I like to do a pretty light hands-on activity for the first day of school.  Many of you are probably familiar with oobleck (cornstarch and water).  This is a very fun and safe system for students to play with. This is how I do it: The hook Show this video and ask students to think [...]

During last week’s scichat (#scichat) on Twitter, I mentioned, “play with a purpose.”  Play with a purpose is a saying that I often use with students.  It means checking out something new in a systematic way; having fun in an organized fashion; discovery with a goal. Play with a purpose activities are opportunities for students [...]