Reading Chapter 5 from Koch made me think of something. Creating that real-life connection is always so important for students in all subject matters, not only science. However, when most adults are asked, "What subjects did you find to be most challenging when you were in school?" they would tell you math or science. Why is that? Well, probably because the two subjects were seen as subjects taught in school that you just had to know or get through, not subjects that really mattered. They were complex and unclear. They had a lot of levels and depth. They were.. irrelevant. Because students couldn't make meaning out of learning, it was harder to understand and harder to retain. So making connections is extremely important. Science is occurring all around us everyday. It is to our benefit to use those occurrences to our advantage.
I remember when 9/11 happened and my social studies used that tragedy to teach us about history. What better way to connect subject to meaning? My science teacher probably could have used the same tragedy to teach us about science. Why did the buildings collapse so long after the plane has hit it? How is the fuel on a jet engine different than the fuel in a vehicle? Many different connections could have been made, even if it means stepping out of the curriculum for a moment.
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