UbD Lessons 2 & 3

Lesson 2 was the first hands-on investigation that the students did. Students dropped water onto a variety of materials to answer the question: What happens to water on different surfaces? The lesson itself went well and students were able to partake in a wonderful discussion after the investigation. The one thing I need to work on for next time is management. Although I had given explicit directions about how students were to use water, some students remained off task dropping water where they wanted. Two students had to leave the room because they were dropping water on each other, which I had specifically said not to do. I think it was especially hard for students to control their excitement because they were working in groups and they typically sit and work in rows.

Lesson 3 was an investigation where students drop plain water and soapy water on pennies to introduce the concept of surface tension. Management went much better this time because I was more prepared to deal with it now that I knew how students behave during science investigations. (Adrya had warned me that they get riled up, but I didn't realize how controlled they needed to be.) I repeated the directions more and told students if they didn't follow directions they would be ending their experiments. I also had students work in pairs, not groups like the first investigation.