A few days ago I talked to my Grade 12 students about the quantum model of an atom. Anyone who has studied the quantum model will tell you that this stuff is very abstract. How do we visualize atoms and the subatomic particles? What is an electron and how does it really behave? How do we account for electron’s wave and particle-like behaviors? How do students’ make sense of this abstractness?
After going over the quantum numbers and having the kids assign quantum numbers to electrons in an atom, I asked myself this question: “Is this even worth knowing at this point in kids’ lives?” To soothe my curiosity, I asked the students to brainstorm in groups a list of 10 things that are worth knowing in life.
One student said: “This is hard!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“ Do you mean any 10 things?” asked the student again.
“Yes, any 10 things that you would consider worth knowing in life!” I said.
Students took about 5 minutes to brainstorm their list, and then, I asked a member of each group to write their list on the blackboard. Here are the things that a class of Grade 12 students thinks are worth knowing:
- Your name (identity)/ Self (X2)
- People skills
- Reading
- Defend yourself / How to take care of ourselves
- Make food
- Basic knowledge of survival (X3)
- After life? (X3)
- Truth about religion / God’s existence? (X2)
- Knowledge about your future
- How people first developed theories
- The Big Bang Theory / Beginning of existence (X2)
- Why are there geniuses and regular people?
- Extraterrestrial life, does it exist? (X2)
- Unified theory
- Finding out our roles in society
- Communication (X2)
- Language
- Distinguish between myth and reality
- Morality (X2)
- History
- Technology
- News around the world
- Point of life
This is certainly an interesting list. The numbers in the brackets represent the number of times that the common answer or theme appeared. As you might imagine, this list served as a platform for an extremely rich conversation.
One student wrote to me after class stating: “By the way, the discussion during the latter half of the period was refreshing. Glad we had it.”
I had to ask him to be more specific and tell me what stood out for him and what made this a refreshing discussion.
He replied with: “I just found how some students found it more necessary that certain questions that haunt society are more important than the everyday activities we indulge in to sustain ourselves. I remember a couple questions being around the ideas of higher beings and extraterrestrial life forms and through the discussion it sort of amazed me that students take this approach. I interpreted the question to be based around our necessities and not around these questions and so I found the discussion sort of refreshing to see that there are different perspectives and different answers to every question.”
Insightful reply from a Grade 12 student! Thanks S.F.!
I will end it here. Feel free to comment! What do you think of this list? What does it tell us about students’ perception of the 10 things worth knowing?
Image credits: http://theraffaellas.bandcamp.com/
