I love preAP

I have the option of doing what I want, in a weird kind of way. Basically, if it is a good scientific learning experience, I try it.

I learned this lab/activity during my actual preAP training.

Brown Sandwich bags, numbered sequentially. A bunch of pairs of normal (or abnormal items). Each lunch bag gets one item, fold top over and staple shut. They are all lined up. I used a system where with 30 bags, the pairs were put such that the matching bags added up to 31....see if you can figure what I mean!

Ok, each students gently gets a bag of their choice, holding only by the staple end, at the staple. Now each can make their items slide around the bottom by leaning and tilting thier bag from the top end. Based on what they feel and hear...they do their best at making a life size drawing on their paper.

Then they put their bag next to their draweing and they tour all the drawings to look for potentional partners, making a short list of possibilities. Upon returning to their original seats, we go to next round.

Now they hold bag fltat from the bottom. No Squeezing! They can tilt and lean, and maybe a little shaking. Again they try and make a life size drawing of possible object. At this point, I was them to put into words what they were sensing. This was tricky for them. Now we all do another walk. Some students narrow down their possible matches, while others increase their possibilities.

Now for round three, they can basically do anything to their bag beside open it. Again, create a new drawing, and write what they did and what sensations data the received. Now we do another walk, and the majority seem to find a partner.

I start randoming selecting individuals and their possible partners about various things about their object, thoughts, ect. When I see that two people found each other (their numbers add to thirty one in my system), then those two get to open.
Cycle through this process through about 1/2 the bags and then let them check out their stuff.


That was 1/2 a 90 min block.

Used the next 45 studying physical properties of two liquids. Each lab group (I had them divide into 10 groups) has two different colored liquids. Then they had to hypothesize what happens if mixed. When mixed, its one of the borax/glue or starch/glue slimes (semi-solid) produced. They were trippin! We discussed a little...cleaned up and ziplocked their slimes!