Skipping the Dreaded "Why" Question

Some days, it feels like every class period is asking, "Why do we need to learn this?" You might start out with well-reasoned responses, but by the end of the day, you're about to pull out, "Because it's on the test!" 😂

Sometimes it's hard when we see the incredible value of science and our students don't. I found that with a few tweaks to my lessons, I was able to avoid the question more and more. Here are some tips you can try if you're starting to hear the dreaded "Why??" in your room:

✨❓✨ Relevance is great - and better when it's weird.

We all try to connect science to student experiences, but honestly, I found the stuff that connected to my middle school students best were the weirdest or grossest aspects.

Sure, you can relate acids and bases to household items like vinegar and baking soda. But if you talk about trying to get rid of the smell of skunk spray on your pet or cleaning dog barf out of a carpet (depending on where you live), you've given them a much cooler reason to conduct experiments to neutralize odors. (Sorry, I don't make the rules about what middle school students find interesting! 😆)

✨❓✨ Current vs. Local Events

It's great when we bring in current events that we hear in the national news. Let's face it, though - middle school students may or may not be tapped in to those stories.

What they do know is that their school sports event got canceled due to the weather. They know they had a record-breaking heat wave over the summer, or that there were more mosquitos this year than last year.

When I got really close to home with the "news" (New Paint in School Hallway! 😆), students were more interested.

✨❓✨ Make a mess (or at least show a video of it)

We all know it: students LOVE when their teachers do something unpredictable. If you can work a live demo of something weird and wonderful into your intro for a topic, you'll have them hooked!

If a live show just isn't an option, find the coolest video of a phenomenon or a great interactive webpage. If you have local professionals who can do a demo, loop them in! Even just having a teacher from a grade or two above come down to do something is special. Parents can also be a great resource. Always a win: taking students outside to see science for themselves.

Here's to avoiding the dreaded "Why..." this week!

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