At first students were reluctant to get started on the collage because they had to wrap their minds around the expectation for how to complete the task. However, by the end of class, they became invested in the assignment and started exploring a broader variety of forms of energy such as: kinetic energy into sound energy, stored chemical potential energy into kinetic energy, etc. Deep conversations resulted, where students strove to become more creative with how they were asked to show their understanding.
This assignment also gave students the freedom to decide how they were going to submit their finished product. Some students chose to post with #energytransformation, some decided to directly message me on Twitter and/or Instagram, and some chose to email me. By the time students finished and submitted their products, it was evident that they developed and could communicate a much clearer understanding about such an abstract concept. It’s definitely something I would do again.
Sheila Dow (@shulaya) teaches Grade 8 & 9 Science. Passionate about science, teaching, and photography, but not necessarily in that order.