Phenomena Sparks - Leveraging Student Questions About the Coronavirus

The coronavirus is here and it has captured our attention. How might we go about getting a better understanding of what viruses are in order to prevent such widespread panic facing a new virus? When students are naturally curious about events that are happening around them it brings authenticity to the classroom - let’s capitalize on the motivation that comes with their questions.

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Virtual Sci Ed -How Can We Tell If A Physical Or Chemical Change Occurs

As students take time to think about their understanding of what constitutes as a chemical reaction, they are immediately confronted with this phenomenon, an orange rind popping a balloon, to point out any gaps or problems with their initial explanation. Students are provided with an opportunity to develop an investigation that will help clarify their understanding.

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Phenomena Sparks - Thinking About Phenomena and Motion

Things are moving - so, what’s that all about? We all interact with phenomena in different ways - based on our experience or our prior learning or our interests. In the Phenomena Sparks series, we share some of our thinking about phenomena. As we model our brainstorming process, we may identify possible connections to science ideas, crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices.

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