Chapter 1:	What is natural science?
Chapter 2:	What is technology?
Chapter 3:	Why should one learn natural science and technology?
Chapter 4:	How do I teach using experiments?

Gilla:		Dela:

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Chapter 1: What is natural science?

Natural science is the science of nature. Natural science is actually an umbrella term for several natural sciences. These are, according to one practical division:

• Physics = The science of matter, energy and forces.
• Chemistry = The science of matter (not on a smaller scale than atoms) - more precisely its composition, properties and transformations.
• Biology = The science of life.
• Earth science = The science of planet Earth.
• Astronomy = The science of celestial objects and the space around them.

Here, the term nature refers to everything in the physical world, not just the "green nature" with plants and animals, but everything from smallest particles to the whole universe.

Since natural science is "the science of nature" it may seem as those scientists study just about everything, and that there is no room for people to study anything but natural science. This is of couse not true. When it comes to most purely human phenomena, these are studies within, for example, geography, philosophy and medicine. Technology and mathematics are not included in natural science either. So natural science is thus the science of nature - with the exception of most purely human phenomena.

Often, the term science is used when meaning natural science. Science is however an umbrella term for more than just natural science. It also includes social science for example. Here, we will stick to the term natural science - slightly unconventional perhaps, but clear.

Natural sciences and school subjects

It is highly unlikely that the five natural sciences mentioned above will be represented as five different school subjects. Astronomy is often "hidden" within the subject of physics. And earth science might be split - the parts about the atmosphere might be found in physics, while the parts about the Earth's surface might be found within the subject of geography. This is something to keep in mind as a teacher. How this have happened differs of course in different countries, but probably have historical and practical reasons.

Three types of knowledge of natural science

There are three different parts of natural science to learn, i.e. three different kinds of scientific knowledge (according to Sjøberg^[1]):

1. The products of natural science - Everything we "know" about nature. Laws of nature, concepts, theories and other things that explain and describe nature. Also called "facts".
2. The processes of natural science - Methods and techniques for creating the products of natural science. This includes forms of working, logic, values and ideals. Natural science consists of efficient ways of solving tasks. The processes of natural science can be summarized as the scientific method (see below), although this is simplified. Examples of scientific processes are experimenting, observing, classifying, measuring, counting, using technology, reading graphs and tables, and documenting.
3. The role of natural science in society - Natural science is a global institution. Its role is evident, among other things, by its ongoing conflict with religion, how it forms the basis for democratic decisions and how it is part of the culture.

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Chapter 2: What is technology?

What is technology? Unfortunately the definition of technology, and of many other words within the subject, are not as widely accepted as those in natural science. But perhaps the most functional definition of technology is that it is the study of tools, where a tool is an aid to perform a task. It is also the same thing as an invention.

The other common definition of technology is that it is all the tools we have invented so far, or "the collective toolbox of human kind".

Branches of technology

Dividing technology into parts is not as easy as dividing natural science. There is also no generally accepted way to do this. One way, however, is to divide the tools studied in technology into two parts; physical tools and methods (in school much more focus is placed on physical tools rather than methods):

1. Physical tools are objects used to perform tasks. All physical tools can be divided into simple tools and machines:
1. Simple tools are all non-automatic physical tools. Examples are glue, hammers, straws, toothpaste, furniture, ski goggles and highways.
2. Machines are more or less automatic physical tools (powered by, for example, electricity or the wind). A human is needed, however, to start, control, maintain and repair the machine. Examples are aircrafts, drills, ovens and spaceships.
2. Methods are non-physical tools used to perform tasks. All methods can be divided into procedures and organizing ways:
1. Procedures are specific courses of action. Two examples are CPR and the scientific method.
2. Organizing ways are manners of sorting. One example is the classification systems of library books.

Technology and natural science

What is the connection between technology and natural science? Well, research in natural science often results in new tools. But not all tools are the result of research in natural science. Tools can just as easily be created with the help of, for example, research in social science, or pure joy of inventing. Sometimes natural science is needed to explain already created tools.

Applied natural science

Applied natural science is when knowledge in natural science is used to do something useful. All applied natural science is thus tools, at least when defining tools as aids to performing tasks. But not all tools are applied natural science, because tools do not have to be the result of research in natural science. Tools can, for example, also be applied social science.

