If you’re a budding or existing high school science educator, let me provide you with insights on how I kickstarted the academic year with my freshman and sophomore students. Let’s dive into it!
Even though my main focus was biology, I also had sessions on physical science. And in the pivotal first school week, there was a common theme across my classes, suitable for any high school science course.
Day One – Understanding the Syllabus and an Introduction via the Scientific Method: I always kept my syllabus concise, fitting everything on a two-sided sheet. Instead of spending the entire class elaborating on the syllabus, I delved right into the essence of science. To facilitate this, I introduced an activity that got students engaging with the scientific method. We had the whole year ahead for bonding! A detailed video on this activity is available at the end of this post.
Days Two to Four – Deep Dive into the Scientific Method: We revisited the scientific method – an essential even at this level. The prior day’s activity set the context, emphasizing that the scientific method isn’t always strictly procedural.
A hands-on activity I loved was the “mystery jars” challenge. While my baby was still an infant, we had many baby food jars. I transformed these by adding marbles and sealing them with decorative tape. If you’re wondering, this took me two evenings (binge-watching included). These jars became a staple in my classroom. If jars aren’t available, alternatives include Easter eggs or film canisters. The main idea? Use observation as a segue into the scientific method. Many students might have a shaky understanding of the control group concept despite stellar middle school education. It’s essential to refresh these concepts.
Post this; it’s time for some experimental fun! I get them involved in a quick experiment involving petri dishes and jellybeans. The catch? I don’t provide guidelines. Some might not get it right, but failures are the pillars of learning.
Days Five and Six – A Recap on Graphing: Graphing is pivotal in biology. Even if students encountered this in middle school, a brush-up is necessary, especially when transitioning to more advanced topics in high school. Assignments like plotting graphs related to predator-prey relations in biology can be useful. With evolving trends in science education, it’s crucial for students to be adept at graph construction and analysis.
I reintroduce graphing concepts using a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation followed by practice sessions. Regular assessments keep track of their progress and highlight areas that might need additional attention.
Day Seven Onwards – Here, we delve deep into the core curriculum. However, concepts like the scientific method and graphing are recurrent themes in all my classes.
What about Safety in Labs? Absolutely vital! Even older students need to be reminded of lab safety. I recall a mishap in 2006 during my first lab session which taught me the importance of reinforcing safety. Hence, I always revisited the lab safety guidelines a few days before any practical session. An engaging and visual PowerPoint presentation, peppered with a catchy “lab safety rap”, proved effective in driving home the point.
Depending on the specific science subject, my teaching approach slightly varied. For biology, the fundamental question was “what is biology?” and the microscope was a tool we mastered. In physical science, we delved into the SI units and scientific notation.
