On the one hand, the students of Compulsory Secondary Education 1st year carried out activities about electrical current. Among the activities they did, they had to design an electrical circuit to turn on a LED. In addition, they experimented with conductive and non-conductive materials to understand how the flow of current works in the electrical circuits.

On the other hand, 3rd grade Compulsory Secondary Education students worked on MISStoHIT’s force activities. They have shared with us this video that summarizes what they worked on during the session.  As you can see in the video, they used the classroom 3D printer to create the materials needed for the activity.

We would like to thank San Felix school for their collaboration, and especially the teachers and students who participated, for their availability and involvement. Thank you very much!

The post MISStoHIT activities in San Felix school Ortuella appeared first on Miss to Hit.

What existing knowledge do the students have
The question ‘Why do we experience seasons on earth?’ is a question that is not so easily answered by students. While trying to answer this question with our test students, students reasoned that it had something to do with the orbit of the earth. They explained that the earth does not orbit the sun in a perfect circle, but that the orbit has a more oval-like shape. When the earth is close to the sun, it’s summer, and when the earth is further away from the sun it is winter, they reasoned. A smart explanation indeed, but this common misconception does not explain why the seasons are reversed between the Northern hemisphere and the Southern hemisphere.

Trying instead of explaining
The pupils all received a light bulb and an earth made of pepper foam. With the lights dimmed , they used this model to show how the earth rotates in order to have day and night. For explaining the seasons they were given one extra piece of information: the axis of the earth is slightly tilted, and the North Pole always points (roughly) at the Pole star, in our model a big pointy star drawn the blackboard. Although it proved to be difficult to explain the existence of the seasons by themselves, guided by the right questions at the end of the lesson all students were able to perfectly explain and show when it’s summer in the Netherlands, when it’s winter, why Australia celebrates Christmas with barbecue parties and even why in midwinter the days close to the North Pole only last a couple of hours.

Was the lesson successful?
At the end of the lesson we asked again ‘Why do we have seasons on earth?’. Some students still insisted it had something to do with the oval shape of the orbit of the sun. After extra explanation from disagreeing classmates, they were still confused. Even if they did understand the model, the step from pepper foam ball to actual rotating planets is not so easily made for some.

Was the lesson successful? Yes, we still think it was. It changed their idea on model level. Now they need time to change their ideas in the real world.

The post Miss to Hit test lesson: The four seasons appeared first on Miss to Hit.

Conduction is one of the topics on which big misconceptions exist with secondary education students in the Netherlands. NEMO Science Museum developed a set of activities to try and change the existing misconceptions. We tested these at a secondary school in the Netherlands.

We tested the activities with three groups of Higher General Secondary Education students, aged around 16. The test was executed to see what works better to change the misconceptions: a cookbook method or an open inquiry based method.

In the first two groups we tested with pretty detailed inquiry experiments (cookbook version) with the last group we did an open inquiry activity. We provided this second group with a range of materials and the assignment to investigate. After the test, we realized that both methods worked really well to reach our goal of changing misconceptions. However, the second (open) method, resulted in both more fun as more frustration for the students and even more important. The students of the open method felt proud of their accomplishments.

The Activities

Both lessons started with a conversation about a butter melting experiment. The students have to predict on which spoon (wooden, plastic, glass, metal) butter will melt the quickest, if the spoons are placed in hot water. After this the students were told that to be able to predict the experiment more carefully, they were going investigate materials and conductivity.

In the cookbook version they conducted the following experiments, accompanied by a worksheet.

1. Investigate if and/or why humans are/aren’t objective thermometers. Place fingers in cold and hot and in lukewarm water after that.
2. Melt an ice cube on metal and plastic.
3. Use thermo chromatic paper to research the conduction of hot water in different materials.

In the open inquiry based method we handed the students all the materials and asked them to use the materials to think of an experiment with which you can better predict the experiment from the introduction. We provided them with a worksheet with example questions.

Results of the test

• Students seem to enjoy the ‘cookbook’ activities from the start, where the group with the open assignment didn’t know where to start and they felt more frustrated at start.
• In the end the students from the open experiment felt more proud and interested in the topic, compared to the other group.
• The students are most surprised by the ice melting experiment.
• The students like working with the materials a lot. They use the infrared thermometer to measure other things than assi
  gned, and they play with the different materials to get acquainted with them.

And now..

The test show that it is important to go forward with the open, inquiry based variant, but it still needs some improvements:

• Start or end with the experiment that shows people are not objective thermometers.
• Use the opening experiment to have a conversation about conducting heat and cold and let them explore after that.

Want to try?

After making some changes to the materials one of our partners will also test it. All materials will be cross-tested in different countries to get the widest feedback by end-users and once corrected, they will be freely available on the website: https://misstohit.deusto.es/ from May 2017

The post Testing conduction activities appeared first on Miss to Hit.

Heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects, this is a common misconception at secondary schools in the Netherlands, was the starting point for a new activity we developed

Designing a hands-on activity

After researching the subject we found out that a multidisciplinary approach to the topic would work the best to explain the concept. Furthermore, we wanted the activity to be hands on and inquiry based. Therefore we asked the students to design their own experiments to find out what influences the falling, rolling and gliding speed of an object.

Testing the activity

In July 2016 we piloted the activity with 55 students of pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO). We were very curious how the students would respond to the materials and the open design of the activities. Especially because in the Netherlands this type of students are not used to do open designed activities at school.

Piloting in small groups

Our objective with this activity was to beat the misconception. To understand if we could meet our objective with this activity we tested each activity in small groups of 15 students. This was a very successful way of working with the subject. In this setting we were able to really guide the students during their research. There was enough time to walk around and help every student with their set-up for a good research(question). We spoke with them about what they are doing, which gave them enough new ideas and realization.

What worked well

1. It was good to see how the students experiment with the materials and it gave us lots of insights on how we needed to further develop the activity.
2. We start and end the lesson with an activity where the students talk about their ideas. In this way you can compare and use the answers of the students during the introduction, the experimenting and at the end of the lessons use their answers to draw conclusions on falling.

What we need to improve

1. After the tests with the students we had to fine tune the materials, to make all the experiments work. We looked for suitable material and came to the following experiments.

3D printed materials

We are excited to have the possibility to work with IBIMET in designing 3D printed materials for our rolling experiment. We asked them to design a cylinder with which you can  transport weight on different places in the cylinder. For example you can put the same amount of weight in the center of a cylinder and  on the outside of another cylinder and compare what happens.. This will give the students even more opportunities to explore the subject. We are looking forward to see if it enhances the learning of the students.

The post Developing the Rolling, Falling, Sliding activity appeared first on Miss to Hit.

We wanted to demonstrate that this phenomenon is not bad for our planet.

First of all the students were asked their opinion about this phenomenon.  Almost all of them observed that Greenhouse effect  is responsible for today’s  environmental problems;  although some said that it was not negative, they were not able to provide any reasons.

After that  we moved to the lab, where the students worked with the materials they were given.

• They filled in a chart with the temperatures they took in different conditions.
• Possible variables which may influence temperature were taken into account.
• Each group carried out the experiment

Back in the classroom the pupils continued to discuss the Greenhouse effect and they came to the conclusion that it is a natural phenomenon useful to create temperature conditions compatible with life, so as to avoid extremes of temperature like the ones which occur, for example, on the Moon.

Of course, it was also noticed that human activities, which contribute to increase CO_2,  cause a significant variation in our planet temperature.

The post Sensale’s first hands-on activity appeared first on Miss to Hit.

We tested the activities with three groups of Higher General Secondary Education students, aged around 16. The test was executed to see what works better to change the misconceptions: a cookbook method or an open inquiry based method.

In the first two groups we tested with pretty detailed inquiry experiments (cookbook version) with the last group we did an open inquiry activity. We provided this second group with a range of materials and the assignment to investigate. After the test, we realized that both methods worked really well to reach our goal of changing misconceptions. However, the second (open) method, resulted in both more fun as more frustration for the students and even more important. The students of the open method felt proud of their accomplishments.

The Activities

Both lessons started with a conversation about a butter melting experiment. The students have to predict on which spoon (wooden, plastic, glass, metal) butter will melt the quickest, if the spoons are placed in hot water. After this the students were told that to be able to predict the experiment more carefully, they were going investigate materials and conductivity.

In the cookbook version they conducted the following experiments, accompanied by a worksheet.

1. Investigate if and/or why humans are/aren’t objective thermometers. Place fingers in cold and hot and in lukewarm water after that.
2. Melt an ice cube on metal and plastic.
3. Use thermo chromatic paper to research the conduction of hot water in different materials.

In the open inquiry based method we handed the students all the materials and asked them to use the materials to think of an experiment with which you can better predict the experiment from the introduction.

We provided them with a worksheet with example questions.

Results of the test

• Students seem to enjoy the ‘cookbook’ activities from the start, where the group with the open assignment didn’t know where to start and they felt more frustrated at start.
• In the end the students from the open experiment felt more proud and interested in the topic, compared to the other group.
• The students are most surprised by the ice melting experiment.
• The students like working with the materials a lot. They use the infrared thermometer to measure other things than assigned, and they play with the different materials to get acquainted with them.

And now..

The test show that it is important to go forward with the open, inquiry based variant, but it still needs some improvements:

• Start or end with the experiment that shows people are not objective thermometers.
• Use the opening experiment to have a conversation about conducting heat and cold and let them explore after that.

 Want to try?

After making some changes to the materials one of our partners will also test it. All materials will be cross-tested in different countries to get the widest feedback by end-users and once corrected, they will be freely available on the website: https://misstohit.deusto.es/ from May 2017

The post Testing conduction activities appeared first on Miss to Hit.

