a thought on science experiments...

[annaz]

Has anyone done the experiment FIRST then read the information? I'm curious as the answer is already there when they do the reading, but if they did the experiment first, I wonder if there would be a more "ah ha!" moment.

What are your thoughts on this?

[lmercon]

We always do it that way!

[annaz]

So it works better? I thought it may be more exciting. DD will read the info and understand how it works, so the experiment really has not much of an interest. But I thought it we did it first, and she went, "oh cool!" then read the portion, it would be more exciting, perhaps because of the age level.

[Carrie]

Interesting thought! You could probably do it this way, the only drawback would be that at times the child may not logically be able to make any kind of a guess (hypothesis) about the provided question. Or, she may have no frame of reference for why she's doing the experiment. Although that would make her ponder even more too as to possible answers to the questions.

Try it and see what you think!

Blessings,
Carrie

[MelInKansas]

This is the way we always do it too. I guess I don't read directions very well, or I just thought that because the reading in the science book was listed after the description of the experiment you were supposed to do the experiment first and the reading after. I guess I always remember us doing experiments in science class where I didn't really know what would happen, and it always stuck with me when the teacher explained afterwards why it happened the way it did. The teacher might have explained something before that that I was supposed to pick up on but I don't think I did! Seeing the experiment happen was what made me learn the concept I was supposed to be learning.

[netpea]

We usually do the experiment first then finish reading it.

[annaz]

Ha...then it is a good idea.

I'm just a little slow.

[MelInKansas]

I guess I should say, if the experiment is something that takes a while to unfold, like when we put water in a baggie and taped it to the window, or when we put ice in two different materials and waited to see which one melted faster, we did the reading and then came back later to observe the experiment's results. But usually, for the experiments that are all done in one sitting, we do that first, and even for the ice one, they guessed what would happen before we did the reading, as we were setting it up.

[Kathleen]

Mel,

In the younger guides like LHFHG and Beyond, it is listed to experiment 1st and then read the pages. It's linked to the history for the day. In the older guides from Bigger up, the reading is usually listed 1st for the child to do and then they fill out a lab sheet to go along with the experiment. So, it is a little different.

Kathleen

[water2wine]

Interesting thought! You could probably do it this way, the only drawback would be that at times the child may not logically be able to make any kind of a guess (hypothesis) about the provided question. Or, she may have no frame of reference for why she's doing the experiment.

Try it and see what you think!

Blessings,
Carrie

And what Kathleen says also. But just wanted to add to what Carrie is saying from personal experience I have my kids think about what are they assuming about the experiment as they go. And doing it as it is in the guides really adds to that. In real world science what your assumptions are and forming a hypothesis is really what research is about. Since that was my field once upon a time before six kids I really appreciate how HOD does that.

[annaz]

I see this point. The only thing is that dd doesn't want to do the experiment because she knows how it comes out. So it's probably something that I'll have to make a call on per experiment.

[MelInKansas]

Maybe she should be in a higher level science, if she understands these concepts so easily? Or maybe it's just that she has good deductive reasoning.

[annaz]

She only understands the concepts after reading them. So to do the experiment she'd say, "I get it, Mom". Up to this point, I'd say she has zero deductive reasoning. I'm waiting.....

[water2wine]

I see this point. The only thing is that dd doesn't want to do the experiment because she knows how it comes out. So it's probably something that I'll have to make a call on per experiment.

That is great! Maybe she could test the parameters, change some of the conditions and see what that does to prove her hypothesis. That is great that she can see it without doing it. Says a lot about her mind. Sounds like you got a natural science buff to me.

[annaz]

ooooh! Great idea! Thanks!