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Hello, I am reaching out for advice and ideas! What are some ways in which I can hook my students into learning about science? I feel that when the time of day comes to science, that a lot of students are not interested in topics that are being addressed. It is difficult to hook students in when I as the teacher do not have much choice in what is being taught. I know I can differentiate and change up activities… I am looking for new ways to capture (hook) children’s attention and make them want to learn about science! Thanks! Hannah

What is your subject matter? Anything that is hands-on and/or anything that relates to their lives or the world today, they seem to like. Mine were super into catastrophic events happening all around the world. Especially since we had an earthquake in DC. Mason

Hi Hannah, I would second Hillary's questions - what grade level and topics are you covering? I would also suggest looking at some of NSTA's resources on the 5E instructional model - which is highly useful in any subject/discipline. It really helps with planning and execution of instruction. Thanks, Kendra

5E Instructional Model Collection (10 items)

Podcast: Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using Children’s Books to Guide Inquiry: Overview of the 5E Learning Model

- Podcast

Methods and Strategies: "Inquirize" Your Teaching

- Journal Article

Methods and Strategies: Literacy in the Learning Cycle

- Journal Article

View All 10 Items

Hannah,

First of all, I think all the comments and resources that have been shared might give you some ideas to get started on this journey with your students. I am going to take a shot in the dark and see if I can help.

If your unit is about rocks & minerals-You might engage your students by going outside on a rock walk where students would pick up a few different rocks or stones they liked. Then maybe you could put them in groups and have them put all the rocks in the center and find/record as many different ways of sorting as they can. After they did this they might begin to develop some experimental questions that they could investigate.

Force & Motion unit- Read aloud Sheep in A Jeep
Students would roll play pulling every time they heard about a pull by pulling on the imaginary rope, they would push forward with their hands in the air every time they heard an example of pushing. Next, you might do a brainstorm What do you think you know? What questions about force & motion do you want to answer? What did you learn from this unit? ( to be filled in after instruction)

Those are two potential engage, explore activities around two different topics but they are just activities without the essential and/or guiding questions you want students to be able to answwer when the unit is complete. I hope this is helpful.

If you share a bit more information, I think you will get a lot of support from the community helping you to engage your students in science.

Kathy

You could demonstrate a discrepant event as a way to get them hooked. By spending a few minutes showing students a scientific "event" that they really have to think through, you can really capture their attention. Select one that is a little bit of a mystery to figure out and explain. It's comparable to showing them a magic trick. Have fun!

Nicky, I like your idea of a discrepant event. Can you share somediscrepant events you might use to introduce and engage stdents for different units? For example,could you share a discrepant event for mixtures and solutions. sink or float or rocks and minerals? I do not mean to put you on the spot but I knowsometimes it helps me tobeasked specific rather than general questions. KAthy

Hi to all - Nicky has posted the idea of using a discrepant event to hook students in - there is a series of books by NSTA PRess called 'Brain Powered Science' that illustrates just such lessons - if you follow this link to the NSTA store you can read a sample chapter from each of the three volumes!

Caryn, These are excellent resources. Each science educator in my school has the first two books in the series. Our Lesson Engagement (5E's Model) each day is a discrepant event; the activities presented actually 'hook and hold' the attention of even the most apprehensive of learners. I am such a big fan. From the simple 'How many drops can a penny hold?' to the 'Cartesian Diver', science comes to life in my classroom with roundtable discussions, accountable talk, and socializing intelligences. LA

Hi Adah, Great resources. Although I teach middle school, I really like the 'Science Centers for All'. I use Expert Learning Stations all the time in my classroom, and it's a great way to not only 'hook and hold' the attention of even the most apprehensive of learners, but it encourages students to take more responsibility for their own thinking and learning. Thanks for Sharing, LA

I love discrepant events ~ what a great way to really get students engaged in finding answers in authentic science experiences! I recently purchased Predict, Observe, Explain: Activities Enhancing Scientific Understanding to help me design more effective, meaningful and engaging science lessons. Here is a link to the book: http://www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781935155232 And another book I have used is Invitiations to Science Inquiry by Tik Liem. Anytime we can engage students in authentic live science - hands on and minds on science, we are helping "hook" them into science and into asking more questions... Thoughts?

