Big Idea I want students to practice analyzing and processing information – specifically, science vocabulary, which can be packed with abstract meaning and be a real challenge to remember. Recently, I’m using American Sign Language to accomplish this goal. Like all languages, ASL has its own rules and conventions. And, like the words…
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Big Idea Science teachers are now reporting on the science skills students can do – like planning and conducting, analyzing and processing data, evaluating methods, communicating scientific knowledge and conclusions. In BC, when we report on skills, we use a 4-level proficiency scale known as Emerging, Developing, Proficient, and Extending. The problem for…
Big Idea A few years ago, I wanted to find an easy way for students to practice writing conclusions and supporting them with evidence and reasoning – also known as CER – without having to do a complicated lab or a case study. At the time, I was planning to have students learn about…
Big Idea I had my students submit a playlist of 5 songs that they connect with. I asked students to think of songs that would set them apart from other students – such that when we looked at the songs, we definitely knew it was them. The idea was to see if students could…
Big Idea This year, as part of a getting to know you exercise and to practice CER, I told students about Youtube, Spotify, and TikTok’s algorithms and how they are able to accurately predict other songs or videos I would like to watch based on what I’ve previously viewed and my personality and interests. …
Big Idea For assessment, I want to assess students in a way that requires them to apply their conceptual knowledge into their answers. I don’t want students to just regurgitate knowledge or take numbers and plug into formulas. I want students to find connections and applications between classroom science and the real world and…
Big Idea In today’s back pocket science lesson, I try to determine which parts of the body are more sensitive than others. It’s what I’m calling the Simple Nerve test, and you’ll need a ruler, a paper clip and a pencil and paper to record the data. First, take a paper clip and…
Big Idea For this Back Pocket Science Lesson, I show my students a can of duster, I tell them that I wonder if it’s all a scam, and I ask: what test could I perform to determine if the gas in this can is different than, let’s say, the breath coming out of my…
Video Transcript Hi Science Teachers, Welcome to Science Teacher Summer School, Episode 11. I’m Kent Lui, and something you may not know about me is that I’m a middle child. And, I’m the worst kind of middle child – where I have an older brother and younger sister. The oldest sibling will always be…
Handouts are available at the bottom of this post. Video Transcript Hi Science Teachers, Welcome to Science Teacher Summer School, Episode 11. I’m Kent Lui, and something you may not know about me is I have a sweet tooth and just recently, I had half a box of cereal for dinner. I’m not…
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