Getting children engaged is one of the best ways to improve learning. In the classroom, it is easy to fall back on the textbook and worksheets, but if we really want students to understand what they are reading and appreciate how it works, it is best to use a hands-on approach. Science classes in particular are rife with opportunities to employ all the senses in the learning process.
Take this very simple experiment as an example. It is easy enough to be used even in kindergarden classes and can help students in high-school science courses visualize what they are putting to paper when working with formulas. Density is a very key concept to understanding objects around us. Why does a log float and a rock sink? What makes one object the same size as another feel heavier when we pick it up? The answer is density.
Everything is made of matter, and the more matter you compress into a given space, the more dense it is. Dense objects are heavy, while less dense objects are light. Funny then, that calling someone "dense" is about the same as calling them an "air-head". The floating egg experiment works because a hard-boiled egg has a greater density than fresh water but less than salt water. This means that it will sink in a regular cup of tap water, but add salt and it will float.
It's quick, cheap and easy. All you need is two cups, two hard-boiled egss, water, and salt. Teachers can have the children spend the entire class time putting together the experiment and doing this themselves, or they can do a quick and simple demonstration on their own desk just to get the children engaged. Parents can even do this experiment at home, since it does not require any special laboratory tools.
After completing the experiment, children can then be asked to keep a journal and make observations about the density of various objects around them. Remember that scientists always view the world with curiosity. If we want our youth to learn and explore, we need to find ways to light that fire of curiosity so that they will observe and ask questions. Get them engaged, get them involved, and their day in school will be a brighter one, because they learned something new and had fun doing it.
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