Provide opportunities to motivate and engage students.

1
Provide opportunities to motivate and engage
students.

• Perhaps part of the problem is that some
  teachers across the kindergartenuniversity
  spectrum mistakenly disassociate fun, hands-on
  play from minds-on work. Increased motivation and
  conceptual understanding will occur if both the
  fun and mental aspects of scientific play are
  reunited.
• OBrien, 1993

2
Gas in a Syringe

• Trap air inside a syringe. Observe as you
  increase and decrease the pressure.
• Put a small, tied-off balloon into the syringe.
  Close the system. What happens if you decrease
  the pressure in the syringe?
• Repeat the experiment with a marshmallow. What
  happens?

3
HS Students View of the Balloon in Syringe
Experiment
Macroscopic View
Visualization at molecule level
Explanation of model
4
What do scientists do?
Ask

5
Ask Magic or Science?
6

• A scientist is someone whose curiosity survives
  educations assault on it.
• Sir Herman Bondi

7
Some lessons learned

• Scientific explanations without related
  experiences have little impact on learners
• Life-long scientific literacy begins with
  attitudes and values established in childhood
• How physical science is taught is as important as
  what is taught. Instruction should
• build on childrens innate curiosity
• provide first-hand experiences that involve all
  of the senses
• be connected to everyday experiences and
  observable phenomena
• provide links and connections among ideas

8
Effective Learning Experiences
age appropriate