I’ve been tutoring some local students in high school chemistry. They learn things like the difference between an element and a compound, how to calculate how many kilograms there are in a mole of sodium chloride, and exactly how much NaOH you would need to neutralize a certain amount and strength of HCl. Most of…
Sixth graders think they know everything about space. They’ve learned the names of the planets; they’ve made the Oreo moon phases. They’re set. But they arrived in my classroom with a lot of misconceptions that, while based on reason or observation, are just plain wrong. I wanted a way to show them that they have something to learn about astronomy, and to gauge what they already know and don’t know. Astronomy concepts like these frequently aren’t taught again after middle school! As a result, we have a lot of confused adults walking around.
Introducing the Astronomy Pretest. I gave this quiz on the first day of the astronomy unit as a way to learn what they already knew – and I told them so. Sometimes I’d tell them ahead of time that the quiz was “diagnostic.” That they should do their best and tell me what they know, and to answer every question to their best ability, but it wouldn’t hurt their grade to be wrong.
Want to try it? Before you read any farther, click here to take the quiz. It’s 45 True/False questions and will only take a couple of minutes. Don’t look anything up! Guess if you need to.
When you’re done, read on…
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The local bakery needs your help! They lost the secret recipe for Grandma’s Amazing Sugar Cookies, and are down to their last bag of mix. For this lab, use careful observation to determine the ingredients included in the mix. New on my Teachers Pay Teachers store! This lab started as the lead-in to a holiday…
Boys are better at physics because they can projectile ‘pee’ up walls, claim controversial academics Can you imagine a more click-worth headline for physics educators? Well, the original article written by the “controversial academics” has a better one: Taking the Pee Out of Physics: How Boys are Getting a Leg Up They’re both worth reading,…
I just updated an old product I have listed on Teachers Pay Teachers — the Leaf Collection Project. I decided to modify it for kids who love to use their phones to take pictures and added a Selfie Option! Instead of collecting a real leaf specimen (and pressing it, and gluing it, and binding the…
I just read this excellent piece about what Neil DeGrasse Tyson said to amateur eclipse observers. It made me think of another viewpoint I saw among serious eclipse-chasers: that if you weren’t going to totality, you might as well stay inside. This is something we addressed in the teacher training we did at the museum…
It’s science fair season! And everyone hates it. Right? Of course not. If you’re reading this, you are probably a Science Fair Believer. And you’re not alone! Reasons Science Fair is good for kids They will practice science process skills – asking questions, carrying out investigations, analyzing data, using math, constructing explanations, engaging in…
I HEART density. It’s the most important concept we teach in physical science, because it helps us understand the real world. Even if kids don’t go into STEM careers, a good understanding of density can help them navigate life and understand what they observe. Why does the wind blow? Density. Why do helium balloons go…
