Light and Sound Exhibit

Not only were the third graders expected to create a set of instructions explaining how to make a science experiment, they were also expected to share their learning at an exhibit.  Lower School students as well as family and friends were invited to come and celebrate what the Magical Minds had learned in their latest Unit of Inquiry.

Reflecting Mirrors

It may look simple, but this exhibit performs three very important functions in our learning process:

1. It’s a summative assessment.  As the Magical Minds put their experiments together, and as they explained their thinking, I was watching to see how well the understood the content we had covered.  I was also looking to see if they were using the “science words” we had learned, using them in the correct way.  Finally, I was looking to see what skills the children had mastered over the last six weeks, including writing quality instructions, using the scientific method and creating experiments.
   

   Assessing the Learning

2. It’s a celebration.  This exhibit was like a grand “You did it!”  Our friends and family saw what magnificent learners and scientists the Magical Minds truly are. It’s a nice way to joyfully complete and wrap up a unit.
   

   Celebrating Learning

3. It’s service learning. We exposed our friends and family to new learning and interesting experiments.  Our hope is to teach as well as inspire others to do their own experiments into light and sound.  This year’s third graders remember when last year’s third graders did a similar exhibit.  Their memories both motivated and challenged the Magical Minds in their learning. Our instructions on how to create experiments is also a service to an even larger audience: kids teaching kids around the world.
   

   Service Learning

   

   Teaching Others

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Child-Centered Inquiry into Light

What Does Light Travel Through?

J came up with her own question.  She’s amazing like that – a natural inquirer who loves to dig deep into a topic.  She tells me, “I want to know what can light travel through and what can it not travel through.”  I scribble on my anecdotal notes, “develops own question to explore with scientific method.”

She uses the Scientific Method Guide to help her make a plan and formulate a hypothesis, “light will travel through most things.” Interested in J’s question, A comes along and asks to join.  While I set up the light box, the two girls collect materials to test with.

Holding up objects to the light, these two scientists are engaged, thinking, problem-solving and reflecting.  With each material, they add new observations to their guide sheet.

I sense they are ready for some language to describe what they are observing and ring the musical triangle.  ”Pause for Learning,” I announce.  Within seconds I have the eyes, ears, hands and brains of a classroom of third graders.

I ask the girls to separate the materials into two groups, things that light can travel through and things that light cannot travel through.  I give them the word opaque.

Opaque Materials

We revisit the pile of objects that light can travel through.  J immediately notices that light can travel completely through some things – they are “see-through.”  I give her the word transparent.

Light Travels Through These Things

What about the last group, which light can travel a little bit through? I give them the word translucent.

Translucent Materials

The “Pause for Learning” is over, and the Magical Minds dissipate around the room, refocusing their attentions to their own inquiries.  I stick our new “science words” up on our “inquiry wall.”  They will be revisited in days to come.

When the session is almost at an end, and J is putting things away, she catches my attention. “You know Ms. M, my hypothethingy was wrong.  Light doesn’t travel through most things.  Most things are…” There is a pause while she looks for the right word on our inquiry wall. “Most things are opaque.”  I remind her, trying to silence the sound of my heart bursting with joy, to write this insight down as her conclusion.

Related Articles

• Investigating Light: Reflection (teachingmahollitz.wordpress.com)
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Investigating Light: Reflection

In the spirit of empowering the Magical Minds to pursue their own interests, I carved out time for the Magical Minds to design their own investigations into light.

While some kids chose to search the internet or watch a movie to find answers to their questions, a small group explored our collection of books to find an experiment.

Soon enough, they had a page marked with a sticky note, and they were filling in a Scientific Method Guide Sheet.

Their question: can you bounce light off mirrors to hit a target?

They started collecting mirrors and sticking them to the floor with Blu Tack.  I borrowed a light box from the middle school science teachers.  The kids build a target.  We turn off the lights.

 

Adjusting Mirrors

After some time spent adjusting mirrors, and changing angles, I decide they are ready for some new vocabulary to describe what is happening.  I ring the musical triangle – it’s a “Pause for Learning.”  The Magical Minds give me their eyes, ears, hands and minds.  I introduce the word reflection. A couple of my kids recently studied the simple prefix “re-,” and I challenge them figure out what the word “flect” might mean.  With a hint of guidance we determine that “flect” must mean bounce or bend.  Etymonline.com helped us find the real answer:

Because our student-led conferences are just around the corner, I also challenged them to think how light reflecting is similar to the reflections we write for our portfolios.

 

Plotting Mirror Placement

 

Light Travels in a Straight Line

This is a nice experiment because the movement of the light so obviously reveals how light travels in a straight line It only bends when something causes it to bend.

Next up – refraction.

Child-Centered Inquiry with Guidance

I believe one of the best things I can do for the Magical Minds is teach them how to find their own answers.  The first half of the year is all about modeling, building trust, exposing them to resources and introducing them to tools.  These days, I am looking for opportunities for them to take control over their own learning.

Thus, when we began our investigation into light, I asked them what they wanted to know more about.  Using our Scientific Method Guide, the Magical Minds chose their own plan to find their answers.  A few chose to make an experiment.  Two girls chose to watch a movie and the other two sought their answers on the internet.

 

Researching Light Through Film

These methods of investigation had been modeled in class before, except for Twurdy, a search engine that sorts and codes search results according to readability. Thus, I wanted to take a moment to educate everyone about how to use this helpful tool.  I called everyone over.

As I tried to explain what I call “the anatomy of a search result,” the kids were squirming and eager to go back to their projects.  Great that they were excited to go back to their learning, but frustrating when I had something they would all benefit from.  Thus, the Pause for Learning was born.

I expressed my frustration with the Magical Minds, and they agreed – there should be a way that I (we?) could share cool, helpful, exciting learning moments and everyone could benefit.  Together we decided that when the triangle is rung, they will give their eyes, hands, voices and minds to the “Pause for Learning.” We practiced a few times, and then we returned to Twurdy.   I walked them through the important elements of their search results.  Together we know more.

Twurdy Explained

Investigating Sound: The String Telephone

 

Which string carries sound best?

On our last day of investigating sound, I released the kids to explore a topic of their choice.  A few kids chose to make another instrument (using a different sound source), but for the most part, everyone became fascinated with the string telephone project.

Seeing they were captivated by this common childhood project, I stepped in with a new challenge: Does it matter the size of the string?  Is there a difference when you use a thinner or thicker string?  We began a Scientific Method sheet.

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We designed our experiment, making a plan to poke holes in plastic cups and threading the string through the hole.  We had to locate three different sized strings. We made some predictions, but the best part is carrying out the plan – testing the hypothesis with the actual experiment.

Listening for Sound Quality

An exciting project, even the first graders got interested.  They sat down on the benches, watching the Magical Minds test each string. When we left for lunch, we let the first graders give it a try as well.

Scientists with an Audience

Our (unanimous) conclusion was…I don’t want to give it away.

What do you think the difference was?

Do you have a favorite sound experiment?