Timing is everything with teaching. This week we got to the point in our curriculum when I usually model molecules using toothpicks and gumdrops. However, the timing just wasn’t right. I needed something that helped students make meaning of the concepts with an emphasis on reading skills. I knew the gumdrop activity, although a good one, was just not a good fit for getting MY kids to think about how molecules related to their everyday lives. I decided instead to use short readings about a few common molecules along with some text-dependent questions. To increase engagement, I used QR codes so that students could self-check their progress as they completed the short reading tasks. If we didn’t have another Periodic Table project in the works (and all the materials for that to consider), I probably would have added the gumdrop activity to each of the reading stations, but I knew my limits. Let’s face it, a happy teacher is a happy class.
Here’s what the gum-drop free molecule stations looked like in action:
