Making Science Fun

The title of this article intrigued me. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from reading it, especially considering that the only other review of the article was slightly negative. H... See More

The title of this article intrigued me. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from reading it, especially considering that the only other review of the article was slightly negative. However, I was pleasantly surprised by what the author offers the readers. Physics is an abstract science. As young children, we are taught to believe in this invisible force called gravity to explain why things fall down. In middle school and high school, we are shown models and diagrams of things called protons and neutrons and are expected to understand the concept of atoms and molecules. So, an article about using juggling as a way to teach physics was an exciting read for me. Our district is working to promote STEM and problem-based learning throughout all of its classrooms. Many of our teachers are working to develop the craft of providing students with a scenario and allowing them time to research, explore, experiment, create and learn from the problems presented within a particular scenario or situation. I love how this article provides an example of presenting students with the question of how juggling works and the forces and characteristics of objects that one must be aware of in order to successfully juggle. This specific lesson could be modified for a fourth-grade classroom during their unit study on forces and motion, or in an eighth-grade Physical science class. However, the problem-based concept that this article presents is very appropriate for all grade levels. When students are given an engaging dilemma to work through, they are more likely to stay focused and on task. This article provides a great starting point for anyone wanting to get started with problem-based learning.

Juggling in Physics

I both loved and hated this article. I love the idea of using the juggling as an engagement idea befor delving into one of the concepts dealt with in the article. I did not like using the ju... See More

I both loved and hated this article. I love the idea of using the juggling as an engagement idea befor delving into one of the concepts dealt with in the article. I did not like using the juggling to teach all of the concepts. I felet that students understanding would not be deep enough. I felt if I did just the way the article suggested I would doing the mile wide inch deep thing. So the article has many goods pieces to it. I just wouldn't use it in te way suggested.