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Hello Everyone! I am pursuing a degree in elementary education and I would like to know a good way to introduce the idea of scientific inquiry that students would really enjoy. I've heard of "black box" activities, but what other types of activities are there that would be a fun way to introduce science? 

As a child I loved when my teacher introduced topics using the Magic School Bus or Bill Nye The Science Guy! Both videos really grabbed my attention and made me excited to learn about science topics. I hope this helps!

I think a fun way of getting students involved would be to ask students where they see science taking place in their day to day lives/activities. That would give them an opportunity to realize how many things are science related in our environment, and to keep the students always thinking scientifically.

Hello, there are a variety of fun and creative ways to introduce science lessons. Students learn by using visuals and hands-on activities. I would recommend teachers to start of the lesson by reading a book, singing a song, or playing a video related to the subject being taught. The engagement portion of a lesson is critical because it needs to spark the student's interest, create a desire for learning, and recall prior knowledge. Remember to use real life materials and relatable topics that students can find engaging. Teachers can also initiate a lesson by asking a few questions and open a small discussion to verify what students know and give them an idea of what will be taught. Students love to engage in discussions because it allows them to share what they know or they think they know. Questions can help students learning development. Another idea, teachers can conduct an outdoors lesson to introduce certain subjects or use more visual activities that students will enjoy in order to engage their learning. Most importantly teachers do not forget to have fun during your own teaching experience, positive attitudes impact your students' academic success.

Hello, I am currently a student teacher and am in a second grade classroom. What I have observed from my teacher is that the first thing you want to do is get the students attention by asking a question that relates to the lesson (a question that they will relate too: What do you wear when its cold outside? Do you wear a bathing suit when its snowing outside?). I also noticed that my teacher always shows a fun video or uses a PowerPoint at the beginning of her lesson. I can tell that this really engages the students and it also makes it fun for them to learn. I know that when I was in school my science teachers would always start their lesson by showing us Bill Nye the Science Guy videos. I also have observed in other classrooms that some teachers start off by singing songs or have a read aloud based on the lesson. Since it is a science class you will never go wrong by starting with a fun mini experiment, this will super engaging for the students. Lastly, do fun activities like for example in my class we were learning about shadows so what the teacher did was take the class outside and let them observe and create their own shadows, then they had to record their finding in their science journals.