Science from the kitchen

1. Science from the kitchen Steven S. Sexton College of Education University of Otago

2. Why am I here at CONSTANZ? • As a Primary Education lecturer who delivers the undergraduate primary science papers, I want to encourage more primary teachers offering science in primary schools. • Unfortunately, many primary teachers and my student teachers feel they do not have the content knowledge necessary to offer anymore or even worse any science in their classrooms.

3. One of my main goals is to show them that yes they do have content knowledge and to remember that they are teaching 5-13 year olds so they do not need doctorates in Chemistry, Physics, Biology or Astronomy. • What they do need is where to start, how to begin and who they can ask for support when needed. • This is where STANZ can and I would argue really should be involved.

4. If we want students to take science papers in secondary then they need to be exposed to science in primary. • If we want students to be enthused and engaged in science then they need to have the WOW factor with the WHY information – how can this be done and how can STANZ be part of this? • You have access to information and materials that many primary teachers do not, helping local primary teachers should result in more secondary students wanting to take science related course at the secondary level.

5. Example 1 • Cool Bombs - words in blue are what teachers would be recording for students – teachers do the writing not students. Science is a verb – students should be doing it. • Students mix 1 spoon Citric Acid with 1 spoon Baking Soda in a plastic bag, then add some water to bag – students report what happens. Primary science is not a precision activity so teachers and students should not fixate on exact measurements as the measurement is not the activity. • Students now quickly see why it is a ‘Cool Bomb’ if they close the bag (ziplock) then what happens to the bag as well as what is happening to their hand if they hold the bag in the palm of their hand (older students can use a thermometer for more detailed information). • Endothermic - students do not need to spell the word, teacher does this, they just need to know what it means as communicating in science requires the use of appropriate vocabulary. The fourth possible word to be recorded by the teacher might be thermometer to show students the relationship between the words and ‘therm’ as the overlap to mean ‘heat’ so thermometer – measure heat, endothermic – heat goes into; older students could be extended with exothermic.

6. This is all the ‘science’ explanation that most teachers would need for this activity. The students get the WOW factor of doing the activity and teachers need to only work with what is relevant and age appropriate. • There is always room to extend and challenge those who are willing and able to take it further. • STANZ members who can do this with local primary schools/teachers then help to build relationships with potential students and increase the possible likelihood of future students in science related areas.

7. Example 2 • Monster Foam once again students doing with no writing required • Students pour about 1/3 cup of 30% H2O2 into a bottle using a funnel and squeeze in some dish soap, food colouring id optional extra. Then in a cup fill halfway with warm water and a spoon of yeast – stir till bubbly and smelly. Using the funnel, pour yeast-water into the bottle – watch out! • Exothermic this time the bubbles are warm (students can touch and feel them), the reaction is exothermic – gives off heat. Older students could get into the gases inside the bubbles but most students the idea is warm bubbles (this builds upon the cold bubbles in the previous example). • The key is keeping the explanations at an age appropriate level so the students get both WOW and WHY. As technicians, you guys are probably better able to source some of the materials and have a deeper level of understanding that can help guide the primary teachers into the explanations needed.

8. Example 3 • Ice-tray rainbows – for this, students need to explore what they discover and what their actions result in when they mix the three primary colours: red, blue and yellow • In cups of water add food colouring to give three strong versions of red, blue and yellow • Using eye-droppers or pipettes and ice-cube trays, students combine colours and various amounts of colours to see what happens • Older students can be given a colours to try and create or produce shades of colour

9. I am not trying to minimise or simplify to the point of meaninglessness the science content that primary students get exposed to. • It needs to be simple enough o make sense but no simpler – but it needs to make sense. • Primary teachers need to start with what the students know and are able to know and go from there • This does mean that sometimes they have to let incorrect ideas pass, if students are not able to handle the ‘real’ answer. • For example:

10. Example 4 • Sun-sensitive paper • The Chemistry here goes well beyond what any primary student needs to know: • K3[Fe(CN)6] + Fe(NH4)3(C6H5O7)2 → KFe3[Fe2(CN)6] + … • Before your finish writing the chemical formula the students are lost along with 99.99% of teachers.

11. But this activity is perfect suitable for primary students, if presented age appropriately. • Can we make the Sun do art for us? • Yes we can and here is how. • Who has seen what happens to paper that is left exposed to sunlight for a long time? • What happens to it? • Can we speed this effect up? • This blue paper has been soaked in chemicals to speed up the ‘fading’ process and does it in reverse • So using these cubes make a design of your choice and we are going to place these in the sun for about 5 minutes. • Then we are going to bring them back inside and soak them in water for a few seconds to stop the chemicals and ‘freeze’ our designs on the paper. We do have to wait till they dry though. • It is the process of the activity that is important not the chemical reactions – they are the means to the end.

12. Example 5 • Magnetic Fields • Add a spoon of iron filings to syrup (corn syrup is good as it is clear) that is in a clear plastic container (rectangular shape is best for this). • Sit this container on two bar magnets – what happens • Alternatively, wrap a bar magnet in plastic wrap and suspend in the syrup to see what happens.

13. Primary Science needs to be a doing class and students need to be the ones doing it. • If at all possible, they are the ones to do the activities. • Why try to explain it when they can see/feel/hear/taste/touch/smell it for themselves? • This magnetic field activity shows students what the magnetic fields ‘look’ like • Why waste a great deal of time trying to explain something they cannot see when they can do a simple activity to actually see it?

14. Example 6 • Thermometer – student friendly version • For most students until they get to year 6, they cannot really accurately read thermometers due to the graduations and being able to read graduated scales marks • So get a glass bottle and pour cold water into it and add red food colouring, insert a straw and seal the top with moulding clay (must be airtight). • Gently blow into the straw and allow the water to rise halfway up the straw. • Use some white card to create a backing and mark in black where the red water line is. • Place the bottle in a warm spot and then mark the water level in red. • Place the bottle in a cold spot and then mark the water level in blue. • Now students have a readable thermometer to show when the temperature is getting warmer or colder. Older students can be extended in the effect the temperature is having on the expansion and contraction of the water in the bottle, if appropriate

15. Example 7 • Stalactite and Stalagmite • Seeing is not only generally believing but also a good way to assist remembering • Fill two jars with warm water and add baking soda to them until no more dissolves • Attach paper clips to the ends of a string and place the paper clips one in each jar • Arrange so that there is a dip in the string and place a shallow bowl under this dip • What happens over the next week? • Students will be able to watch the formation of both a stalactite and stalagmite • Once again students doing and reporting using simple everyday items to explain what, how, why and where these naturally occurring features form.

16. Final Remarks • Primary Science should be WOW but also has to have WHY. • Students need to be excited but they also need to know why they are doing it. • Science that is only fun is only filling time as students might enjoy it but they are learning nothing from it. • Science should let students explore their world and help them to explain how and why their world does weird and wonderful things. • Sometimes this means we let them go off with wrong ideas to be fixed later, but the Science is like that, if it makes sense to you and explains your world you are correct. Then as you learn more, you are allowed to change you answer and still be correct.