One Thumb. 15 Seconds. Surprisingly Good Chemistry Discussions
Getting kids to interact with each other in a positive way at the same time interacting with the content sounds like a big challenge. You can often get one or the other.
Getting both at the same time is how you change the culture of your classroom. Yesterday I stumbled upon a really quick method that led to kids talking, engaging with the content and then having to defend their thinking. I called it the Thumb-o-meter. Here is how I did it.
We are studying the history of the atom. The students were writing the four parts of Dalton’s Solid Sphere Theory. After each statement, the table partners had to make a decision. How much do they agree with Dalton? (https://www.stoichdecks.com/post/use-simple-games-to-model-the-history-of-the-atom-instead-of-teaching-it)
For example, part one of Dalton’s Solid Sphere Theory is that all matter is made of tiny, indivisible, indestructible particles called atoms. The students briefly discussed where they were going to place their Thumb-o-meter. Thumbs up means they fully agree with the statement. Thumbs down means there is nothing true in that statement. I gave them 15 seconds to decide the angle to hold their thumb, demonstrating their level of agreeance.
I was amazed at how quickly the conversations became relevant. In the chatter, I could hear them pull out individual words that they disagreed with. By talking with their partner, they were forced to interact with the idea on a very specific level. They quickly moved from a shoulder shrug, to arguing over whether atoms are divisible. It was amazing!
The conversation also allowed kids who were less engaged or not understanding to get up to speed more quickly.
After they had their discussion, they had to vote with their thumbs by holding up the Thumb-o-meter to the angle they had decided.
This allowed me to scan the classroom quickly to find out who might be off track. I called on a few people that had extreme votes with their thumbs. Why is your thumb almost all the way up? Why is yours almost straight down? Their answers showed that they had actually thought about the statement and had a reason for setting their Thumb-o-meter where they did.
Having the conversation with a peer and then voting on a continuum was much more effective than just having students raise their hand if they agreed with Dalton on a point.
Think about these questions from other chapters and how you could use this simple process in your class?
Is the average atomic mass of carbon closer to 12 (thumbs up) or 14 (thumbs down)?
Where will the shared electrons in water be? H thumbs up, O thumbs down.
What is the percent yield of this reaction? 100% thumbs up. 0% thumbs down.
What question in your current chapter could you employ this idea? The next time there is a question that has a range of answers, try taking out your Thumb-o-meter!
I had an unscheduled observation yesterday. She walked into a room of students that were focused on a game. They were all talking and interacting… with the content. Her question after she left was, “How is your room always so focused and fun at the same time? It feels like every time I observe, it’s a new game idea.” That is exactly what I wanted to hear. Games help kids be focused and interactive. Want to see how effective they can be? Try Stoich Decks line of award-winning games.
Comments