Being relatively new to teaching science I am working on developing not only my delivery of the course content but this time around I am thinking about how increase my students' scientific literacy. I keep thinking about the ability for society (i.e. the students I am teaching today 10 years from now) to make decisions with scientific rigor. In order to develop this I am going to start to explore articles and topics each week and talk about the science behind them.
Yesterday over lunch I met with my mentor to discuss this and how to develop this skill with my students. In my grade 10 science class right after lunch we were discussing chemicals and how we are going to be looking at chemical reactions and equations next week. I had a student put up their hand and ask whether we could make water and then ask why we can't just make water to solve drought problems. We ended up talking about hydrogen cars (which none of them had heard of before) and we even made the chemical equation for the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to create water (and a student saw the need for balancing the equation). WOW, one question that lead to a rich discussion about a chemical reactions, technology, current affairs (current drought in South Africa) and even started bridging the gap to the next part of our unit.
Although we didn't get all the answers and have enough time to finish that discussion, but I know that come Tuesday (it's a long weekend this weekend) we will be discussing more about water, chemical reactions and how science relates to current affairs. I think we are off to a good start!
