them thinking, not just about how we’d actually get to live on the moon, but how our resources on earth are finite as well.
They had to apply concepts they learnt in the Science classes and also use the skills I taught them for open-ended questions (analysing/comparing/infering/evaluating/generating possibilities) to think of the solutions and explain them to me.
Look at some of the pictures they drew!
Tomorrow, I’m going to do an egg drop experiment. The aim is to design a box or crate or device to protect the egg from a 1m high drop, using common household materials like newspaper and tape.
In the process I hope to explain concepts of energy, forces, impact and pressure. Most importantly I hope the hands on activity and experimenting will engage their interest in learning.