Yesterday in science methods we discussed how a lot of Halloween-themed science activities can be fun but do not really fall under the science inquiry category. Since I’ve been focusing on finding ways to make classroom science more fun than the traditional way it has been taught, it got me thinking about ways to incorporate holidays into your science classroom.
Around Halloween, you can discuss the science of matter and use those ideas when making candy. Here are two great websites that explain how to make rock candy and lollipops and the science behind making them: http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-rockcandy.html and http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/recipe-rockcandy.html .
Thanksgiving is well known for feasts so this would be a good time to discuss food safety/food borne illness.
If teaching older students, I think Valentine’s Day is a great time to talk about hormones (sexual or not). Other ideas to think about would be to talk about reproduction (not just the human kind) and DNA. Look at http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/waldron/sex for human reproduction activity ideas and http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/waldron/dna for DNA ideas.
In March, around St. Patrick’s Day have your class discuss why we see green (and the rest of the colors) the way we do, how light works, or any of that type of physics ideas. Look at this website for three activites: http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/science/light/color/index.html .
Finally, in honor of May Day on May 1st, discuss what is happening around your town during the spring. Investigate how plants grow and reproduce. This website discusses starting a garden at school with your students: http://commserv.ucdavis.edu/CESanDiego/Schlgrdn/SchoolGardens.html .
Of course, as with almost anything you find to teach online, most of these activities will need tweaking to help structure the activities so that your students will get the most out of them!
I like the idea of taking a piece of a holiday, and changing it into science lesson. Almost all other subjects are affected by holidays,and science should be the same way. I think science can seem boring to students because it is so different than all other subjects. By incorporating holidays into your science instruction, you could make the topic more relatable for students. I was also thinking around Groundhog's day you could talk about shadows, what causes them, or something along those lines. Holidays could be a good way to include science across the subject areas.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is a great idea to incorporate holidays into your science lessons and curriculum. It relates science to real life situations and reminds students that science is always around us. I also like that this is a non-traditional way to teach science and incorporates new ideas! I also like that you gave specific examples and sources that fellow classmates could branch off of!
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