JoinTeacher to Teacher: Phenomenal Engagement
This column provides practical advice from your peers. One way to engage middle school students is through the use of relevant scientific phenomena. A scientific phenomenon is something (such as an interesting fact or event) that can be observed and studied, and is typically unusual or difficult to understand or fully explain. Teachers can use scientific phenomena to facilitate the testing of our students’ current conceptual models, a process that can ultimately lead to students refining or discarding their current thinking.