Batteries, Bulbs & Wires

Our experiments:

  

Article Reflection:  Ms. Stone's BB&W kits are similar to the Yellow lab sheet we were given in our lab, where the step by step instructions are laid out.  The lab is a success in that all the students get their bulbs to light, but Ms. Stone's students are not engaged - they haven't a deep interest (their fidgety) and they haven't asked a scientific questions about electricity to investigate.  Also, the students are simply following instructions. They're not finding evidence, they're not evaluating evidence or explaining any kind of inquiry - they're simply making a light bulb work based on directions they've been given to connect some wires and batteries. This is just like what we did in the yellow lab - it's very teacher-centered and ineffective for reaching students' understanding.

Ms. Travis begins her lab by challenging the students' beliefs about electricity.  This is a good way to engage the students and assess for prior knowledge.  She presents the students with a challenge - to explore the flashlights - but without giving them too much information as to why. This helps to engage the students in forming their own inquiry. When she begins the experiment, she gently guides them to be more successful (by suggesting they strip the ends of their wires) but she's not instructing them on how to perform the experiment or piece their circuit together. Ms. Travis' experiment proceeds with additional challenges to the students, new questions forming and sharing and collaborating. Finally, students are allowed to research the answers to their questions online and discuss how other sources of light work.  This is more in-line with the pink lab we did, but I would argue that Ms. Travis' investigation was even better than that - providing students with much more information, more challenges and inquiry and a better understanding of what they're learning. Ms. Travis also provided the students with personal connections to make it more meaningful to the students.