The first time I heard of phenomena in science, I was a little intimidated. Was I supposed to show astounding chemical reaction magic tricks in class? It turns out that my misunderstanding is common. It’s what I want to talk about today in my post. If you are intimidated like I was, I’ve been there. But it can make a big difference in your student’s comprehension.
What Are Science Phenomena?
A phenomenon in science is any observable event you can explain with scientific reasoning — it just has to be something students can observe and explain. It doesn’t need to be dramatic. A volcanic eruption is no more a phenomenon than ice melting in your cup without it overflowing. Everyday events count, and noticing them builds observation and questioning skills.
You are probably imagining shooting stars streaking across the sky or volcanic eruptions. We describe those events as “phenomenal” when we see them. However, science education uses a broader view of this term.
Phenomena in science are defined as an event that we can observe that happens in your classroom, backyard, down the road, on Earth, or anywhere in the Universe! For it to count, we need to be able to 1) observe it and 2) use scientific reasoning to explain it. The volcanic eruption that fills us with awe is no more of a phenomenon than how your cup doesn’t overflow when the ice melts at dinner. And with practice, your students may learn to appreciate the everyday phenomena more fully in their lives.
While ice melting may not be as exciting as a lava flow, they both are events we can observe and explain. They require us to take an active role in seeing them occur and then come up with an explanation for them. Using phenomena in the classroom teaches students to be observant and ask questions.
The cool thing about teaching phenomena is we can help students feel wonder every day as they notice how the world works. They begin to see science everywhere!
What Are Some Examples Of Phenomena In Science?
Everyday events make great phenomena: a bouncing tennis ball that loses height each time, colored candy releasing dye into water, a string telephone that changes with tension, or a water-cycle model in a covered dish. Each one is easy to observe, sparks student questions, and connects to real content you already teach.
You may have difficulty identifying a list of phenomena right now for every topic you teach. However, you will start to notice them more often. I’ve used this list from The Wonder of Science to find phenomena to include in my lessons.
When I started making units for my TeachersPayTeachers store, I used the traditional approach (lecture, practice, and assessment). Then, I learned about phenomena-based teaching. I loved the idea. With time, I began using them more easily.
Here are a few examples. If you’d like to see them in action, I’ve linked examples to the unit in my TeachersPayTeachers store.
Example #1: Ask students to observe how a tennis ball bounces and its effects. They would start by making observations about it. “The height of each bounce is less than the one before it.” “It makes a sound every time it hits the ground.” Then, they would ask questions about it. This skill can take time to build. Don’t be worried if they are not great at it right away. They may be able to ask, “Where does all the energy go?” or “Why do some tennis balls bounce higher than others?”
Example #2: Take a color-coated candy and place it in a dish with a little bit of water. Students make observations about the color of the water every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes. They can record their data in text, pictures, or both! Then, have them ask questions such as, “Why do the colors not mix?” or “Why do some colors move faster than others?”
Example 3: This is a throwback to when we were kids. However, there are more observations students can still make about this simple phenomenon. Have students use this string telephone to talk to each other and test out different changes they make to it. For example, have someone hold their hands around the cup, loosen and tighten the string, and change the volume with which they speak. Once again, have them ask questions about their observations.
Example 4: Add water to a dish, cover it in plastic wrap, and place some ice on top. Let it sit in the Sun and observe the condensation that collects inside the plastic wrap. Students often have a lot of misconceptions about the parts of the water cycle and how they occur. They can recite the definition but struggle to explain where the water molecules are and how it connects to energy. It’s alright to allow students to have misconceptions during their explanation process.
Why Do We Use Phenomena To Teach Science Standards?
Phenomena-based teaching flips the old lecture-practice-test model that leaves some students with gaps and disengaged. Anchoring lessons in an observable event boosts engagement, because students make connections when they see it happen. It builds critical-thinking skills by getting kids to ask questions, and it creates real-world connections that make the content stick.
Using phenomena in science to teach the standards is likely very different than how we were taught. I was often taught the content through a lecture format. Next, I practiced using the content. Lastly, I took a test. While this works for some students, others may have gaps in their science knowledge and struggle to make connections. This can lead to disengagement.
Advantages of a Phenomena-Based Approach
- Increased engagement: Students can make connections easily when they see the phenomena occurring. Even better, get them to test it (if possible).
- Critical-thinking skills: How often do our students ask questions during their day? Probably not very often. But that is how scientists make discoveries and innovations.
