Teaching Science with Foldables

Elementary Edition

Middle/High School Edition

I'm not sure when I first learned about foldables, but I'm sure glad I did.

Basically, foldables are a whole series of different ways to organize information - there are tables, booklets of all types, 3D structures, and more. 

A few of my favorite things about foldables...
...it's good for kids to learn a variety of ways to organize information.
...it turns boring note-taking into something more interesting.
...they are a great addition to a portfolio or interactive notebook


Dinah Zike's books are great!  They are organized in two ways...
...First, each type of foldable contains several examples of topics for which you might use that foldable.

...Then, each science topic has a list of foldables you might use to organize the information in that topic. 

It's hard to read, but that's a whole list of ways you might use foldables when studying plate tectonics!

As a science teacher, I like the Zike's books related specifically to science (it makes it that much easier for me!), but it would be easy to adapt these basic organizing techniques to any subject area.  In fact, Zike has written books on math and social studies foldables.

Inertia: Sugar Cubes in a Flask

This is a fun inertia activity for your students to try. 

The set-up:

A flask (or bottle) set on the table.

The inner ring from an embroidery hoop* balanced on the opening of the flask.

Sugar cubes, in a stack, on the hoop, so they are directly over the opening of the flask. 

The objective:

Knock the ring out of the way, so the sugar cubes fall directly into the flask. 

Some of your students will really get the hang of this and be able to get a sizable stack of sugar cubes to fall into the flask. 

You can also stand a dry erase marker on top of the hoop and try to get it to fall in. 

*Embroidery hoops can be found in craft stores (AC Moore, Michael's, JoAnn Fabrics, etc.).  They consist of an inner ring, which is a perfect circle, and an outer ring, which has a screw closure to tighten it.  Most of them are made of wood.  You can sometimes find plastic ones or if you're at a thrift store/yard sale you might find some metal ones.  For this activity, you can only use the inner ring.  I haven't found anything that requires only the outer ring yet - still looking! 

Is It Living?: Glue Critters

This is a fun demonstration, but it does require some slight of hand, so you'll want to practice a bit before your big performance. 

Set a Petri dish (or another transparent container) filled with water on an overhead projector. 

Place a tube of Duco cement in a brown paper bag. 

Tell the students you're going to release a critter into the Petri dish.  Carefully, squeeze a few small drips of glue into the dish.  Make it look like you're pouring something out of the bag - don't let them see the tube of glue.  Play it up!

After a bit, add some pencil shavings to the dish - the critter will "eat" them. 

What happens if you add a drop of soapy water or dip a bar of soap into the water?

And then for the big question: are the critters alive?  What evidence do you have?  How can you explain it? 

Volcanoes: Create Volcano Folklore

There is a lot of folklore and legends surrounding volcanoes.  Why wouldn't there be?  Huge, firey mountains start spewing forth, seemingly on a whim...

Share some of the stories with your students - they're usually quite short.  I haven't found a good collection of volcano folklore in one place, but you can google 'volcano folklore' or the specific volcano you're interested in, such as 'Mt. St. Helens folklore' or 'Mauna Loa folklore'. 

Of course, make sure you read through the stories before sharing them with your students, to make sure they're appropriate for your group!

After sharing a few stories, have your students try their hand at writing their own folklore.  Perhaps you'll want to provide them with a picture (or multiple pictures) of a volcano to inspire their stories, or maybe you'll just let them have at it with their own imaginations. 


You may also want to share the story, Hill of Fire  with your students.  It's based on the true story of the formation of a Mexican volcano in the middle of a corn field.

Metric System: Magic Number Lab

This activity provides students with a first-hand opportunity to experience one of the benefits of the metric system.

Materials:
Stop watch
Pencil

Procedure:
Have your partner time how long it takes you to do all four problems in one column.
Time your partner doing the same four problems.
Complete the remaining columns in the same way.
Come to the front table and check each other’s papers after you’ve both finished all four columns.

The Problems:
Column 1: 13x5
462x5
87x5
78,956x5

Column 2: 13x12
462x12
87x12
78,956x12

Column 3:
13x100
462x100
87x100
78,956x100

Column 4: 13x10
462x10
87x10
78,956x10

For each column, record the time (in seconds) it took to complete the column and the number of problems you solved incorrectly.

Discussion questions:
Which number could you multiply by the fastest?
With which number did you make the fewest mistakes?
Explain what this activity had to do with the metric system.

CD: Here Comes Science

I think I'm in love with Here Comes Science, by They Might be Giants.  Catchy tunes with good science - perfect for the classroom. The whole CD is great, but my favorite tracks are:

* The Bloodmobile

*What is a Shooting sStar

*Speed and Velocity (if I ever make my way back to a science classroom, I will play this song every day during our study of motion)

Thank you Jim, Heather and cousins for letting us borrow your disc - we now have to go purchase our own because I must have a copy!

Convection: Spirals over a Lightbulb

For this demonstration, you'll need a functioning lamp, shade optional.
You'll also need to cut a spiral out of construction paper and add a string so you can hold on to it.

FYI: This spiral was WAY too long (or my arm is way too short....) - I cut about half of it (the spiral, not my arm) off. 

First, hold the spiral above the lightbulb with the lightbulb off. The spiral will pretty much just hang there (it might spin around at first, if your string was twisted, but once it's settled, it should stay put).

Then turn on the lightbulb and hold the spiral above it again.  This time, the spiral will spin, and continue to spin. (I realize the picture below is useless, as you can't see it move, but it is, I promise). 

The lightbulb is heating the air above it (a by-product of converting electrical energy to light energy).  The warm air rises and cooler air sinks - a convection currect.  This moving air spins the spiral 'round and 'round.