Lesley Rundell, a second-grade teacher at Westwind is currently going over the states of matter with her students. What could have been a confusing concept for students to understand was transformed into something fun.
“We have been learning about Matter- Solid -Liquid-and -Gas! We discussed how these states of matter can change when heat is either added or taken away. Then our discussion turned into research as they wanted to know if there was anything that had more than one property of matter,” said Rundell.
Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck where a gooey green substance, Oobleck, fell from the sky and wrecked the city. Before the activity, students read the book and learned about how Oobleck easily changes from a solid to a liquid state.
“To begin this journey of learning, I read Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Suess to my students and of course we were curious about the Oobleck that was raining down in the city and all the damage it caused,” said Rundell. “We made many predictions and enjoyed the story as well. I love incorporating books into all subject areas to strengthen their reading skills.”
After such an engaging lesson, many of the students continued to learn about the state of matter beyond the classroom.
“Second grade is the best grade for self-discovery in learning. Almost everything is new to them and as teachers, when we can up-the-game with questions like "Do you think there are any items in the world that have more than one state of matter?" This was when we took to researching and thinking about that question,” said Rundell. “Students took that question home, and we then made a school to home connection. (I did tell the parents to NOT discuss oobleck with their children so we could have an authentic lesson). The parents loved this, and I received many messages that over the weekend their children were still experimenting with the oobleck and testing other objects they had at home!”
One of Rundell’s favorite parts about this activity is seeing the lightbulb light up with her students.
“I love watching my students glow with excitement when they learn new skills or ideas. When that lightbulb comes on, it is the best present in the world. After teaching for over 30 years, I still love to instill wonder in my students,” said Rundell.
Rundell believes that having hands-on activities helps students remember important concepts.
“Hands-on activities are the best way to deepen the understanding of what is being taught! Students are also more engaged in their learning, and they own what they are learning and tend to question more and participate more in their learning and the lessons,” said Rundell.