Applied natural science is an important part of many areas of society. Examples of such areas are medicine, nutrition, agriculture, forestry, infrastructure, energy development, communication, electronics, robotics, vehicle engineering, chemical engineering, materials science and mechanical engineering.

The applied natural science in these areas can hopefully lead to perhaps the world's most important goal - an ecologically sustainable society.

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Chapter 3: Why should we learn natural science and technology?

Why should some learn natural science?

It's important to ask why we humans should acquire knowledge in natural science. Remember that there are three types of scientific knowledge; the products of natural science, the processes of natural science and the role of natural science in society.

Sjøberg^[1] explains two reasons for acquiring scientific knowledge:

1. Education - Knowledge in natural science is in itself rewarding. Understanding nature gives a kind of satisfaction.
2. Usefulness - Knowledge in natural science can be used for something useful. Knowledge in natural science that is used in some useful way is called applied natural science. One example is how knowledge in electromagnetism allows us to communicate wirelessly across the globe. Lots of other examples are found in, among other things, agriculture, forestry, energy development, information technology, medicine, nutrition, electronics, or materials science.

The usefulness argument is the common one used to motivate natural science today. But up until 150 years ago, the situation was different. Back then, natural science rarely led to anything useful. The typical example is ancient Greece, where the natural scientists of the time (philosophers) only sought education.

Much of the applied natural science can hopefully lead to an ecologically sustainable society. An ecologically sustainable society is often pointed out as the single most important reason for working in natural science. One problem with environmental changes is that we as humans don't easily sense them, because they are slow compared to a person's lifetime. Therefore, the observational methods of natural science are needed to register them.

Why should everyone learn natural science?

The two arguments above are not enough to justify why everyone should learn natural science, they are really just enough to justify why some should learn natural science. But why should everyone learn natural science, which is the case in school? Here, the usefulness argument needs to be expanded a little so that it applies to all people (according to Sjøberg^[1]).

1. Career - Knowledge in natural science is needed for a lucrative career if you are going to work with natural science or applied natural science.
2. Everyday life - Knowledge in natural science is needed to manage everyday life because applied natural science is used in everyday life.
3. Democracy - Knowledge in natural science is needed to form opinions and to responsibly participate in democracy. For example, knowledge in natural science is needed to live in an environmentally friendly way, to sift through media information, to not be deceived by politicians, and to be able to understand the ever-changing world.
4. Culture - Knowledge in natural science is needed to understand our culture and its conception of the world, as natural science is the big part of our culture.

It's worth noting that the a and b arguments are weaker than c and d, because these goals can be accomplished with knowledge in technology and not in natural science.

In addition to these arguments, there is another, which may not justify a subject's place in school, but which is still important:

3. Natural science is fun. It's exciting to learn about nature and the world you live in. There are also several hobbies that are enriched by knowledge in natural science, such as stargazing, plant cultivation, outdoor life, reading books, watching movies and going to museums.

Why should we learn technology?

So what are the reasons for learning technology? Well, exactly the same reasons that Sjøberg identifies to motivate the place of natural science in school can be used to motivate technology's. In fact, in many contexts, natural science and technology are not separated from each other. For example, the term science often includes both natural science and technology.

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Chapter 4: How do I teach using experiments?

Natural science and technology in school can sometimes be perceived as boring and alien. One way to remedy this is to teach using experiments that are (1) fun and (2) made with everyday objects.

Make a written plan

Plan, plan, plan. That is the key to good teaching. Start by roughly planning the years incuded in the stage you teach. Then plan the series of lessons you will teach next. Your written plan should answer the following questions:

1. What parts of the curriculum will you teach? How you answer this question depends on the form of your curriculum. But maybe the following sub-questions can be helpful: What is the purpose of the teaching? What skills should the teaching provide? What content should the teaching teach? What requirements should the teaching allow students to reach?
2. What exactly will happen in the classroom for the goals mentioned in step 1 to be reached?
3. What assessment situations will there be?

Communicate your plan to your students, either as it is or described in a more student-friendly form.

