Author: Kent

I've been happily teaching high school science for over 13 years. This website serves as a way for me to reflect on my practice, give back to the science educators' community, help other science teachers who may need a place to start, and build a strong community of science learners and educators.
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Ep4 – More Women. Better Science.

Video Transcript

Hello everyone, welcome to REAL Science Challenge, I’m Kent Lui, REAL Science teacher.

March 8, 2021 is International Women’s Day. Today, we breakdown
Why women are more likely than men to have side effects from medication
and we tell you what you can do to make your world a better place.

Download our free worksheet for this episode from realsciencechallenge.com to help you keep up.

Let’s get going, this is REAL Science Challenge.

Intro

Imagine a sleeping pill that people take to help them sleep. Now, imagine this pill is given to 100 men, and, out of 100 men, 3 of them develop side effects. When the pill is given to 100 women, 15 out of 100 women develop side effects. So, this medication causes 5 times more women than men to experience side effects. This was the case for the drug zolpidem, also known as ambien, which caused some individuals to wake up feeling extremely drowsy and, according to one study, caused more women to get into traffic accidents.

Women are different from men. That is obvious. Besides physical differences, women also face social differences: being paid less for the same work, being less represented at higher positions of power, and, this past year, being more greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the need for International Women’s day to highlight the things we need to do in order to make sure our world is equal towards women.

In science, the inequality exists too – and not just in awards and academic positions. For example,

The thing that makes me go hmmm…is why a drug like ambien, which has already been scientifically tested and government approved, could be more dangerous for women as opposed to men?

Illustrate your science

Take a few minutes and come up with 2 explanations for this phenomenon. Link your explanations to some of the science you already know. Discuss with your partner. But don’t do an internet search. Tell me what you’re thinking, not what Google is thinking. Draw out and label your ideas under the Illustrate Your Science Section of our worksheet. Set your timers for 3 minutes. Pause the video. Then come back afterwards when time is up. Ready? Begin.

 

Welcome back! Now, the big reveal: …?

 

Answer

It comes down to underrepresentation. Say that word with me, underrepresentation. Typically, when a drug is being tested, researchers want to study how a drug works in the real world. Therefore, we would need to test the drug with a sample of people that represented the real world – a sample that included people from both sexes and various backgrounds and ethnicities. Many medications that were approved for use in the United States before 1993, however, did not include as many women than men in their trials. In a recent report, 86 medications were found to have a sex bias with most biases affecting women more than men. So, although a drug may have been approved for use, researchers did not truly understand the side effects these drugs had on women because women were under represented in the clinical trials.
In 1993, the US Congress passed a law called the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act, which states that women and people of color have to be included in government-funded clinical research. However, according to one article that looked into medical research from 1993-2018, there was still underrepresentation of women in research pertaining to cardiovascular disease, hepatitis, HIV, chronic kidney disease, and digestive disease.

Let’s make some connections between what you just learned and what you may already know. Now, consider women’s health, equal representation, and medication. What does it make you think about? For example, what i just learned made me think about this thing i did in math class because…give your explanation. Write out your ideas under “Connection Corner” of our worksheet and follow the prompts to get you started.

 

Wrap Up

Let’s wrap up this up, people, with some direct messages from me to you to make this world a better place.

First, yes, we need to have an equal representation of women in clinical drug trials. But, more importantly, we need to have an equal representation of women who are leading or advising medical research studies. Who better to address women’s health than women themselves? So, it’s important to include women at all levels of research.

Second, change the world by geeking out. Do a deep dive into questions that may change the world. Who knows? Maybe, you’ll develop a system that can address women’s inequality in research. It all starts by asking a question. So, what makes you go hmmm about women’s health, men’s health, and research? And, what do you want to study next? Follow the templates under Question Composition on our worksheet to help you started.

Thanks for watching REAL Science Challenge. We have more resources connected . Also, please subscribe to our channel by clicking the red button below.

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): Ep4 – More Women. Better Science.

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

 

 

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Ep3 – Big Effect, Little Peanut (Black History in Science Education)

Episode 3 Transcript

Hello everyone, this is REAL Science Challenge, I’m Kent Lui, real science teacher.

February is Black history month, and we’ re continuing our discussion of scientific contributions by individuals from the black community. Today, we breakdown

  • The big impact of the little peanut,
  • and we tell you one action you can take going forward to make your world a better place.

Download our free worksheet for this episode from realsciencechallenge.com. It’s got all you need to follow along.

Let’s get going, this is REAL Science Challenge.

 

Intro

Consider the humble peanut. For such a small item, it sure is used in a lot of things. According to one report, peanuts were used in 45% of snacks and roughly 15% of new food products. They can also be found in non food items like soaps and shampoos, face creams, and stuffing for neck pillows or stuffed animals. But, it didn’t start out that way for the peanut. When it was first grown in the us in the late 1800s, it was used to feed livestock, as a source of oil, and as a cocoa substitute – not as the multipurpose item it is today.

 

The thing that makes me go hmmm… about the peanut is its rise in popularity as a cash crop. It wasn’t until the early 1900s – decades after it was first grown in the us – did the popularity of the peanut begin to rise. How come? What was the cause for this surge? 

 

Illustrate Your Science

I want you to take a few minutes and come up with 2 explanations for this phenomenon: What do you believe was the reason or reasons why growing peanuts suddenly became so popular after decades of being ignored?

