Inquiry-based hands-on physics activities for elementary school and preschool students: an enjoyable instruction

Abstract

Authors’ experience in mentoring research projects of high-school students, instructing of science courses at summer academic programs, and directing of other informal educational activities, was instrumental in bringing creative hands-on Physics experiments into preschool and elementary school. Practice of the kind proved to be both instructive for and enjoyable by the youngest students in Israel, Mexico and Ukraine. Low budget experiments with the most ordinary materials and commonly used devices serving for the apparatus, allowed students to fully perceive that the laws of Physics act not only “inside” sophisticated instruments, but rather rule the nature. However simple the equipment, it produced impressive, often amazingly counter intuitive effects that young students enjoyed and were eager to research/explain. Hands on approach let every student participate in the experiments and even do own inquiry. Strongly positive feedback and bright students’ insights essentially helped to further improve and develop suggested activities.