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Open-and-go lessons that inspire kids to love science.

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Standards-aligned science lessons - Cover core standards in 1-2 hours of science per week.

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Lately, I've been very interested in learning more about teaching and learning. I've been involved in coaching public speaking and debate for nearly a decade, and taught ESL classes off and on, and have recently come to realize that I am an educator. I had a professor in college who told us that if we were going to read one book on a subject, we might as well read ten...we'd learn a lot more and if we just kept going, before we knew it all ten would be finished. Well, often I don't do that, but recently I've been raiding the Education section at several branches of the local library system...learning about teaching reading, differentiated learning for gifted students, controversies over giving homework, and much more.

One gem I came across was Mary Cay Ricci's Mindsets in the Classroom. And it clicked with my work at Discovery.

The Growth Mindset

In learning about what Ricci and others call the "growth mindset," I was reminded that the way to teach critical thinking in science is to have students engage with the content like scientists.

Growth mindset is an idea popularized by Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck. She contrasts the idea of a growth mindset - that we can become smarter as we work hard and our brains make new connections - to the notion of a fixed mindset - that we have whatever talents we were born with, or that our growth is limited. Here is a helpful video from Dweck on growth mindset, speaking for Khan Academy.

Mary Cay Ricci's book takes Dweck's concept and gives teachers concrete nuts and bolts for how to teach growth mindset in the classroom.

Nuts and Bolts

I found her section on critical thinking striking. She notes:

Another important factor to consider about critical thinking is that it is not a simple skill (Willingham, 2008). According to Willingham (2008), critical thinking is a process that must be infused with content; it is not something that you can just check off a list once it is mastered. Why? Well, one reason is that the content being focused on and the complexity of thinking critically becomes more sophisticated over time - it is always evolving. The practice component applied to the content knowledge is essential to develop learners who can apply critical thinking when they need to. Hand in hand with practice is persistence and effort, probably the two most important attributes of having a growth mindset!

If you embrace Willingham's argument that critical thinking is not a bunch of isolated skills, then you too (like me) may become annoyed by the amount of resources on the market that advertise ways to build critical thinking "skills." Due in part to the way critical thinking is framed in these resources, the concept of accepting critical thinking as a process embedded in content rather than a set of skills can require a major shift in thinking.

As an aside, note her use of the word "evolution" - to signify things becoming more complex over time! That's not how evolutionists use the term. But never mind that. Ricci sees critical thinking as an essential component of the growth mindset - it is key to practicing new learning.

Critical Thinking in Science

When applied to the subject of science, critical thinking as defined here becomes synonymous with scientific inquiry. "Critical thinking is a process that must be infused with content....the content being focused on and the complexity of thinking critically becomes more sophisticated over time..." And it is true that one cannot teach critical thinking skills in isolation. There must be a content area to analyze, and the critical thinking skills for one content area are not the same as critical thinking skills for another content area. In science, critical thinking is scientific inquiry - observing, coming up with hypotheses, experimenting, recording data, drawing conclusions, etc.

One of the world's foremost science publications, the journal Nature, has noted: "[S]tudents gain a much deeper understanding of science when they actively grapple with questions than when they passively listen to answers."

Also in Nature, Jay Labov, senior education advisor from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, commented that he sees active engagement as "learning content not as something you memorize and regurgitate, but as raw material for making connections, drawing inferences, creating new information - learning how to learn."

Teaching evolution well means educating in relevant aspects of scientific inquiry - critical thinking - too. This means, in short, exposing students to current scientific inquiries in the field - the relevant, recent research.

Scientists, Too, Learn and Change

This is from Denis Noble, Professor Emeritus and co-Director of Cardiovascular Physiology at Oxford University, and Fellow of the Royal Society, writing in the journal Experimental Physiology. He describes scientists as they learn and change their views in response to evidence.