Since Nicky mentioned discrepant events, I want to connect this discussion thread with one that has additional information and resources on DEs in the Life Science discussion forum. The word discrepant in the tread's title has a typo, but you can get to the thread from here.
I agree, DEs are an outstanding way to hook students into science. There are gong to be 4 or 5 workshop presentations on this topic at the Indianapolis NSTA conference, too. I will be one of those presenters. I hope to see some of you there!
Thanks for starting this thread, Hannah. I look forward to hearing about additional ways to hook our students into science.
Carolyn

Carolyn, I am looking forward to attending your presentation at the National Science Teachers' Association in Indiana. I used DE to actively engage my scholars in the thinking and learning process, and any information I can use to expand my repertoire of scenarios/inquiry-based problems in which to 'hook' my scholars into the science lesson is definitely welcome. LA

Lorrie- I want to again re-suggest the two great NSTA press books that I use...they have not let me down! 1) "Brain-Powered Science: Teaching and Learning with Discrepant Events" by Thomas O'Brian 2)"Predict, Observe, Explain: Activities Enhancing Scientific Understanding" by John Haysom & Michael Bowen. These two books can be purchased through the NSTA store. Each of these books offer activities to assist concepts that are required in my district to teach, based upon our state standards. However, I have found these activities to be both rich in content and depth of teacher support. All of the activities that I have used captured my students curiosity from the minute they were introduced, making it easier to teach the concept. And the teacher support is very valuable and useful, especially in areas that are not your expertise. I teach 6th grade and feel that these books would benefit 3-8th grade the most.

I would first and foremost recommend teaching a few Science Inquiry lessons. There is a great book called "Inquiry Based Science" that is filled with very fundamental and easy to implement strategies for this method. When students are required to learn material through having to figure things out themselves, or solve a problem, they not only have a sense of accomplishment and attatchment to their mission and subject matter, but they also learn by doing things wrong and having to rethink most of what they are doing. This relates back to a very simple idea: if you do put a fork in an electrical plug (which, yes, I have tried) you most likely will not be doing that again.

Thanks for the wonderful resources; keep the sharing coming. I absolutely love these forums and find that they are professional development avenues that are more meaningful to me than some of the county PDs I attend. Sue and Brandy, when I return to school after our winter break, I will find out if our school district has the books you've highlighted in our resource library. If not, then I most certainly plan to place an order through NSTA. Scientifically yours, LA

There are many wonderful comments and suggestions made here to help get your students interested and involved in doing science. A resource that I discovered at this year's WVSTA conference is the book Everyday Science Mysteries: Stories for Inquiry-Based Science Teaching. It is a wonderful resource that comes highly recommended by the teachers who have used it and will certainly serve to "hook" your students on science. Although it is for k-4 I noticed that a 7th grade teacher has adapted it for use in her classroom. Check it out here: http://www.nsta.org/store. Best wishes!

Lorrie - A few posts ago you mentioned the use of "Expert Learning Stations". can you tell us more about what this is?

Hi - Thank you for all the great resources. A big challenge for me to get the interest of my 8th grade sped students. They love anything hands on - especially in a small group or with a partner. For a "hook", I have found some great You Tube videos. They are usually short, whih is just right to introduce a topic. I know You Tube may be blocked, but an iPad can be used-hooked up to the computer and projector. Thanks again for great ideas. cheri

I agree with the ideas for discrepant events. I also like the element of a science event portrayed as "magic." To start the school year (middle school but could work for elementary)--I caused a balloon to be inflated within a flask by heating a small amount of water in the flask, quickly putting a balloon over the opening, and then allowing it to cool down. I do not allow the students to observe this. When class beings, I show them the flask and allow them to handle it. Pass it around. They need to discover how this occurred and explain the science behind it. They may ask me questions about what I did but only yes/no type questions. Each student is directed to keep track of the info they gather from everyone's questions. I also stress to them that a "no" answer sometimes revels more important info than a "yes" answer. Eventually someone figures it out--they get a prize. I will then demonstrate using another flask and balloon. I also like this activity as it is inquiry AND I want to teach the idea of air pushed into the balloon from outside and not that the balloon was "sucked in." This leads to a discussion of changing air pressure and where we can see the effects such as breathing, using a straw to drink, "suction" cups, etc. We discuss vacuums and how dirt is pushed into your vacuum and not "sucked." I think it is good to hook kids into science by allowing them to see the "science" in their daily activities--toilet flushing is always a good hook! I am not as keen on videos as I find them too passive. Give the kids some balls to bounce, piles of rocks, have them jump, etc. Take them outside and do some observations that they can later use as a basis for experimentation. Again, middle school, but I am sure could be elementary. I would have boxes of items and each group (3-4 students) would select an item or two to then devise an experiment.

I agree that discrepant events are a great way to "hook" students! Last semester (I will be student teaching this Spring), I had to present a discrepant event to my classmates. I decided I wanted to talk about pressure, so I brought in a bin full of sandbox sand and three pairs of shoes. The shoes I chose for my presentation included a pair of ballet flats, a pair of wedges with a 3 inch heel, and a pair of 5 inch high stilettos. I put on each pair and stepped into the sand so that I ended up with three distinct sets of shoe-prints, each set of prints deeper than the one before it. From there I asked my classmates why they thought the prints were deeper for the high heels than the flats. We ended up having a terrific discussion about pressure that led into an experiment to see which classmate exerted the most pressure in the shoes they were wearing that day.