Choose experiments

When you get to step 2 in your plan, it's time to find experiments. The experiment (or experiments) you select will thus serve as a method for achieving the goals set up in step 1. Keep in mind that many experiments can fit several contexts and that it's you who places it in your context.

Here are great sources of experiments:

• The Experiment Archive (this website)
• Steve Spangler's YouTube channels: Sick Science!, SpanglerScienceTV and TheSpanglerEffect
• Imagination Station Toledo (YouTube channel)
• Crazy Russian Hacker (YouTube channel)

Prepare the materials

Get and prepare the materials needed.

Work in pairs

Let students work in pairs as much as possible when experimenting. If a student works alone, he or she doesn't get to communicate knowledge in natural science and if students work in groups of three, it's easy for one of them to become inactive. Use your teacher skills to divide the students into suitable pairs.

Try different ways of working with experiments

There are several different ways to use an experiment in the classroom. Use your teacher skills to choose the best one. Here are some different ways:

1. Each student pair conducts the experiment on their own according to instructions.
2. You demonstrate and carry out the experiment at the same time as the students.
3. You demonstrate and carry out the experiment while the students only observe.
4. There are several stations in the classroom, with one experiment at each station. The student pairs rotate between the stations.
5. Each student pair must learn an experiment in advance, and then instruct and explain it to the rest of the class or in small groups.
6. You perform the experiment as a magic trick, preferably with the help of someone from the "audience".
7. You only give the materials to the students but not the instructions, and then ask them to use the materials to show one of the phenomena described in the secret instructions (for example, that air expands when it's heated).

Let fun experiments be educational

Keep in mind that the experiment you've chosen fulfills a function in your education, namely that the students should achieve the goals that you have stated in part 1 in your plan. Don't forget it once you're standing in the classroom. Be prepared to step in and steer when needed. Don't just let the experiment be a fun thing, but also let it be educational.

Teach natural science using experiments

When you teach natural science using experiments, students use the scientific method while learning "facts". In this way, you teach two types of knowledge of natural science at the same time; the products of natural science and the processes of natural science (mentioned above). The third type of knowledge, the role of natural science in society, can also be included if you ensure that this aspect is discussed in the documentation of the experiment.

Work according to the scientific method

In natural science, it's important how you work when you experiment. This particular procedure can be summarized as the scientific method. For practical reasons, the experiment instructions on this website are usually not written after this workflow, but it's instead up to the teacher to ensure that the students still work according to it.

The scientific method is summarized as follows::

1. Hypothesis - Before the beginning of the experiment, each student suggests what conclusion they will be able to draw from the experiment. This qualified prediction, or hypothesis, must be motivated on the basis of already existing knowledge, so that a picture of the students' preunderstanding is obtained. For example: "I think the heart rate increases when you move, because you need more blood". It doesn't matter if the hypothesis turns out to be true or false. Its function is to give the experiment a clear purpose, namely to test the hypothesis.
2. Experiment - The experiment is carried out.
3. Conclusion - Based on the results of the experiment, a conclusion can be drawn. This conclusion may be fully, in part, or not at all, consistent with the hypothesis. The conclusion should include what significance this has for one's life or society. For example: "The result was that the heart rate increases when you move compared to when you rest. This is because the muscles need more oxygen, which is transported by the blood. This means that you train the body's ability to deliver oxygen to the muscles when you move, or exercise."

Turn the demonstration into an experiment

To be accurate, many of the experiments students do in school are not really experiments - they are demonstrations. Most of the "experiments" on this site are also just demonstrations from the start, or models that also functions as demonstrations. A demonstration is when you follow some steps in order to observe a phenomenon of nature. An example is to mix baking powder, water and food coloring in a volcano of sand in order to observe the chemical reaction where carbon dioxide is formed.

The demonstrations and models on this site can be tranformed into experiments (except a few exceptions), by trying to answer any of the questions below the "Experiment" heading.

A demonstration becomes an experiment once it's carried out over and over again, where one variable is changed each time. What happens if you use more baking powder? What happens if you use milk instead of water? By redoing the steps and trying to answer any of these questions, and then comparing with the original set-up, you do an experiment. In the best case scenario, performing an experiment can lead to new knowledge for mankind. If not, at least doing an experiment deepens the students' knowledge. It's also in this way that you can make an activity last a really long time.

