{"id":5317,"date":"2024-01-29T14:11:37","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T19:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/?p=5317"},"modified":"2024-01-29T14:11:38","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T19:11:38","slug":"engage-students-in-science-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2024\/01\/engage-students-in-science-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"ENGAGE Students in Science – On a Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maxwell Wissman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a prospective science teacher, one of the most important considerations to make when lesson planning is how to get your students excited about content that they may not be naturally interested in. In the 5 E\u2019s Learning Cycle, this is known as the Engage phase. It is crucial to give students background knowledge, spark interest, and create rapport between you and your class. The difficulty with this engagement phase is that it can be pricey, and for many teachers, the cost may be out of their own pocket. To help combat this issue, here are some affordable resources that science teachers may be able to use to begin their classes in an effective manner!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Science Demos Using At Home Material<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    This website contains instructions for a multitude of science demonstrations that could be applied to a variety of science learning standards. Each demonstration uses common household items that the teacher may already have on hand or could pick up for relatively inexpensive costs at a grocery store. It is important to note that some of the demonstrations may have to be modified to make them relevant for older students, as many are designed for young children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Science Specific Brain Teasers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The link above contains science riddles that can easily be related to certain content standards. This is a quick and free way to engage students in a concept by challenging them to think in a new way. Note that many of the riddles may not be suitable for certain classes due to the level of rigor or focus on the English language as opposed to the actual science content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. American Lab Trading<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Endocrine News Best Lab Buys<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    10 Best Lab Equipment Sources for Teachers<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The above resources are all about finding affordable equipment for student use in the laboratory. The first link is to American Laboratory Trading, which offers many commonly used lab items for up to 50% or even 80% off of standard retail prices if shopping in the used section. The other two links are articles which point out some different resources teachers can use to find affordable lab equipment from both conventional and nonconventional sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Wing Clips: Science Movie Clips<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    This link provides (VERY) short movie clips related to science standards for free. While the length of the clips leaves a bit to be desired, there are a ton of options for content that teachers can explore to pick the most engaging movies and most relevant clips to what they are teaching. This could be a great free way to spark interest in a concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Phet Simulations<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    A classic free resource for science teachers, Phet simulations allow students to engage with small molecules, freezing temperatures, and extreme pressure all online and all for no cost. These simulations are colorful and engaging, yet also very educational with many functions that allow many standards to be taught from them. They can be applied to many grade levels and are a must have for science teachers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Hopefully some of these resources can be helpful in your own classroom when attempting to get students engaged in science content in an affordable manner. Here are some additional links to social media to give you inspiration!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    PBS Video On Budget Science Teaching – <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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