Discuss with your partner. But don’t do an internet search. I don’t want to know what Google is thinking – I want to know what you’re thinking.You can draw out and label your ideas under the Illustrate Your Science Section of our worksheet. Set your timers for 3 minutes. Pause the video. Then come back afterwards when time is up. Ready? Begin.

 

Welcome back! Now, the big reveal: …?

It comes down to nitrogen and, specifically,  nitrogen compounds in the soil. Some of these nitrogen compounds are used by plants and crops to help them grow. Over time, the amount of useful nitrogen compounds in soil goes down, which results in a decrease in the amount of crop produced. This was the case for cotton  in the United States about 100 years ago. George Washington Carver, a black scientist and university professor, developed the idea of using crop rotation to help poor southern farmers increase their cotton production. Instead of planting cotton year over year on the same plot of land, farmers were encouraged to plant a crop that would help replenish the useful nitrogen compounds in the soil every other year. The peanut plant was one such plant. So, on one year, farmers planted cotton, and the next year, they planted peanuts, and then the following year, cotton – switching back and forth –  and the amount of cotton grown increased. Another byproduct was a sudden surplus of peanuts too. This led to the development of hundreds of applications for it. George Washington Carver came up with over 300 applications for peanuts.

 

Form Connections

Consider the following: Where else in your everyday life have you seen something like this – where such a big impact on your health can be determined by such a basic science concept? Write out your ideas under “Connection Corner” of our worksheet and follow the guiding questions if you need help getting started.

 

Direct Messages

Let’s wrap up this up, people, with some direct messages from me to you to make this world a better place.

 

First, support sustainable agriculture.  Buy from those corporations that use it. Or, adjust your lifestyle so you consume less of things that are not produced sustainably. Sustainable agriculture uses methods to meet our present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. George Washington Carver wasn’t just a man obsessed with peanuts – he was one of the first to promote sustainable agricultural practices – practices that are still relevant in how we grow food today. 

Second, change the world by geeking out. Do a deep dive into questions that may change the world. Who knows? Maybe you’ll develop agricultural practices that will help feed our population and maintain the health of our planet. It all starts by asking a question. So, what makes you go hmmm about peanuts or about sustainable farming practices? And, what do you want to study next? Follow the templates under Question Composition on our worksheet to help you started.

 

Thanks for watching REAL Science Challenge. We have more resources to help  on our website. Also, please subscribe to our channel by clicking the red button below.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): Ep3 – Big Effect, Little Peanut

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

 

 

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Ep2 – Science Never Dies (and neither do HELA cells)

Transcript

Hello everyone, welcome to REAL Science Challenge, I’m Kent Lui, REAL Science teacher.

February is Black history month, and we’ll be discussing scientific contributions by individuals from the black community. Today, we breakdown

  • One Nobel Prize winning contribution that scientists have taken for granted,
  • and we tell you one action you can take going forward to make your world a better place.

 

Download our free worksheet for this episode from realsciencechallenge.com. It’s got all you need to follow along.

 

Let’s get going, this is REAL Science Challenge.

 

Intro

The Nobel Prize is one of the biggest awards in the world. Every year, one award is given to a big achievement in each of the following disciplines: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. Nobel Prizes in medicine have included stem cell research, the discovery of HIV, which causes AIDS, and the discovery of HPV, which is linked to cervical cancer.

 

The thing that makes me go hmmmm is that both HIV and HPV discoveries were made with the help of ongoing contributions from one individual. However, this individual has been dead since 1951.

 

I want you to take a few minutes and come up with 2 explanations for this phenomenon: how can one individual continue to make contributions to medicine even after they’ve died? Link your explanations to some of the science you already know. Discuss with your partner. But don’t do an internet search. I don’t want to know what Google is thinking – I want to know what you’re thinking.You can draw out and label your ideas under the Illustrate Your Science Section of our worksheet. Set your timers for 3 minutes. Pause the video. Then come back afterwards when time is up. Ready? Begin.

 

The Big Reveal

Welcome back! Now, the big reveal: …?

 

It comes down to cells, and in this case, cells grown and used in the lab called HeLa cells. HeLa cells were named after the person it was collected from, Henrietta Lacks. HeLa cells have one special quality: they can reproduce forever if basic living conditions are maintained. Thus, they are used in biological research a lot. And, it is Henrietta’s cells that were used in the Nobel prize winning studies in HIV and HPV.

 

However, there has been controversy surrounding HeLa cells with regards to consent. Henrietta’s cells were originally collected and used for the purpose of diagnosing and treating her cancer. But, Henrietta’s cells were also given to another researcher without Henrietta’s knowledge or consent. And, the cells have been shared widely ever since –  without her family’s consent – even after her death in 1951. Consider the following: yes, the use of Henrietta’s cells have led to a lot of medical breakthroughs. However, at a loss of privacy and at a greater risk of discrimination for Henrietta’s family. For example, in 2013, again without the knowledge of Henrietta’s family, scientists published the genomic data for HeLa cells. This data can be used to gather sensitive medical information about Henrietta’s descendants – information that could potentially be used against them – for example, by health insurance companies. So, although a lot of good can be gained when information is shared, the owner of that information still needs to provide their consent.

