“Ladies and gentlemen, we often use the words Nature and Natural in the science classroom,” I introduce. “We use the terms so ordinarily that we hardly even think about them. Let’s think about them,” I challenge. “What do we mean when we say something is Natural?” “How do we decide if a particular object or action is Natural?” “If something is not Natural, what is it?” This is enough to get the ball rolling with some groups of students. Some need more. As necessary I’ll give them a list of objects and activities. Their work is to classify each as Natural or Not-natural. The list will look something like this:
“What about a beaver?” I ask. “Natural” they all agree. No dispute there. “How about a beaver dam?” I add. With complete concurrence, “Natural” they respond. “Then, I presume you’ll agree Hoover Dam, is also natural?” I lie. I actually presume nothing like agreement here. A majority will be quick to point out that Hoover Dam is certainly Not-natural. Some look puzzled, occasionally an outspoken student will object. I move on. “How about the people who built Hoover Dam? Are they Natural?” I query. A wave of suggestions pour out. “Yes.” “No.” “Sort of.”
“Make sense of this for me,” I ask. “A good number of you seem to believe that humans are Natural but what they do is Not-natural. Is that right?”
“It depends on what you mean by Natural,” someone will offer.
Indeed.
That line of discussion completes a quick survey of the entire class. Those students who look flustered are listening and thinking about what I am saying. I am encouraged by these students. We came to school today to deliver these kids from a dark and dreary state of bewilderment to an elevated realm of light and insight. Oh, To Teach!
This subset of the class is generally perplexed at this point. Just where I want them. "You're confusing me Mr. Frazee," someone complains. "No, you came in here confused," I counter, "I've only disclosed your dilemma.” If I judge that the child’s temperament can bear the quip, I might add, “Now you’ve disclosed it to the rest of the class. Do not despair. We treat confusion here.”
There is another subset. Students who are staring, at me or at a wall, are yet to be engaged. You’re not fooling me. A simple, contented grin on the face of a teenager who is resting one side of their head in their hand, elbow supported on the desk, is; Probable Cause. I stroll toward that child, avoiding eye contact and giving my attention to everything and anything but them. Covertly, I’m looking for the tell-tale wire running through a sleeve, connecting the earbud in the palm to the playlist in the pocket. Gotcha!
Don’t think I’m not sympathetic. I am. Life is short and when we’re convinced that someone is wasting precious minutes that cannot be retrieved, we respond with schemes, to remain, The Masters of Our Fate!
Well Captain; here’s the problem. Your “unconquerable soul” is endangered not so much by the lesson plan, flawed as it may be, as by your assumption that amusement is preferable to preparation, distraction is more satisfying than investigation, fun lasts longer than success, and easy outperforms effort.
I’ll ask one of the “disconnected” a pointed question. At best, the engagement will draw her in. In the least case, the active learners will continue to wrestle with their prior knowledge. “Do you think a grizzly bear taking her cubs to the river to teach them how to catch fish, is Natural?” I propose. “Of course,” is the dominant answer. “And parents, dropping their children off at the door of an elementary school, is that Natural?”
From this child any earnest answer will be progress. The answer that shows me I’ve gained a student is, “I’m not sure. I have to think about it.”
*The brilliant title of this post was borrowed from a short paper that I've linked to here. A Field Guide to Constructivism in the College Science Classroom is not the kind of paper most high school science students will care to wade through. I would highly recommend it to anyone teaching science at any level, or anyone interested in understanding science and science instruction better.