Week 1: Sun, Earth, and the Moon

1. What did you learn this week?

This week, I learned how different experiments can help us explore the concept of matter and how it behaves in different situations. We explore density, chemical reactions, and physical properties to provide us with a unique look into how matter interacts. I also learned how simple experiments with minimal materials can be great for sparking interest and building foundational understanding in elementary students. You do not need to have lots of expensive equipment and high-tech gear. You can create great, purposeful experiments with everyday items. 

Another thing I learned this week is to be more thoughtful about how I would explain these science topics to a kid. I remember feeling flustered and shut down when previous teachers of mine have introduced a new word or concept but didn’t take the time to really explain what it meant. Speaking in a way that children can truly comprehend and connect with is a skill I want to continue to develop.

1. How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future?

I can use these experiments to create more hands-on, inquiry-based lessons for my students. They’re a great way to take big science ideas and make them feel more real, cool, and interesting. I also want to be intentional about giving students space to ask questions and figure things out on their own, instead of always focusing on getting the correct answer. The experiments we did were great for this because they were surprising and naturally led to curiosity. I’ll also encourage students to write down their questions and discuss them with classmates to try to come up with reasoning behind what they observed. Then we’ll come together as a class and talk through our ideas and discoveries.

1. What are new or remaining questions? 

A new question that I have is, "What are some additional hands-on experiments that explore the relationship between matter, mass, and volume?" I have this question because I want to make sure students are truly gaining something meaningful from an activity and not just completing it for the sake of checking a box. I want them to engage with experiments that provide visual, tangible representations of the concepts we’re learning. When students can see something happen and connect it to an idea, they’re more likely to understand it or ask deeper questions.