 

Where else in your everyday life have you seen something like this – where discoveries, new inventions, or corporate profit is made at the cost of a loss in people’s privacy? Write out your ideas under “Connection Corner” of our worksheet and follow the guiding questions if you need help getting started.

 

Direct Messages

Let’s wrap up this up with some direct messages from me to you to make your world a better place.

 

First, whenever you can, keep your information private. And, it’s especially important today since it is so easy to give it away when we’re on the internet or using social media platforms. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok make money by actively collecting your personal information whenever you sign up, post, or comment – but how they use your personal information and to whom they share your personal information with is unknown. So, it is entirely possible that you may not agree with how your information is used or shared by these corporations. And, it is also entirely possible that what you share today may come back to hurt you tomorrow – just consider how many people get in trouble today for a comment they posted on their profile in the past. So, do your personal world a favour, and keep your information private.

 

Second, change the world by geeking out. Do a deep dive into questions that may change the world. Who knows? Maybe you’ll develop materials for masks that are more effective or easier to wear – or both! It all starts by asking a question. So, what makes you go hmmm about masks or about static charge? And, what do you want to study next? Follow the templates under Question Composition on our worksheet to help you started.

 

Thanks for watching REAL Science Challenge. Check realsciencechallenge.com for more teaching resources related to this episode. Also, please subscribe to our channel by clicking the red button below.

 

Until next time, remember to keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Download this episode’s free worksheet by clicking the following: Ep2 – Science Never Dies

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Ep1 – PolyMask for the PolyMath

Transcript

Hello everyone, welcome to REAL Science Challenge, I’m Kent Lui, REAL Science teacher.

Today, we breakdown one cool science discovery behind masks you probably didn’t even know about and we tell you one action you can take going forward to make your world a better place.

Download our free worksheet for this episode from realsciencechallenge.com. It’s got all you need to follow along.

Let’s get going, this is REAL Science Challenge.

 

I wear a 3-layer cloth mask – like this one – every time I go out to slow the spread of Covid-19. Masks work by trapping small water droplets that are in our breath and released into the air every time we breathe, talk, yell, laugh. If someone is sick with Covid-19, these droplets may contain the virus. If others were to breathe in those infected droplets, they can get sick too.

 

The thing that makes me go hmmm… about cloth masks is that some work better than others. Scientists observed, for example, that 3-layer masks containing polypropylene work better than 3-layer masks of 100% cotton in trapping water droplets.

 

I want you to take a few minutes and come up with 2 explanations for this phenomenon: how do cotton masks containing polypropylene work better than pure cotton masks? Link your explanations to some of the science you already know. Discuss with your partner. But don’t do an internet search. I don’t want to know what Google is thinking – I want to know what you’re thinking. You can draw out and label your ideas under the Illustrate Your Science Section of our worksheet. Set your timers for 3 minutes. Pause the video. Then come back afterwards when time is up. Ready? Begin.

 

Welcome back! Now, the big reveal: how come cotton masks containing polypropylene work better than pure cotton masks?

 

It comes down to static charge. Static charge develops when different materials rub against each other. In a mask that has both polypropylene and cotton, the polypropylene develops a static charge as it rubs against the cotton layers. This static charge attracts and clings to water droplets. Masks of just cotton do not develop a static charge. Thus, they are less effective at trapping water droplets. A similar thing happens to your clothes in the dryer. Clothes of different materials rub against each other as they tumble, and they develop a static charge and cling to each other as a result. Consider how something so important – something with such a big impact – like helping to slow the spread of a virus is achieved with such a basic, everyday science concept. I think that’s pretty cool.

 

Making connections between new ideas and prior experiences helps strengthen what you learned. Consider the following: what does what you just learned about static charge and masks remind you of? What does it make you think about? Write out your ideas under “Connection Corner” of our worksheet and follow the prompts to get you started.

 

Let’s wrap up this up, people, with some direct messages from me to you to make this world a better place.

 

First, masks work, and we should wear one to help slow down the spread of Covid 19. Hospitals need to provide services to non-Covid illnesses- like patients who require heart surgery or cancer treatments. But, hospitals won’t if they are overwhelmed with treating Covid-19 patients. We need to help save the healthcare system for those who really need it and those who rely on the system. Do the right thing: wear a mask and help out those in your community who need access to important, life-saving medical treatment.

 

Second, change the world by geeking out. Do a deep dive into questions that may change the world. Who knows? Maybe you’ll develop something that will be more effective at slowing or stopping the spread of Covid-19. It all starts by asking a question. So, what makes you go hmmm about masks or about static charge? And, what do you want to study next? Follow the templates under Question Composition on our worksheet to help you started.

 

Thanks for watching REAL Science Challenge. We have more resources connected to this lesson for purchase on our website. Also, please subscribe to our channel by clicking the red button below.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Download this episodes free worksheet by clicking the following: Ep1 – PolyMask for the PolyMath

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#56 – From Protons to Prefixes to Google (how we make some fun science connections)

How do you bring in science news stories into your science classroom? Instead of just bringing in science articles as an example of something we’re learning in class, I like to connect the story to as many science concepts and stories as possible. It’s sort of like what James Burke did on his show Connections, where he once suggested “suggests that telecommunications exist because Normans had stirrups for horse riding which in turn led them to further advancements in warfare.” These science connections show how discoveries are not islands unto themselves but a part of many ideas across many disciplines. So, what’s an interesting story with equally interesting science connections we can use today?