The activity
The activity is appropriate for students from 1st to 3rd year of all kinds secondary school and suits with science curriculum. Students, divided into groups, compare 5 different conditions in which variables (if any) change one at a time. For example, using the same kind of materials (bottles, light sources, thermometers), they compare the temperature change of different gas mixtures injected into bottles and heated by a glowing lamp. Helium, vacuum, ambient air and air with added water vapor and carbon dioxide are compared.  The experiments demonstrates how the greenhouse gases, when put under a radiation source, lead to prolonged heating, especially compared to helium and vacuum.
The results obtained by the different groups are elaborated and compared in a plenary discussion where the professor acts as moderator. Vacuum and helium experiments aim to make students understand that the Earth, without greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, would lose heat quickly, while in the contrary, with a higher amount of greenhouse gases, like water vapor and especially carbon dioxide, it would take more time to cool down.
The activity can also be used to explain the evolution of the Earth’s planet, strictly connected to the evolution of its atmosphere.

Test

The activity was tested with approximately 120 students in Italy and in Spain. In general, students learned how to carry out a science experiment and those who freely set up the experiments by their own, identified the environmental and technical variables affecting the comparison of the results of different groups. Therefore, they understood the importance to use the same setting. However students enjoyed setting up the experiment, while the biggest difficulties were encountered by those who did data processing with spreadsheets. Interviews and in classroom observation, showed how students enjoyed investigation and interest in the topic.

How to use the activity

The activity can be found on the MisstoHit website translated into 5 languages (Italian, Spanish, Basque, Catalan and Dutch).

The post Greenhouse effect appeared first on Miss to Hit.

Designing a hands-on activity

After researching the subject we found out that a multidisciplinary approach to the topic would work the best to explain the concept. Furthermore, we wanted the activity to be hands on and inquiry based. Therefore we asked the students to design their own experiments to find out what influences the falling, rolling and gliding speed of an object.

Testing the activity

In July 2016 we piloted the activity with 55 students of pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO). We were very curious how the students would respond to the materials and the open design of the activities. Especially because in the Netherlands this type of students are not used to do open designed activities at school.

Piloting in small groups

Our objective with this activity was to beat the misconception. To understand if we could meet our objective with this activity we tested each activity in small groups of 15 students. This was a very successful way of working with the subject. In this setting we were able to really guide the students during their research. There was enough time to walk around and help every student with their set-up for a good research(question). We spoke with them about what they are doing, which gave them enough new ideas and realization.

What worked well

1. It was good to see how the students experiment with the materials and it gave us lots of insights on how we needed to further develop the activity.
2. We start and end the lesson with an activity where the students talk about their ideas. In this way you can compare and use the answers of the students during the introduction, the experimenting and at the end of the lessons use their answers to draw conclusions on falling.

What we need to improve

1. After the tests with the students we had to fine tune the materials, to make all the experiments work. We looked for suitable material and came to the following experiments.

3D printed materials

We are excited to have the possibility to work with IBIMET in designing 3D printed materials for our rolling experiment. We asked them to design a cylinder with which you can  transport weight on different places in the cylinder. For example you can put the same amount of weight in the center of a cylinder and  on the outside of another cylinder and compare what happens.. This will give the students even more opportunities to explore the subject. We are looking forward to see if it enhances the learning of the students.

The post Developing the Rolling, Falling, Sliding activity appeared first on Miss to Hit.

Learning by doing for researchers and developers

In MisstoHit students learn by doing, by experimentation. During the pilot researchers and developers also learned by doing. We actually learned a lot from those first experiences. In order to prevent students from engaging only in playful activities it is important to be specific about the activities. This can be done by providing teachers with activating questions that can be asked to activate the students and worksheets that specify the questions students work on.

Most important lesson learned: discuss with the students!

We also learned that it is very important as a teacher to talk with students about their findings and experiences in the conclusion and discussion phase. When students experiment with hands-on materials through methods of inquiry, they are invited to conduct their own experiments and draw their own conclusions. This may results in a wide variety of experimental set-ups and measurement errors might occur. Classroom discussions provide teachers the opportunity to compare the outcomes of different groups, discuss the differences with the students and search for explanations.

In our pilot we discussed for example differences caused by the material. The tracks that we used in our activity were borrowed and had been previously used by kids to play with. Some of the materials were a little bit rugged and this might have caused friction on the track. Not all mills ran smoothly and therefore some students found it difficult to create a marble run that made a mill spin constantly. Was this a problem? On the one hand, it would have easier to use perfect smooth materials, on the other hand materials that are used frequently in schools will not always stay perfect shape. According the participating teachers the discussion added to the learning experience, because students learned to critically reflect on their findings and search for alternative explanations. And this is an important aspect of scientific practice.

The post Racing tracks and marble runs in the classroom: Testing the electricity unit appeared first on Miss to Hit.