Discoveries from the Science Classroom

When you were in school, did your science teacher put a note on the board, which you then copied down? And then were you expected to learn and understand the information, and write a test about it?

Over the years teaching has been evolving from this teacher centered approach to a student centered model. And I love it. So on Friday, rather than "teach" my grade 10 students the law of reflection, I told them they were applying for a job at "Mirrors R Us". Of course they would need to know how plane mirrors are made and be able to demonstrate how they work (insert law of reflection here). Let me tell you, they ate it up. Kids were reading, asking Siri, playing with ray boxes and mirrors, drawing diagrams, and asking each other questions to help prepare themselves for their mock job interview. 

It was an authentic task that gave meaning to mirrors, and allowed each student to build their own understanding by maximizing their learning style. During the job interview, terms were used, diagrams were explained and feedback was given both on the science and interview skills noted. And oh, did I mention it was a fun way to learn about the law of reflection?