The 'Modern Synthesis' (Neo‐Darwinism) is a mid‐20th century gene‐centric view of evolution, based on random mutations accumulating to produce gradual change through natural selection. Any role of physiological function in influencing genetic inheritance was excluded. The organism became a mere carrier of the real objects of selection, its genes. We now know that genetic change is far from random and often not gradual. Molecular genetics and genome sequencing have deconstructed this unnecessarily restrictive view of evolution in a way that reintroduces physiological function and interactions with the environment as factors influencing the speed and nature of inherited change. Acquired characteristics can be inherited, and in a few but growing number of cases that inheritance has now been shown to be robust for many generations. The 21st century can look forward to a new synthesis that will reintegrate physiology with evolutionary biology. [Emphasis added.]

As I said earlier, the way to teach critical thinking in science is to have students engage with the content like scientists. What could be better than exposing them to current scientific debates and asking them to examine the evidence for themselves?

What would this kind of activity foster? I can easily see it planting questions in students' minds that may blossom into full-fledged scientific inquiries. The leap is not great between enjoying science in high school and trying out science classes as a freshman or sophomore in college, and onward to graduating with a STEM degree and beginning a graduate program or one's first job in industry. For fostering future scientists, physicians, and engineers, inspiration and a growth mindset are the key.
Photo credit: Chetan Menaria on Unsplash.

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Science Education and the Growth Mindset | Evolution News

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Lately, I've been very interested in learning more about teaching and learning. I've been involved in coaching public speaking and debate for nearly a decade, and taught ESL classes off and on, and have recently come to realize that I am an educator.

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1st place Egg Drop project ideas- using SCIENCE

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Inspire learners to explore National Geographic through interactive lesson plans, maps, storytelling and a wide variety of resources to illuminate their world.

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Explore education activities, lessons and resources for teachers and students, plus internship opportunities from NASA-JPL in Pasadena, California.

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The science behind mentos and soda eruptions

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The science behind mentos and soda eruptions

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Remember when it seemed like just about everyone was sharing videos of bottled soda eruptions caused by Mentos candy? Even David Letterman featured it at some point - he had guests come on the show to set off 122 bottles of Diet Coke on a street in New York City.

There was a lot of hype over this phenomenon, but few discussed why a bottle of soda erupts when you drop a Mentos candy in it. Let's look at the science behind the Mentos-soda geyser.

It's Not an Acid/Base Reaction

Many people assume that the geyser forms when a Mentos candy is dropped into a bottle of soda because of an acid/base reaction, just like when you mix baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and a vinegar solution (acetic acid in water) to create the ever-popular "volcano" science project.

While the volcano project is most certainly acid-base chemistry, the Mentos-soda geyser is not. But they do have one thing in common: carbon dioxide.

In the case of the baking soda volcano, carbon dioxide is formed when sodium bicarbonate reacts with an acid. On the other hand, when you drop a Mentos candy into a bottle of cola, the carbon dioxide gas was already present in the soda to begin with, yet it seems to suddenly erupt.

There's an Equilibrium of Gas Inside Every Bottle of Soda

In a bottle of soda, there is gas dissolved in the soda, and there's gas floating above the surface of the soda when the bottle is closed. The pressure (courtesy of the cap) keeps the gas in place (whether the gas is in solution or in the air trapped above), and the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide is proportional to the amount of carbon dioxide gas above, as they are in equilibrium.

When you unscrew the bottle cap, the carbon dioxide gas escapes, which means more carbon dioxide is dissolved than in gas form. The dissolved gas rises out of solution in an attempt to regain that balance. That's one of the reasons why when you open a bottle of soda, the gas bubbles suddenly rise.

Dropping "Something" into a Bottle of Soda Will Cause More Gas Bubbles to Suddenly Form

While Mentos seems to work best, even pieces of rock salt can cause a small eruption of gas from soda. The rough surface of these provides little nooks where dissolved gases can gather together to form bubbles more easily. As those bubbles rise, more dissolved gas bubbles out of solution.

