Uppers Update - Make way for student leadership

You know when you plan everything to go a certain way, and then when the moment comes for it to happen, someone suggests a much better way and it makes so much more sense? Thus it was with the 8th grade Science video project. We have been studying chemistry, learning the ins and outs of molecules, how they behave, and the different states that matter can exist in: solid, liquid, and gas. One thing we are integrating into this science unit is the idea that not only is it important to experiment, gain knowledge, and prove the things you know. It's also important, perhaps even more so, to be able to communicate the new insights in a compelling way so that the ideas can disseminate throughout the world, hopefully improving humanity's understanding of the natural world. 

In an exploration of scientific communication, the 8th graders watched some content creators on TikTok talk about using DNA editing to cure certain forms of cancer, explain why a magnetic ball rolling on a non-magnetic slide stops itself, failed galaxies, and more. The enduring questions we asked about each of these creators were:

-Did you understand what they were trying to say?

-What things about their video either helped or hindered your understanding?

-Was it entertaining/would you choose to watch it?

We then took the lessons on chemistry and communication, and put them together into a video of their own making. I had made groups and helped to organize who was going to do what, but a few minutes into trying to get started, Linden came to me and said "It's hard to coordinate all these things separately, can we just do it all as one big group?". I said yes and I was so glad I did. Linden became director for this episode, everyone found a place either in front of or behind the cameras, and Milo said he would edit. It ended up being a hoot of a video share at all school, but also an important learning moment for all: the students realize they had more power and capacity when they organized themselves, and I learned to get out of the way.