Heads and HandsOn Science

John Munro: Highroad AcademyCatalyst 2011

EMAIL:

jmunro@highroadacademy.com

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www.mrjmunro.edublogs.org

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Learn ThisYou Have 20 Seconds!!!

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Can you remember the matching letter for each symbol?

Is This Easier??

A B C

D E F

G H I

Reasons to Avoid Experiments & Demos

• Preparation – setting up a lab takes too long

• Materials – the equipment is not available

• Failure – it might not go as planned

• Risk – some activities are too dangerous

• Cost – it is too expensive to supply the class with the materials

• Content – I have too much material to cover

• Knowledge – I do not have enough background in science

Why We Should Use Experiments & Activities

Because getting into it is the

whole point of Science!

The application of the scientific method is the means by which the content of science is discovered.

And …It’s a lot more exciting that way.

Characteristics of Scientific Thought• Shows an appreciation of existing information on

the subject• Requires a carefully thought-out plan of attack

(the experiment/s) and a logical assessment of information gathered (the data).

• Requires detailed and careful record-keeping.• Requires a willingness to start over and keep

going when you fail.• Requires an open mind and a willingness to

change one's mind in light of new evidence.• Involves the sharing of information gathered

through experimentation or study• Glorifies God in our attempt to understand and

subdue His creation

Scientific processes engage the learner and require active learning…..

Essential Features of Inquiry

Essential Features of Inquiry

A good demonstration/activity has a number of key characteristics…

-shows correct science

-it uses simple, familiar apparatus wherever possible

-it is quick to set up

-it must be safe…some of your students will go home and try it

-it must be relevant to the material under investigation and appropriate to the level of the students in the class

A good demonstration/activity should do at least one of the following

-stimulate interest and curiosity

-clarify a concept

-convince a student that theory agrees with reality

-reinforce an abstract concept

-Undo a misconception, often due to conventional wisdom

-utilize a discrepant event which contradicts a prediction

-make them THINK!

Science Process: Observation

• Seeing Clearly Yet?

-characteristics of a good observation

Science Process: Predicting/Hypothesizing

• Packing Peanut Push Prediction

-characteristics of a good prediction

-characteristics of a good hypothesis

Science Process: Controlling Variables

• Getting Magnetism Under Control

-characteristics of a fair test

-designing a good experiment

-the illusion of correlation

or:

Just because it looks right doesn’t mean it is.

Science Process: Designing Experiments/ Fair Testing

• Another Litmus Test

-characteristics of a fair test

-designing a good experiment

Science Process: Developing and Testing a Hypothesis

• Funny Fish

-testing your hypothesis

-characteristics of a fair test

-designing a good experiment

Science Process: A Closer Inspection of Common Items

• A Diaper Dissection

-Exploring what makes a diaper work

• A “Magical Object”

-Analyzing rattlebacks

(an ancient Celt stone replica)

Science Process:

Developing ModelsInterpreting Data

Exploring Sound

THE COAT HANGER CHURCH BELL

• Making a prediction ….

Singing Rod • Making inferences … controlling variables

Science Process: Application/ Technology

• Let’s use what we have learned about sound, to DO something

• This is called technology

Palm Pipes

• Exploring sound… Let’s play

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT

Row, row, row your boat gen - tly down the stream; C C C D E E D E F G

Mer - ri - ly, mer - ri - ly, mer - ri - ly, mer - ri - ly, C C C G G G E E E C C C

Life is but a dream. G F E D C

LONDON BRIDGELon-don bridge is fall-ing down, fall-ing down, fall-ing down;G A G F E F G D E F E F G

Lon - don bridge is fall - ing down, my fair la - dy. G A G F E F B D G E C

WHERE IS PINKY (or Are You Sleeping?)

“Where is Pin - ky? Where is Pin - key?” C D E C C D E C

“Here I am! Here I am!” E F G E F G

“How are you to - day sir?” G A G F E C

“Ver - y well I thank you.” G A G F E C

Run a - way, run a - way. C G C C G C

Science Process: Sharing Your Knowledge

Cool Physics Tricks to Amaze Mom and Dad

A Disappearing Pyrex Rod

• Investigating the effects of refraction in a liquid.

UV BEADS

• Explore the nature of sunlight or the effects of UV radiation

• Test with different SPF sunscreens while exposed to sunlight or UV

Hanging a Hammer

A Knuckle for Newton

Screen Test

Exploring Forces

• The Amazing Comeback Can– Forming an inference

• Loop the Loop– Exploring inertia

• Newton’s Beads– Exploring inertia

Amazing Polymers

• Growing Crystals

• Magic Sand

• Sodium Polyacrylate (Diaper Polymer)

• Shrinking Polystyrene

• Instant snow polymer

ANY QUESTIONS?