Mentos work particularly well because they are denser, so they sink faster. When a piece of Mentos candy is dropped into a soda bottle, just after the bottle is opened, the candy sinks right down to the bottom quickly, and the amount of gas and the speed at which it's released causes an impressive geyser effect.

The Ingredients in Diet Coke Help, Too

Sure, there's carbon dioxide trapped in all different kinds of sodas, whether sugar-free, caffeine-free, or regular, but according to a study published in 2008 in the American Journal of physics, it turns out that the Mentos-soda geyser is particularly impressive if you use Diet Coke because of the sweetener additives in Diet Coke: aspartame and potassium benzoate. These two ingredients make it easier for gas bubbles to form in the soda, causing a faster, more explosive geyser to occur. Using Diet Coke has other advantages, too, like a less sticky cleanup job afterwards, according to most Mentos-soda geyser experimentalists.

Did you or your kids ever try to reproduce the Mentos-soda geyser at home?

Janice Lawandi

Contributor

Janice Lawandi is a PhD chemist-turned-baker, living in Montreal, Quebec. She works as a writer and recipe developer. For more from Janice, visit her blog Kitchen Heals Soul.

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The Science Behind the Mentos-Soda Geyser

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Remember when it seemed like just about everyone was sharing videos of bottled soda eruptions caused by Mentos candy? Even David Letterman featured it at some point - he had guests come on the show to set off 122 bottles of Diet Coke on a street in New York City.

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The Diet Coke and Mentos experiment was a blast (literally!) and we learned a lot about nucleation. In fact, it was so much fun that I wrote up our experiment, created observation and tracking sheets, and have uploaded them all for you to use...for free!

Read the experiment below or scroll allllll the way to the bottom to get the printable version.

Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment

Nucleation Lesson Plan

Have you ever seen pictures of a volcano erupting? Well, today we are going to make soda erupt!

We are going to use soda and Mentos candy to create our geyser. By dropping an entire pack of Mentos into a 2 Liter bottle of diet soda at once, we will see the reaction of a process called nucleation.

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Vocabulary Words

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Read and Watch

You can read more about nucleation and nucleation sites from Steve Science. Be sure to watch the second video in from the left under the picture at the top.

You might also want to watch this explanation video from Myth Busters, a show that focuses on solving science-related problems:

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Nucleation Experiment

Experiment Supplies

To do our experiment we will need:

* 2 Liter bottle of diet soda

* 1 roll of original Mentos*

* 1 geyser tube

* Tracking Sheet

* Observation Sheet

* Safety Goggles

*You must use original Mentos, as the flavored ones have a waxy coating that hinders the reaction.

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Experiment Directions:

1. Take out the Mentos and Diet Soda Tracking Sheet. Fill in the column for the diet sodaʼs name and your prediction as to what will happen based on what you read and watched on the websites above.

2. This experiment is messy, so you will want to do it outside in an open area away from anything that you do not want to get sticky. You will probably want to be in old clothes too...just in case.

3. Put on your safety goggles. Remember, safety first!

4. Open your roll of Mentos and insert them all into the geyser tube.

5. Open the bottle of soda and attach the geyser tube.

6. Stand back and pull the release string on the geyser tube to release the Mentos.

7. Snap a photo as the soda erupts.

Optional: After you have experimented with one diet soda, try the experiment with different types of soda to see which ones has the most intense reaction.

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Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment Follow-Up

Wasnʼt that neat?! Now, we are going to finish up by filling out the Outcome column on the Tracking Sheet.

If you experimented with more than one type of diet soda, rank them in order of which produced the most explosive eruption.

Complete the Observation Sheet by drawing what happened.

Label the parts of your drawing.

Next, write a short (2-3 sentence) summary of what is being shown in your drawing.

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Optional Discussion Questions:

1. Describe what happened in the experiment.

2. What could you have done differently?

3. What do you think would have happened if you used a different type of diet soda?

4. What do you think would have happened if you only used half of the pack of Mentos?

5. What do you think would have happened if the soda was flat?

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Download the Mama Teaches Mentos and Diet Soda Experiment lesson plan, tracking sheet, and observation sheet.

