Gamification is a fancy word to describe the use of many different types of classroom activities. But what is it really? At its core, gamification in education refers to the use of game-like elements in non-game contexts to enhance learning. Teachers have always strived to find new ways to engage students, but how can teachers ensure that gamesContinue reading “Gamification Ups and Downs”
Tag Archives: fun science activities
Oscillating Spaghetti
People of all ages love spaghetti, but many people don’t realize that this much beloved food has for years helped scientists to explore deep questions about the universe. Spaghetti science can be used to better understand the properties of matter, the nature of waves, the frequency of vibrations, and elasticity. A recent BBC article reviewedContinue reading “Oscillating Spaghetti”
The Beauty of the Periodic Table
I’ve always been enamored of the periodic table. Its logical organization supports understanding of the atomic structure and chemical reactivity of the elements based on where they appear in the table. The periodic table that is commonly used today is based on the original table created by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869. Mendeleev was the firstContinue reading “The Beauty of the Periodic Table”
Lasagne or Spaghetti? The Pasta Cantilever Challenge
Introducing engineering concepts into the high school physics classroom can help students grasp the relevance of scientific knowledge to the real world. I love to do this through project-based assignments in which students have to apply their knowledge through design-based activities. And what better way to keep students engaged and on their toes than toContinue reading “Lasagne or Spaghetti? The Pasta Cantilever Challenge”
How Powerful Are You?
Active learning can literally mean getting your students up and out of their seats and engaged in physical activity. When teaching energy, work and power, there’s no better way to drive home the concepts than to get the students outside the classroom to practice what they’ve learned. That’s why I assign them an activity whereContinue reading “How Powerful Are You?”
Starting Middle School with Science Skills
What do you do to engage students on the first day of the new school year? Give a lecture? Probably not! Go over the class rules? Boring! For my middle schoolers, I like to kick off the school year with a fun science activity that can be used to: 1) teach basic lab skills, (2)Continue reading “Starting Middle School with Science Skills”
End of Year Fun with Famous Scientists
Do you need an engaging end of year activity that will motivate your students to squeeze in a little more learning before the summer break? The Famous Scientist Cereal Box Project combines research, design, organisation, and presentation skills and is ideally suited for 7th to 9th grade students. My students love this assignment which givesContinue reading “End of Year Fun with Famous Scientists”
Quizizz, Kahoot! or Something Else? Making Assessments Fun
Teachers often look for new ways to incorporate digital technologies into their classrooms. One way to do this is through gamification, which means adapting elements of game-play to learning activities. Gamification has not only become very popular, it is also a proven method of enhancing student knowledge. According to Matthew Lynch with The Tech Edvocate, though many subjects can be gamified, games can beContinue reading “Quizizz, Kahoot! or Something Else? Making Assessments Fun”
Step by Step Science 