Crystal,

What a great way to demonstrate pressure! I'm sure that when you start your student teaching, using examples like your pressure demo will help you explain difficult concepts.

Like several previous posters have commented, I've found the best way to 'hook' my students is to use hands-on lessons. I usually do inquiry-based lessons because the kids love to explore while they learn and the love to 'DO' science. A great resource for elementary inquiry based lesson is the Picture Perfect Science Lessons. This series uses picture books to introduce concepts. After reading the story, students engage in inquiry-based lessons that help them explore and learn the concept. This is an excellent series and I highly recommend it!

Maureen

Hello! I am very passionate about science (majored in biology and chemistry in college) and when I began teaching elementary school, I found that the majority of my students were NOT interested in learning about science. When I gave questionnaires about their curiosity and motivation towards science, found that most of my students: 1. had misconceptions about what "science" was even about, 2. they thought science was too hard to understand, and 3. they found scientific concepts to be too abstract. I made it my mission to change every single one of my student's perceptions of science, and I can honestly say that my students LOVED science at the onset of me teaching it, through the entire year, and some even say to me at the end of the year, that it is their favorite subject. The philosophy I bring to the classroom is one that invites students to discover as I intrigue them to want to learn! I do hands-on discoveries, teacher-dissection (and sometimes student-dissections if my Principal lets me), quizzes, tests, and cumulative tests (to see their long-term attainment of concepts), daily use of science journals, and fun and creative projects for Home Learning. I have been teaching for 7 years, and I have always felt that I have greatly changed my students' minds about science...and I am so proud of that! When you enjoy teaching science, that will translate to your students, and they will be excited about science too. -Charmelle Carbot

Caryn Meirs, Thanks for sharing the link to the NSTA resources for discrepant events! I am a big fan of those kind of engaging activities to get students interested in science. I am a teacher in training about to start my student teaching semester and these will come in handy. To the original poster of this thread, I would definitely recommend using discrepant events to engage your students. Also, hands on activities using the 5E method are also another great way to engage your students. Lance

Sometimes, getting students involved in inquiry( investigation )right away can be the hook for the in-depth science to follow. For example, let's you are studying the properties of liquids. With eyedroppers, water and squares of aluminum foil,newspaper, wax paper,copy paper..students can begin to learn about about the properties of water ( a liquid ). By doing this you would be starting the studying with their experience. Kathy

Hello Hannah, The previous posters that have mentioned discrepant events are correct. Students love seeing different demonstrations performed by the teacher, and love it even more when they get to try them on their own. I highly recommend using them for your "hook" or attention getter at the beginning of class to illustrate the day's lesson. There's tons of discrepant events online to choose from, and I believe the NSTA still sells a book which has them all explained in great detail. I'd also consider figuring out creative ways to teach science concepts. It does not have to be a long lecture or notes from the textbook. Consider incorporating nonfiction literature into your classroom which deals with the topic of science. In particular, I would look at using trade books to help with your science lessons. They are nonfiction books which present the science facts in a storybook discipline, but also include more detailed information about the topic near the back of the book. They often line up with the Common Core standards, and sometimes even have the aligned standards given inside them. These books could be used with older or younger students. Also, if your students come to class in a sluggish fashion or seem tired, find ways to get them up and moving in the classroom. Most students sit for an insane number of hours during the school day without little movement or exercise. Find activities which make them move around while still teaching them the necessary concepts. For example, have students act out moon phases or orbits when it comes to teaching those concepts. Activites like this help students get blood flowing to their brain so they can concentrate better. I know it can be difficult, but make sure to think outside the box when creating science lessons. It will pay off in the end for both you and the students. Take care, Matt

I've been doing an after school program and I've noticed if the students can get involved with the assignment, no matter how small, their interest is sparked. I've searched online for a lot of science projects dealing with the area I was teaching them. One day we were learning about why it is good to take care of your teeth. I had them soak a hard-boiled egg in soda, orange juice, and water. The experiment took a few days later we finished the experiment and then went right into the layers of the Earth by slowly taking apart the egg.

Get kids excited about chemistry! Share your passion for chemistry by giving them Kids Discover magazine – a special chemistry issue targeted to grades 5-7. It has engaging articles on Nature’s Pharmacy, Color of Fireworks, Chemistry Superstars, Why Matter Matters, and more, plus experiments and games. Cost is $0.50 per copy. To request a coupon code that will entitle you to up to 50 free copies send an email to [email protected] with your name, shipping address, a description of how you plan to use the publication, and how many copies you are requesting. A shipping charge of $7.60 will apply. Share chemistry - spark a reaction!

