Tag Archives: LearnNCO

Light Science with LEARNnco

Today a 3rd grade class is connecting to Andy Campbell at LEARNnco for his program on Light Science.

Andy always starts off with a great funny routine to break the ice and help students realize they are on camera.

Students used flashlights, a highlighter, a black light, glow sticks, and wintergreen lifesavers to learn about different sources of light (incandescence, florescence, chemiluminescence, and triboluminescence). Lots of laughter as students explore scientific concepts! Students also brainstormed different animals in nature that give off light.

In another set of experiments with baby powder and a flashlight, students learned about reflection, absorption and transmission of light.

Other experiments explored rainbows and refraction. LEARNnco’s programs are very hands-on and interactive and our classes love them!

Electricity with LEARNnco

This morning a group of 4th grade students are connecting to LEARNnco for a lesson on Electricity with Andy Campbell.

After a review of electricity terms, students engaged in several hands-on activities to explore and increase students’ understanding of electricity concepts.

In one activity, students used tennis balls to represent electrons passing from a power source to the power load (blender, TV, etc.) directly and then using a circuit.

In another activity, students created a circuit with foil, a clothes pin, a battery, and a light bulb. Fun to see kids reaction. Even though they predicted what would happen (light would turn on), they were still amazed. Wow! Whoa! Major excitement. This experiment was extended using a paper clip as a switch to learn about open and closed circuits and switches.

Students also learned about power sources, and how power plants work in an experiment with water, salt, pencils, wires and a battery. (Most of these materials are sent to you in a box of materials, with the exception of water!).

This lesson reinforced a major concept students were learning: energy transfer. Energy isn’t made or destroyed; only transferred.

We love Andy’s programs and this particular teacher uses at least one of his science programs every year!

Energy with LearnNCO

This morning one of our middle schools has four sessions of Energy with Andy Campbell at LearnNCO. Andy’s videoconferences are some of our favorite videoconferences. He mixes hands-on activities with lots of thinking and predicting what might happen if…

Andy has a great sense of humor and really engages the students in the conversation. For each activity, a couple volunteers come up to demonstrate the experiment. All the students are involved in predicting what might happen during that experiment.

Andy models how to set up the experiment with the tennis ball on top of the basketball.
Andy models how to set up the experiment with the tennis ball on top of the basketball.

Students are learning about kinetic energy, potential energy, sound energy, light energy, transfer of energy, chemical energy and more. One of my favorite activities involves the basketball and tennis ball to show the transfer of energy. It’s always fun to hear what students predict will happen “the tennis ball will roll off the basketball”, and their reaction with the result: “whoa, wow, ahhhh!”

What makes the bubbles in the water?
What makes the bubbles in the water?

In another experiment, batteries are hooked to pencil lead in water, which creates bubbles in the water. After hooking it up, Andy asks the students how it works. What is it doing? What makes the bubbles? Students draw on their prior knowledge to figure it out.

From the sounds in the classroom, you can tell students are engaged, enjoying the activities, and expanding their understanding of science principles. Great programs, Andy!