I asked the kids, "Did I suggest there was a goal when we started this investigation ? Did I say the more the better?" I questioned them about their feelings of excitement around competition. Is this what scientists do ? A child caught on and summarized that we shouldn't think one result was better than any other. I attempted to explain that scientists must be objective and not cheer on one set of data over another. Ms. Best, my neighboring science teacher, says we must not be attached to outcomes as scientists. We will explore this extremely important lesson throughout the year. It is a lesson not easily understood by a 9-12 year old kid, yet I am excited to guide them down the path !
The assignment was to deposit water from a dropper onto a penny. This was not a new investigation for many of the kids. They were learning about surface tension by experience, but that was not the main goal. We are using safety practices and turn taking, but that also was not the main goal. The main focus in this lesson addressed the excitement and sense of competition among the students. Individuals were proud when they recorded 50 or more drops on the penny (how could this happen? I only counted 26 drops when I did it). The reporting out sounded like a bragging session. One child used the word "best" when discussing the outcomes. A few children snickered when a child reported only 4 drops. I asked the kids, "Did I suggest there was a goal when we started this investigation ? Did I say the more the better?" I questioned them about their feelings of excitement around competition. Is this what scientists do ? A child caught on and summarized that we shouldn't think one result was better than any other. I attempted to explain that scientists must be objective and not cheer on one set of data over another. Ms. Best, my neighboring science teacher, says we must not be attached to outcomes as scientists. We will explore this extremely important lesson throughout the year. It is a lesson not easily understood by a 9-12 year old kid, yet I am excited to guide them down the path !
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Judy GananceWhat is important in my life? Health, family, community, teaching & learning, forest, lepidoptera, photography, knitting, cooking & technology. It is a great pleasure to explore science and sensible problem solving with our children of Parker Woods Montessori. Archives
August 2019
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