Monday, September 12, 2005

Shameless Learners

So today I was introducing our science unit on light and I asked the kids to brainstorm some light sources. I got about a million different kinds of electrical things: flashlights, nightlights, gameboys, etc and then some interesting things. Mica, rainbows, guns firing, fireflies, glowing necklaces. Some of them I was able to explain reflected light but I really didn't know about guns since I've never really seen one fired except on tv. Do they produce light? And the sparks that rocks make when you strike them--I guess that's light.

Then they took some time to look at different objects (including a teeny girls sequiny bikini bottom which was very amusing!) and determine whether they were light sources or if they merely reflected light. And some students were sure right off about things but this one little girl just amazed me with her shamelessness. She wasn't sure about the rocks or the sparkely party hat so she stuck each one under the bookcase and hunkered down to check if in the dark under there it made light or not. Future scientist, perhaps? She challenged me--it's so hard for me to admit that I don't know something, let alone to have the courage to try and find out!

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