I had a few "borrowed" children last weekend and came across this website while looking for things to do. I had as much fun as they did! Whether you have kids or you are a kid at heart, NASA has just the website for you. With games for every skill level, kids can explore Mars, blast off rockets with addition, use clues to find NASA spinoffs and explore the solar system. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html

Hi Hannah! I think we have all faced a mandated curriculum with little to no enthusiasm from our students :) and maybe even by ourselves. I think these forums are an awesome way to get a fresh perspective and invigorating ideas. Being in lower elementary, engaging students turns into putting on a show- with you as the lead star :), but one thing that I have loved doing with my second graders is throwing in as many real-life, hands on experiences that I can. Lucky for me, life cycles of plants and animals, natural resources, landforms, and rocks and minerals make hands on activities more accessible; I take them outside as often as I can and I bring in whatever I am permitted. :) If you can give them something to hold and experience- they will love it. (Or if it turns to be frightening, as beetles may be to second graders, at least it will be memorable.) - Elena

Centers are always a fun and engaging way to have students interact and learn more about science in a small learning environment. You can set up 3-5 centers and at each center, have students complete mini-tasks or activities that are related to the content. These activities could allow students to explore new concepts or review/reflect concepts that have been taught. Rather than just teaching through lecture and notes, students are actively moving around and doing hands-on activities. I'm still trying to implement centers into my own classroom because it does take good classroom management skills in order for students independently move around these centers. However, through routines and procedures, centers would be a successful method of having students be engaged in science.

Hannah: I was never into science when I was in grade school, but once I got into college I found I really love it! After thinking long and hard about this I came to the realization that it was because science was never taught to me in a fun way. What I have learned is the more hands-on, the better. The more you can relate it to the students life, the more interested they will be. I would recommend finding fun, messy, loud experiments you can do outside to captavate the students attention and from there keep the engaged in the lesson. Also try working off the questions that the students themselves have about the topic your teaching on. Hope that helps!

Samantha, my story is very similar to yours. I had been teaching for around 10 -12 years when I realized that something different needed to happen for my students. I enrolled in a Physcis of Fluids summer class. I never learned so much in such a shotr time and I was totally engaged and wanting more. The instructors took very complex content and made it accessible to me through inquiry science. I think we can help our students the most by beginning to engage them in using the science and engineering practices as laid out in the Framework for K-12 Science Education. Kathy

Science is a subject that can be difficult to teach. To get students hooked to Science,these are some things I would do. I would have the 5E inquiry skills apart of my lesson. Have them inquiry about the conclusions before giving them answers. I would have students actively engaged in the lesson by having discussions, through questioning. Instead of doing experiments. I would have the students do the experiments and ask questions about the processes, this would have students engaged and thinking. I would have my students make a connection to the real world to my lesson. This way students will appreciate the Nature of Science. Ask more questions and make sure your students are engaged by being only a guide to their learning. (Hope this helped)

Veralyn, I'm glad that you highlighted the classroom management challenges when you start centers. The first time I tried to implement centers into my classroom, it was a disaster! I'd end-up with 15 kiddos crowded around the "fun station" and no one at the "boring" station. The other challenge I faced was tracking if kids were visiting all of the stations (and not revisiting the same station multiple times in a day). Here are a few methods that I've borrowed and developed over the years to help make my stations more smoothly. 1. First, since I needed a way to manage how many kids were at each center. I decided that 4 kids per center worked well. To manage the number of kids per center, each student has a "Center Maker" (large, decorated craft stick with their name) and I made a poster that has stations 1 - 5 with 4 library card pockets per station. If all four library pockets have a center marker, then my students know that station is full and they need to go to another station. 2. Specific Rubber stamp for each station. At the beginning of the week, each student gets a matrix that has all five centers listed. Each center has a different rubber stamp at the station. After students complete the assignment at the center, they turn their activity into the "inbox" and stamp their sheets to show completion. 3. I normally use stations as an extension activity after my kids finish their classwork. To let the kids know that it's time to come back to their assigned seats, I flicker the lights. 4. Sometimes I do use centers as the lesson. In this case, I assign each student to start at a specific station and then let the kids know which center to switch to next. For instance "Green table, move to blue table next". When I use stations as the lesson, I let the kids know that it's time to switch by flicking the lights. I'm constantly looking for ways to improve my classroom management skills, especially in ways to help my students learn through hands-on activities without losing control of my classroom! I'm looking forward to hearing more ideas from other teachers! Maureen

I love all of the comments, collection suggestions and the participation! Someone mentioned the concept of Magi in Science, well last year's science fair I organised , I called Science Is Magic! The students felt engaged just by the title.... I love science and so the kids feel it and always want to know more! I model that behavior. Modelling passion is the first step to student engagement and interest in science! As well, when it is made relevant o their lives, to the world around them, they tend to want to learn more. Materials sciences are great as they are quite concrete...LOL