 

In this post, I share how I connect a news story about proton radius to the name of the biggest search engine today (ie. Google). My grade 8 science students found it interesting (and I think a few light bulbs went off too). Handouts are available for download at the end.

 

Science Connections: From the small to the very big

 

Recently, scientists were able to measure the radius of a proton. This obscure piece of knowledge fits in with a lesson on atomic structure, but how might we connect it to everyday life? We outline the connections below:

 

Start: A new proton radius has been measured

According to researchers, the radius of a proton is 0.831 fm, which is smaller than the previous measurement of 0.88 fm.

 

Connection 1: What is a fm (femtometer)?

I ask students if they know what fm stands for. Many do not. I say it’s a unit of measurement for length – like kilometer and millimetre. All measurements have a base unit: meter is the base unit for length, seconds for time, and grams for mass.

 

Connection 2: What are prefixes and what do they mean?

Prefixes represent factors of 10 for a base unit. For example, I ask students how many meters are in a kilometer. Most say 1000. When I ask why, most students have no response. Then I show them a table of prefixes and say point out that kilo always stands for 10^3 (ie. 1000). Thus a kilometer is 1000 metres connected end to end. The prefix mega (m) stands for 10^6. Thus, a megameter is 10^6 or 1000000 meters connected end to end.

On the flip side, milli means 10^-3 (ie. One-thousandth). Therefore, if I take a meter stick and cut it into one thousand equal parts, then what I have left is a millimeter. Similarly, nano means 10^-9 (one billionth). Thus, if we take one meter and cut onto one billion equal parts, then one of those cuts will equal a nanometer.

And what about a femtometer? Femto stands for 10^-15. Thus, if we take a meter stick and cut it into a million parts and then take one of those parts and cut it into a billion parts, then we have a femtometer.

 

Connection 3: What else are prefixes used for?

What’s interesting about prefixes is that they’re often used to name products or businesses. For example, when Apple came out with the iPod, they also created a smaller version called the iPod Nano. Nano represents 10^-9, which means a nanometer is one-billionth the size of a meter or a meter that has been cut into one billion equal parts.

We can find another example in the beer brewing business. We call large corporations like Anheiser-Busch InBev (who own Budweiser and Stella Artois and brew 355 million barrels of beer annually) breweries. However, we call smaller companies that produce less than 15,000 barrels of beer annually microbreweries. Micro is a prefix meaning 10^-6. For even smaller breweries that brew less than 2,000 barrels of beer annually, we call them nanobreweries.

 

Connection 4: Prefixes named one of the world’s largest companies?

A Googol is equal to 10^100. In other words, a Googol is a 1 with one hundred zeros following it. When Larry Page and Sergey Brin were looking to change the name of their search engine (at the time named Backrub), they used the idea of a Googol and created the name “Google”.

The Googol is more of an abstract idea than it is an actual value. There is nothing in the universe that is equal to a Googol. The Googol is typically used to compare large values or give large quantities some context. For example, according to Wikipedia, if the observable universe were filled with grains of sand, it would still only equal 10^95. And, if we compare the mass of the universe to the mass of an electron, the universe would still be 10^90 times bigger.

Perhaps a better question is why Bryn and Page named their search engine after such a big mathematical number? And, when will the amount of data or searches that Google processes reach a Googol.

 

Wrap Up

There are science articles and stories published everyday that may appear to appeal to only a small subset of people. Making science connections between these isolated stories makes what we’re doing in our classrooms more interesting and helps paint a fuller picture of what science is. That is, science is in our everyday life. Click the link below to download our handouts (where we give a copy of the science connections above and include a copy of the news article). Please share our blog with your colleagues (we want to connect with as many colleagues as possible). And, you can also connect with us by joining our Facebook discussion group (Super Science Teachers Co-Lab).

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 56 – REAL Science – Protons and Prefixes

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

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#55 – 5 Fun Puzzles for critical and creative thinking in the Science Class (hint: supervillian Thanos included)

Are you looking for a quick, fun way to have students practice critical and creative thinking in science class? Perhaps you’re looking for some science bell ringers that will engage students while you check homework or take attendance too? Some teachers will have students answer review or preview questions or have students write in their science journal. Unfortunately, those science bell ringers lack the fun factor. If you’re looking for another type of science bell ringer to start your class that gets your students to think outside-of-the-box, try using some puzzles. Specifically, logic puzzles.

 

Logic puzzles are nothing new. Consider math games like sudoku and ken ken – these are just logic puzzles. That is, they are problems that have a set of conditions that participants need to follow when solving the problem. Math has a tonne of puzzles – but what about logic puzzles for science? Where can we find good logic puzzles for our science bell ringers?

 

Lucky for us, fivethirtyeight.com publishes weekly puzzles under their Riddler section. These puzzles take 5-10 minutes to complete. And, even if students don’t complete them, it generates some fun discussion. I’ve used some of the following puzzles for my science bell ringers – and students enjoy them. Below, I list 5 puzzles that are sure to generate some fun discussion in your science class. Handouts (ie. puzzle solutions) are available for download at the end of the post.