- Real-world connections: I love when students ask how they will use something I am teaching in their life. Sure, they may not need to recall the layers of the atmosphere. But, they will appreciate seeing a shooting star differently.
How Do You Use Phenomena In Science Classrooms?
Follow a simple four-step framework: first, show a phenomenon tied to your topic and have students record observations. Second, have them ask questions and propose theories without correction. Third, provide experiences, texts, or models so they can build an explanation. Fourth, by the unit’s end, students should explain the phenomenon themselves — and you can address misconceptions then.
The idea of using phenomena in the classroom was overwhelming when I first heard about it. My next question was, “Isn’t this just a fancy name for a demonstration or a lesson hook?” However, those strategies lack one requirement for students — asking questions.
Use this framework to begin introducing phenomena in your classroom:
1st: Find an example of a phenomenon that shows the topic you are teaching. For example, place a cold soda can on their desk. Tell them to make observations and record them on the board without making corrections to them. However, you can ask students to be more specific about their words.
2nd: Tell students to come up with questions about what they are seeing. If possible, have them propose theories to explain what they are observing. Again, you shouldn’t make corrections to their explanations at this time. They will discover the evidence to support (or not support) them.
3rd: Provide students with experiences, informational texts, or models to discover the explanation for the phenomena. As they become more confident with the approach, you can have them discard theories that do not make sense. Then, challenge them to develop new ones.
4th: At the end of the unit, students should be able to explain the phenomena themselves without direct instruction. However, it is alright to address misconceptions at the end of the unit, if necessary.
Students will make connections to other phenomena. They will learn through discovery. They will gain the skills to find answers. In short, they will begin to think like scientists.
Tips For Success With A Phenomena-Based Approach
Start slow with phenomena that are easy to prep and easy to observe. Give students time to adjust to generating their own questions — model it and offer sentence starters. And resist correcting misconceptions right away; letting students gather evidence to explain a phenomenon builds far more lasting confidence than being told the right answer.
Switching to a phenomena-based approach can be a difficult change. As teachers, we were taught using a lecture-based method. Sure, we introduce labs and ask students to make a hypothesis where they know we know the answer before we even start. And while that may still be true using a phenomena-based approach, your students will have more buy-in when they are the ones that came up with the question.
Give yourself and your students some time to switch to this new method. Here are some tips for success when using a phenomena-based approach in the science classroom.
- Start slow: Choose phenomena that are easy for you to prepare and for students to make observations about. I’m always amazed when I do a lab and students enjoy simple experiences. Ask them to make predictions and explanations. They will buy in knowing they have a question they want to answer.
- Give students time to change, too: Remember, they will be new to this approach. Give them some time to adjust to new expectations. They may not have been required to generate questions in science classes. Modeling how to ask questions is one way to support them. You could also use sentence starters for your phenomenon.
- Don’t correct misconceptions: I find it hard as a teacher to hear a student confidently and incorrectly explain a concept. “The reason water collects on the side of a cold soda can is that it seeps through the metal.” After all, our job is to teach them, right? Well, someone probably taught them the water cycle before. They don’t remember the steps now. Allowing them to collect evidence to explain the phenomenon will give them more confidence in the long run to defend their ideas.
Conclusion
Teaching with phenomena is hard for both students and teachers, but it develops the critical-thinking skills students need to defend ideas with evidence. Give yourself permission to start slow: take one demonstration you already use, turn it into a phenomenon, and let students be the explainers. You may find they guessed wrong, learned more, and gained confidence.
Teaching using science phenomena is hard for students and us. However, we need to develop critical-thinking skills in students so they can defend their ideas using evidence. I think the purpose of science education is to help students ask questions about their world. I know I have not done an adequate job in the past and want to do better.
Give yourself permission to start slow. In your next unit, take a demonstration you use in class. Change it to a phenomenon-based approach. Get students to make guesses about what they are seeing. Ask them to be the explainers. Then, let them test if they were right as you proceed through your unit like normal. You may find they guessed wrong, learned more, and gained confidence.
I love creating units using the phenomena-based approach recommended by science standards. I have units on my TeachersPayTeachers store covering every middle school science standard. I’d be honored if you would use my units in your classroom. I also offer digital escape rooms covering every topic in middle school science.
If there is a topic you need to teach, tell me about it by sending a message to info@mrsharktooth.com!