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Mentos and Diet Soda Experiment with Free Lesson Plan and Printables

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The Diet Coke and Mentos experiment was a blast (literally!) and we learned a lot about nucleation. In fact, it was so much fun that I wrote up our experiment, created observation and tracking sheets, and have uploaded them all for you to use...for free!

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California's Environmental Principles and Concepts (EP&Cs) highlight the deep relationship between humans and the natural world.

Students and teachers need not memorize the five environmental principles and fifteen supporting concepts. Rather, they are "big ideas" intended to inform standards-based instruction and fuel student inquiry. Teachers can support environmental literacy by helping students to understand and apply the EP&Cs across academic disciplines and in the real world.

By law, the EP&Cs must be addressed in future California textbooks and instructional materials adopted by the state. In 2016, the EP&Cs were integrated into the revised California History-Social Science and the new California Science framework. As a result, subsequent state textbook adoptions will incorporate the EP&Cs.

Principle 1 - People Depend on Natural Systems

The continuation and health of individual human lives and of human communities and societies depend on the health of the natural systems that provide essential goods and ecosystem services.

Concept A. The goods produced by natural systems are essential to human life and to the functioning of our economies and cultures.
Concept B. The ecosystem services provided by natural systems are essential to human life and to the functioning of our economies and cultures.
Concept C. That the quality, quantity, and reliability of the goods and ecosystem services provided by natural systems are directly affected by the health of those systems.

Principle 2 - People Influence Natural Systems

The long-term functioning and health of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems are influenced by their relationships with human societies.

Concept A. Direct and indirect changes to natural systems due to the growth of human populations and their consumption rates influence the geographic extent, composition, biological diversity, and viability of natural systems.
Concept B. Methods used to extract, harvest, transport, and consume natural resources influence the geographic extent, composition, biological diversity, and viability of natural systems.
Concept C. The expansion and operation of human communities influences the geographic extent, composition, biological diversity, and viability of natural systems.
Concept D. The legal, economic, and political systems that govern the use and management of natural systems directly influence the geographic extent, composition, biological diversity, and viability of natural systems.

Principle 3 - Natural Systems Change in Ways that People Benefit From and Can Influence

Natural systems proceed through cycles that humans depend upon, benefit from, and can alter.

Concept A. Natural systems proceed through cycles and processes that are required for their functioning.
Concept B. Human practices depend upon and benefit from the cycles and processes that operate within natural systems.
Concept C. Human practices can alter the cycles and processes that operate within natural systems.

Principle 4 - There are no Permanent or Impermeable Boundaries that Prevent Matter from Flowing Between Systems

The exchange of matter between natural systems and human societies affects the long-term functioning of both.

Concept A. The effects of human activities on natural systems are directly related to the quantities of resources consumed and to the quantity and characteristics of the resulting byproducts.
Concept B. The byproducts of human activity are not readily prevented from entering natural systems and may be beneficial, neutral, or detrimental in their effect.
Concept C. The capacity of natural systems to adjust to human-caused alterations depends on the nature of the system as well as the scope, scale, and duration of the activity and the nature of its byproducts.

Principle 5 - Decisions Affecting Resources and Natural Systems are Complex and Involve Many Factors

Decisions affecting resources and natural systems are based on a wide range of considerations and decision-making processes.

Concept A. There is a spectrum of what is considered in making decisions about resources and natural systems and how those factors influence decisions.
Concept B. The process of making decisions about resources and natural systems, and how the assessment of social, economic, political, and environmental factors has changed over time.

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Environmental Principles & Concepts - California Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI)

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California's Environmental Principles and Concepts (EP&Cs) highlight the deep relationship between humans and the natural world. Students and teachers need not memorize the five environmental principles and fifteen supporting concepts. Rather, they are "big ideas" intended to inform standards-based instruction and fuel student inquiry.

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