 

Logic Puzzles for Critical and Creative Thinking

To gets students to exercise their critical and creative thinking muscles, we need to get them to apply their science knowledge in other disciplines. Of course, this is nothing new. And, logic puzzles are nothing new either. The LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) has a whole section on it. However, what’s important is not just throwing any puzzle at our students – but puzzles that have a focus on science (we are, after all, teaching science). Below are our favourite puzzles to date, all available at fivethirtyeight.com.

 

Puzzle 1: Thanos

With a snap of his fingers, Thanos, the all powerful supervillain, can destroy half of all beings in the universe. But out of 7.5 billion people on Earth, how many would survive if there were 63 Thanoses, each snapping their fingers after each other?

 

Puzzle 2: Twelve Billiard Balls

Out of 12 billiard balls that look and feel identical, one is either slightly heavier or lighter than the rest. However, you don’t know which it is (heavier or lighter). Using only a balance scale a maximum of three times, how can you determine which ball is different, and whether it is heavier or lighter?

 

Puzzle 3: Where in the Square?

Given an empty 4-by-4 square and one marker, students can color in individual squares or leave them untouched. Can students design a 4-by-4 square such that they can identify the position of any 2-by-2 square cut from it?

 

Puzzle 4: A Maze

Consider maze consisting of a 10×10 grid of numbers ranging from 1-7. The number in each box tells you how many spaces up, down, left or right you must move. (No diagonal moves allowed.) Starting in the bottom left corner of the grid, what is the fastest way to make to the end of the maze (ie. to the asterisk on the grid)?

 

Puzzle 5: Kidnapped and Marooned

You’ve been kidnapped and dropped off on an unknown beach. Given only a satellite phone with enough battery life to sustain a one minute phone call, how would you get someone to rescue you from the beach?

 

Wrap Up

If we believe that science is a skill that students can apply to situations outside the classroom, then we need to give students ways to do so. This is where logic puzzles come in. Logic puzzles are quick to do and require little set up beyond the question. Logic puzzles require students to practice critical and creative thinking. And, logic puzzles generate student discussion – which is an awesome way for students to learn from each other. We hope you give some of the puzzles above a try in your science class. And, if you have some logic puzzles that you use in your classroom, please let us know. I’m always growing my own list. Click on the link below to download the handouts to this post. And, enter your email address in the bar at the top of this screen to join our email list and receive regular e-newsletters. Finally, share our posts with your colleagues and help us spread the word. Thanks!

 

Until next time, keep it REAL!

 

Resources

Handout(s): 55 – Puzzles by 538dotcom

Our resources are free. We aren’t collecting emails for our resources. However, it would help us out if you liked us on our Facebook page and subscribed to our Youtube Channel. Thanks!

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#54 – This is the Greatest Boy Band Song of all time (another simple, fun CER example)

CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) is an awesome way for students to communicate their scientific claims by connecting them with supporting evidence and linking them to “textbook” ideas and reasons. In Post #12, we use jellybeans as a low-barrier-to-entry example to introduce CER to students (click here to check it out). However, outside of food, what’s another simple, fun CER example teachers can use? Perhaps something all students have experience in? Outside of food, music seems to be the next fun thing.

Like food, there’s a lot of variety in music and a lot of different musical tastes too. In this simple, fun CER example, we use boy band music to introduce CER. If you think about it, every generation has their own boy band. In the 1950s and 60s, it was the Beatles and the Monkees. New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC were on the scene in the 1990s and early 2000s. Today (in 2019), the Jonas Brothers are making a come back alongside K-pop boy bands like BTS. There is not one student (or adult) who has not heard (or guiltily sang along to) a boy band song. Hence, it is one fun CER example both science students and teachers can relate (and perhaps sing) to. Free handouts are available to download at the end of this post.

 

Boy Band songs = One Fun CER Example

In 2018, Rolling Stone Magazine published a list titled “The 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of all time” – which is the inspiration behind this activity. I go over this list with all my students every year. The list always generates some laughs (and singing too!). But, more importantly, what songs are on and not on the list always leads to some great questions. For example, what criteria was used to rank boy band songs? How can judges objectively choose the “best” boy band song? Who were the judges that were contacted for this list? How old were these judges?

In this CER activity, students will develop their own small list of the best boy band songs of all time. The main goal of this activity is for students to develop their CER skills. In other words, students will get practice in developing a claim and supporting that claim with evidence and reasoning. They’ll need to ask themselves: what do I consider the best boy band songs of all time (ie. make a claim)? And, how can I support my claims objectively (ie. provide evidence)? What measurements can I take to support our claims (ex. Record sales, radio plays, current and past popularity)?

 

Field Notes

  • Introduce the activity by saying that a list of the top 100 boy band songs was created by Billboard. You don’t need to go over the list yet. Instead, ask students which bands or songs they think are on the list. Invariably, this will lead to questions about what makes a good boy band song and who is judging boy band songs.
  • I would ask students to put together their own list of top boy band songs of all time before going over the Billboard list. Have students present their list. When presenting, focus on student process. In other words, how did they select their songs? What evidence would they use to support their list?
  • When you do go over the Billboard list, take note of the reason why judges felt “I Want it That Way” by the Backstreet Boys is considered the top boy band song of all time. Also note the reasons for other top ten songs on this list. Consider that the list is actually a critics choice list. Ask how we can objectively determine this list. How many variables would we measure and would each variable be equally weighted? Which variables would we measure?
  • As an aside, which bands are on and not on the list also generates a fair number of questions too. For example, what is the definition of a boy band? If the Beatles are considered a boy band, is Queen or Coldplay considered boy bands too? Perhaps this can be a CER example that can be further discussed. Perhaps, students can develop a small list that answers the question what are the greatest boy bands of all time.

