These are topics that will interest students and benefit them in their personal lives. The environment is another area that has great possibilities including discussions on recycling and reducing air pollution. Finally, the new test will place more emphasis on the relevance of science in everyday life. When we as educators can connect content with everyday life, students learn. The fancy term is contextual learning.
Teachers can address topics to which students can easily relate.
For example, in Florida there is always the threat of hurricanes from June to November. Teachers can obtain free hurricane tracking maps from local grocery stores or from the Internet and use them to teach everything from the weather to map skills. An added bonus could be helping students develop their own hurricane plans or if hurricanes are not prevalent in the local area, planning for severe weather. Take a few minutes and think about what these changes will mean in the classroom. Post your responses to the bulletin board.