{"id":5324,"date":"2024-01-31T14:53:07","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T19:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/?p=5324"},"modified":"2024-02-18T13:29:43","modified_gmt":"2024-02-18T18:29:43","slug":"spark-that-natural-curiosity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2024\/01\/spark-that-natural-curiosity\/","title":{"rendered":"Spark That Natural Curiosity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Engaging your students doesn’t have to break the bank. 5 ways to engage your students on a budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As teachers, we are always scrambling to find ways in which we can engage our students and create excitement from the moment they step into the classroom. Engaging activities don’t have to break the bank, and they don’t have to be a whole production that leaves you exhausted. This post will walk through a few creative ways in which you can take steps to engage your students in small and big ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Demos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Everyone loves a good engaging demo to get a unit or a day started. Demos can be incredibly flexible and can be easily done with many at-home ingredients. By having students interact with a demo, they can start engaging in the lesson and begin sparking their curiosity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One demo I have also loved is working with oobleck and slime when talking about the states of matter or to inctroduce chemical reactions. Oobleck is simply made of water and cornstarch, and to have some fun you can add some food coloring, but this is not needed. This demo can be presented by the teacher or the students can make their own smaller sets of oobleck depending on ages and abilities. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Oobleck Blog<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To grow the simple engagement of oobleck there are many types of slimes that can be made using simple ingredients such as glue, borax, shaving cream, and water. This can be a great way to engage students and get them ready to experiment with different substances and mixtures. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Teachers introduced Domestic Lab Day at ABS West and its a hit! Science labs or cooking lessons are held Fridays, including a experiment where students made slime. The lessons build teamwork and social skills. https:\/\/t.co\/PLaQEOGo0A<\/a> @HCDESchools<\/a> @J1Hutton<\/a> #BeTheImpact<\/a> \ud83d\udd2c\ud83c\udf6a<\/p>— Harris County Department of Education (@HCDEtx) January 29, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>