 

Wrap Up

CER is science skill that is relevant inside and outside the classroom. Unfortunately, many CER examples feature just lab data or information from science textbooks. I understand why teachers tend to use science examples to illustrate CER. However, having a simple CER example that is based on something outside the classroom is much more powerful. For one thing, it’s fun (which will get students to remember it better). Also, it forces students to approach an everyday problem with scientific thinking. And, ultimately, isn’t that the purpose of a science education? Click the link below to download our handouts for this post (the Billboard list of 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of all time). Enter your email address up above too if you’re interested in receiving our e-newsletter, which regularly features useful science education resources. Lastly, please email a link of this post to your colleagues if you find it useful. Thanks!

 

Until next time, keep it REAL!

 

Resources

Handout(s): 54 – Billboard Top Boy Band Songs – Critics Pick

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#53 – The Science Movie You can Show on your First Week (hint: it helps teach the scientific method)

What topic do science teachers most likely start teaching in their first week (or two)? The scientific method, of course. And what do most science teachers not do in their first week (or two)? Show science movies. That’s too bad because good science movies can really get students excited about science. Unfortunately, not showing a science movie on the first week (or two) back makes sense because science movies/videos either (1) don’t teach the scientific method,or (2) are pure fantasy or science fiction. For example, Bill Nye videos are great at providing fun facts and content. Unfortunately, they’re not so great at showing scientific method and process. Back to the Future is awesome at getting students excited about science at the beginning of the school year. But, it also does not talk about scientific method much either (and it’s also pure science fiction). But what if a movie can help teach scientific method and get students excited about science? That would be a movie I would want to show in science class on my first week (or two).

 

Really good science movies help teach the scientific method by applying it to everyday questions and situations. These science movies help us realize that the scientific method is not just something we do in science class. Instead, the scientific method is a way of approaching and solving our own questions. In other words, the scientific method is made relevant in everyday circumstances in a good science movie. The science movie “Behind the Curve” does this extremely well. As of July 26, 2019, it’s still on Netflix. Below, we outline how we use it. Free video notes for discussion are available for download at the end of the post.

 

Why watch a science movie about scientific method?

Some people may ask, “Why not just run an activity where students practice using the scientific method instead of watching a movie?” To which I answer, “Absolutely! Use an activity to practice the scientific method.” I totally believe in getting students to practice science skills.

But, it’s also important to show how a skill or an idea can be outside the controlled environment of the science classroom. How can we use the scientific method in the real world in fields like chemistry, biology, or astronomy? And, how can we use the scientific method in other fields like english, history, or psychology? Showing the scientific method in action outside the classroom not only helps reinforce a student’s understanding of the idea, it also makes the skill dynamic, applicable, and relevant to their daily life. Also, movies lead to discussion, and being able to communicate science ideas is also an important skill to develop. A good science movie helps do this.

 

How does Behind the Curve help teach scientific method?

“Behind the Curve” is basically about conspiracy theorists who believe that the earth is flat (aka. Flat Earthers). Of course, the earth is not flat – it’s spherical (ie. round).! And while we might expect such a movie to show a bunch of scientists talking about how we know the Earth is spherical, the movie does not use scientists that way at all. Instead, the movie shows how both scientists and flat earthers interpret and use the scientific method.

The most interesting part about “Behind the Curve” is the attempt by Flat Earthers in the movie to use the scientific method and experimentation to try to “prove” their claim that the Earth is flat. In fact, Flat Earthers develop and run a couple of “flat earth” experiments in “Behind the Curve”. But, what do Flat Earthers do when experimental results don’t match with what they believe? This leads to an interesting discussion in the movie with regards to personal perception and identity – both of which may blind us from seeing the truth in our world.

 

Field Notes (for showing the movie)

  • Before the movie: Engage. Try our Flat Earth activity, An Awesome April Fools Day Science Lesson for any day (note: no special equipment needed). The activity has students provide evidence for how they know the earth is spherical. (During the discussion, the teacher pretends to be a member of the Flat Earth Society). To connect to scientific method, ask students to come up with an experiment to prove the earth is spherical. The activity can get the creative and scientific juices flowing, and it’s a good introduction to the premise of the movie.
  • Play the movie. And, have students take down their own notes. I have students take out a sheet of paper and draw a T-chart. On the left side of the T-chart, they write the heading “What I Know”. On the right side, they write “What I learned”. During the movie, I have students write down 15 points in total on anything that is mentioned in the film.
  • After the movie: Have students share from the notes they took. What was the most interesting thing they learned or already knew? If students don’t have much, discuss some of the interesting quotes I have written down in our handouts.
  • Extension Activity: Have students do our pendulum lab, which is found in Post #6 on Null Hypothesis. The pendulum lab tests the effect of the mass held at the end of a pendulum on the period of the pendulum. Students typically hold the false preconception that the mass at the end of the pendulum has an effect on period. In other words, students typically believe pendulums swing faster if a heavier object is at the end of the pendulum. In fact, mass has no effect. But, because students hold on to their false preconception so strongly, many often feel they are doing the lab “wrong” when their data shows little difference between period and mass. If you don’t have time to do our lab, then watch Walter Lewin on youtube demonstrate it in his lecture.