In the context of science projects, the distinction between demonstrations, models and experiments might be important. You can read more here: Science projects.

Documenting (writing a lab report)

To document - or write a "lab report" - is probably one of the goals you set in your written plan (above). Part of the scientific method (above) is also that each step of it must be documented. However, the headings in the documentation don't have to be the same as in the scientific method. An example of a sequence of headings, which provides a complete documentation, is:

1. Introduction - What was the purpose of the experiment?
2. Hypothesis - What did you think the result of the experiment would be?
3. Materials - What materials did you use?
4. Procedure - What did you do?
5. Result - What was the result?
6. Explanation - Why did the result turn out the way it did?
7. Conclusions and discussion - What does the result mean for society? What do you think more about this (for example, how could one proceed to a follow-up experiment)?

The documentation doesn't always, or only, have to be in writing. You can also document by drawing, photographing or filming. It also doesn't have to be as detailed as above, especially for younger ages.

You as a teacher decide how you want your students to document. Maybe it's appropriate for them to gather all their documentation in one book? Maybe it's appropriate for them to always follow the same documentation template? Two suggestions on what the documentation can look like will follow below.

Something to decide before starting is how you want the students to have access to the "facts" (the products of natural science) that are needed to make the documentation, for example to explain the results. One way is that the experiment is preceded by teaching where the students get these facts, and that the experiment then becomes an opportunity to apply their new knowledge and draw their own conclusions from it. Another way is for students to learn the facts during the experiment, for example by reading the explanation in the experiment instruction.

Documentation template (basic)

This is an example of how a documentation - or "lab report" - for younger students might look like. Here you choose not to write the conclusion but talk about it in class instead. These "lab reports" can then be collected in a small compendium.

Documentation template (advanced)

This is an example of how a documentation - or "lab report" - for older students might look like. These headers gives a documentation similar to the real scientific reports written by professional scientists. Here, the experiment Micrometerorites is used as an example.

Teach technology using experiments

Differences from natural science

In natural science, it's important to work according to the scientific method when experimenting. But in technology (or engineering) there is no such definite workflow. Instead professionals are more free to work as they want, as long as the results are good.

There is also a difference in the kind of products that are produced from experimentation in natural science and technology/engineering respectively. In natural science, new "facts" are produced (laws of nature and other things that explain and describe nature), while in technology/engineering a more "real product" is produced, namely tools.

Builds and inventions

To be accurate, experiments is not really a central concept in technology/engineering. It's used on the Experiment Archive mainly to create a coherent website. Builds or inventions are better names. The "technology experiments" on this site should be considered builds or inventions instead.

In the context of science projects, the distinction between builds and inventions might be important. You can read more here: Science projects.

Work according to a design process

Many teachers can feel secure in actually using a specific workflow, and a clear structure in the work can also be beneficial for the students. Then the steps in a design process are appropriate. There are similar variations, but here is one example:

1. Analyze the situation - What problem do you have that you want your new product to solve?
2. Do research - Find out more about the problem and the possible solutions already available by collecting information from, for example, online stores, books and engineers.
3. Write a list of requirements - Write down the requirements that your product must meet, for example regarding function, dimensions and price.
4. Test possible solutions - Make drawings of several different alternative products and test them in your head and on paper.
5. Choose your best solution - Choose the solution that seems to best meet your requirements.
6. Make drawings and a plan - Make careful drawings of your product and plan how to produce it.
7. Make a prototype - Make a first trial version of your product.
8. Test and evaluate - Test your prototype. There are probably improvements to be made in order for it to better meet the requirements. Make a new prototype. Test it. And so on, until you have a finished product.

For practical reasons, the experiment instructions on this website are not written after this workflow, but it's up to the teacher to ensure that the students still work according to it.

Document

Documenting is probably one of the goals you have set in your written plan (see above). Also, part of the design process is that each step of it must be documented. The headings in the documentation can be the same as in the design process. The documentation doesn't always need to consist of text and drawings. You can also document by photographing or filming. It also doesn't have to be as detailed as above, especially for younger ages.

You as a teacher decide how you want your students to document. Maybe it's appropriate for them to gather all their documentation in a book? Maybe it's appropriate for them to always follow the same documentation template?

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References

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