 

Wrap Up

It’s okay to show a science move on the first week (or two) of school. Movies are good to connect with real world situations. And, if the movie challenges our own preconceptions – like in “Behind the Curve”, where flat earthers question whether the earth is flat – it can open up lots of awesome discussion. Discussion that will invariably lead and connect with the scientific method and how we know what we know in science. Click on the link below to download our free handouts. Enter your email up above and join our e-newsletter – we try to email out helpful resources every week. Lastly, share a link of this post with your colleagues if you find this helpful. Thanks in advance.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL!

 

Resources

Handout(s): 53 – Movie Notes (Behind the Curve)

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#52 – An Awesome April Fools Day science lesson for any day (note: no special equipment needed)

Looking for an April Fools Day science lesson? How about an April Fools Day science lesson that also utilizes critical thinking and generates debate? Sure, there are some science lessons out there that fulfill the list. Many of these April Fools Day science lessons have students observe a discrepant event. Unfortunately, this also requires lab equipment, materials, and some sort of set up (and subsequent clean up). But, is there an April Fools Day science lesson that does the same thing but doesn’t require a list of materials and setup instructions?

 

Two words summarize the science lesson that gets all students thinking (and may even trick a few too): flat earth. A quick disclaimer: I do not believe in flat earth at all. However, for one lesson every year, I pretend to be a card-carrying member of the flat earth society. I tell students the earth is actually flat and round like a frisbee or pizza (and not spherical like a basketball). I know, as science teachers, the idea of flat earth sounds absurd and crazy. The lesson gets students to think they’re science teacher is crazy too and it also generates a lot of debate. One year, I even convinced a handful of kids that the earth was flat (while I made a whole bunch of other students mad because they couldn’t handle “the truth”). The best thing is, teachers can use this science lesson regardless of whether it’s April Fools Day or not. Handouts are available for download at the end of this post as well.

 

Another disclaimer: I actually got this lesson idea 15 years ago from Bruce Gurney, former UBC Faculty of Education science instructor and retired North Vancouver teacher. And, I’ve used the lesson every year since (it’s definitely stood the test of time).

 

Flat Earth, April Fools Day Science Lesson 101

Most (if not all) students know the earth is spherical. But, besides a teacher telling them the earth is spherical, how do students know this to be true? What is the evidence and reasoning that supports the fact that the earth is spherical? In other words, how do students know that what they know is actually true? That is the premise behind this lesson. I mean, what if someone else stands up and says the earth is not spherical but flat. How do we know flat earth is wrong? Thus, during the lesson, I ask students to provide evidence to support the fact that the earth is spherical.

 

Quick History

The idea that the earth was spherical was first proposed in the 6th century BC. In 3rd century BC, Eratosthenes, a greek astronomer, was able to estimate the circumference of the earth by studying the differences in the way the sun casts a shadow at Alexandria and Syrene at the summer solstice. This all took place before ships were able to circumnavigate the globe (during the 1500s) and before the advent of airplanes (1903) or space satellites (1957). Thus, I like to ask students to provide evidence that does not require tech (ie. photos from space, google maps, etc).

 

Before the lesson

Produce something formal-looking for students to look at or copy down (I usually make a powerpoint presentation). Some flat earth facts to Include in the presentation are:

  • The Earth is flat and round like a cookie or pizza.
  • The continents on the Earth are laid out like it is on the United Nations Flag.
  • The sun and moon revolve around the Earth.
  • The “north pole” is actually the centre of the Earth’s surface.
  • The Earth is surrounded on all sides by a wall of ice that holds the oceans back. This ice wall is what navigators call the “south pole” or Antarctica.

 

To start the lesson

Tell the class that today’s lesson is on astronomy. Then, have students copy down their notes from the powerpoint presentation. I generally have one flat earth fact per slide with accompanying photos. I also try to act as normal as possible – like this is just any other lesson I give. Typically, by the third or fourth slide, students will generally raise their hands, ask questions, or bring up objections.

 

Field Notes

Some tips to help you perform your best in this April Fools Day science lesson:

 

1. Provide flat earth evidence

According to the Flat Earth Society Page (yes, they exist), “The simplest is by relying on one’s own senses to discern the true nature of the world around us. The world looks flat, the bottoms of clouds are flat, the movement of the Sun; these are all examples of your senses telling you that we do not live on a spherical heliocentric world.” Thus, if students ask why you think the earth is flat, say “Look outside. The world is flat.”

Also, the United Nations Flag is also the same as the map that Flat Earth believers ascribe to. Thus, I tell students that, secretly, there are signs that Flat Earth may be true.

 

2. Ask what evidence support spherical Earth model

This is a fun part of the lesson. Students will try to refute your flat earth model. They’ll certainly bring up photos from space. Or how they can see the earth’s curvature from the plane. And how a ship’s mast will always appear on the horizon before the hull. I handle these objections by using the following.

  • Photos are easily manipulated through things like Photoshop.
  • Visual observations from a distance (like the plane or the ship) can be explained using refraction.

Our handouts also provide more details as to how I handle the 7 most common questions from students.

 

3. Answers to uncommon flat earth questions

Students always ask other questions about the flat earth model. It’s ok to say you don’t know – because just because you don’t know doesn’t mean it can’t be true. It just hasn’t been confirmed yet. For example, students usually ask, “what happens if you drill through the Earth? What’s on the other side?” To which I answer, “the biggest drill in the world has yet to drill through a hundred kilometers in depth – the earth is much thicker than that. And, no one knows what’s on the other side – no one’s flown their. And, if someone has flown their, it’s probably being kept under wraps. Government conspiracy.” And, yes, government conspiracy is a valid answer too.

 

As a rule, try to move the conversation back to what evidence students can provide that the earth is spherical. In fact, a lot of students cannot provide much evidence beyond photo evidence or seeing the curvature of the Earth from a plane.

 

Important: Before the End of Class

Make sure you tell students you don’t actually believe in flat earth and that this whole April Fools Day science lesson has been, well, a hoax. How do we know the earth is spherical?

One piece of evidence I give relates to lunar eclipses. Specifically, when the earth casts its shadow on the moon, it is always the same curvature – thus supporting a spherical earth. A cookie-shaped earth would cast a different shadow each time depending on the angle and position of the sun and moon relative to the earth.

 

Wikipedia’s page on Spherical Earth provides a good list of evidence too. And, it provides a historical account of the discoveries that lead to the acceptance of spherical earth as well

 

Wrap Up

An April Fools Day science lesson doesn’t have to require special setup or equipment. In fact, instead of observing discrepant events, we can get the same self reflection and questioning by asking students how they know what they know is true. How do students know the earth is not flat when what we see in front of us is flat land? Being a true scientist means we ask questions – and sometimes, it’s good to question our own assumptions too. Click the link below to download the handouts to this post, where I provide more details into how I handle objections. As always, please share our resources with your colleagues. And, if you want to receive weekly updates from us, please sign up for our newsletter too.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL!

 

Resources

Handout(s): 52 – Flat Earth _ April Fools Day Lesson Handout

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#51 – Write Good CER Statements, Review Science Content Using Chain Notes!

How do teachers check for understanding in their science classes? Or, how about writing good CER statements – how do we check for that? A typical strategy is call and answer. That is, ask the class, and wait for someone to answer. However, call and answer is typically a passive process – students sit and wait until the teacher calls on them. For the student who doesn’t want to participate because he or she doesn’t understand the concept, they can hide out during call and answer. And, as a teacher, I may not find out that this student is struggling. Is there a simple way teachers can check for understanding that is also engaging for students? Is there a way to probe for understanding while also making the process supportive for students?

 

I recently tested Chain Notes as a strategy for checking student understanding. What I discovered was that it’s not just a great way to review science concepts. Chain Notes is also an excellent way to teach students what strong and weak scientific writing is. This is particularly important when we want students to write good CER statements. What is an example of a weak CER statement or a strong one? Using Chain Notes helps to resolve those questions too. We outline the Chain Notes strategy below. We also offer some tips on how to use it in your classroom. Handouts are available for download at the end of this post.

 

What are Chain Notes?

In Chain Notes, a large envelope with a question about the class content written on it is passed around. Each student writes a short answer, puts it in the envelope, and passes it on. After, the students and/or the teacher can sort the responses and share them with the class.

Chain Notes is a simple way to gauge student understanding of class content. With just a handful of questions that students answer, teachers can see from student responses the details and gaps in their understanding of course content. Teachers can then address these gaps immediately or in a future lesson.

 

Chain Notes and Good CER Statements

Besides probing students understanding, Chain Notes is a great way to reinforce good CER statements (ie. scientific writing). Because Chain Notes require students to each write an answer to a question, students get to see what good or poor CER statements look like. When I use Chain Notes in my science class, I have students sort responses from strongest response to weakest. By sorting through responses, students can see what elements typically appear in strong scientific writing (and what elements weak writing usually lacks). Students also get an opportunity to learn from others in their grade level by seeing first hand what other students in the class produce.

 

Field Notes

  • I have 28 students in my class. Students do the activity in groups of 4. Each student in the group gets a different question (there are 4 different questions in total). Each student has 3 minutes to answer their question before passing the envelope along.
  • When students finish responding to all the questions, I collect all of the envelopes and group them by question. I give each group 2 or 3 envelopes from the same question set to sort.
  • After students sort their responses from strongest to weakest, I have students read out the strongest and the weakest responses. I also ask students to explain their ranking decisions.
  • After going through all questions and the strongest/weakest responses, I review with the entire class the elements that make a strong response (or good CER statement).

 

Wrap Up

Class Notes is a simple, engaging way of having students not only review class material but also to learn about good scientific writing from each other. And, Class Notes can be used to help students write good CER statements too. Lastly, the strategy is flexible. You can vary the number of questions or the group sizes. You can use it as a pre-test review or a pre-unit assessment. And, it takes little time to run too. Click the link below to download a copy of this resource for your own records. Check out our other resources, and share our ideas with your colleagues too.

 

Until next time, keep it REAL.

 

Resources

Handout(s): 51 – Chain Notes Activity

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