The high school science and technology curriculum covers a great deal of topics, which can be challenging for both students and teachers. The curriculum is very dense and often requires extensive preparation from teachers. Fortunately, Alloprof has practical resources to add to your toolbox. Here are some ideas for livening up high school science and technology assignments.
Grade: Secondary III
In Secondary III, students are introduced to technical drawing to help them develop communication skills using different projections and the language of technology. A good way for students to practice technical drawing is to take an everyday object and make a multi-view projection of it following technical drawing standards. This activity will also introduce them to reverse engineering, which involves analyzing a finished product to understand how it was designed or manufactured. Here are some examples of objects that students can draw:
Grade: Secondary IV
In Secondary IV, the principles of balancing chemical equations are introduced. They are one of the elements assessed in the ministry exam. A great way to liven up chemistry assignments is by adding in fun activities. Studies have shown that educational games boost motivation because students are having fun while they learn. The game Solitary Reaction is therefore a valuable tool for the study of chemical equations. You can give students a time goal for playing at home (e.g., 30 minutes). This will allow them to practice or study before an exam. The objective of the game is to help the survivor of a shipwreck escape from a deserted island by solving chemistry puzzles.
Grades: Secondary I to V
Another way to get students engaged with the world of science is by exposing them to science in pop culture. There are probably a handful of science shows on TV that students can name, but you can encourage them to find more. A good science homework idea is having students watch an educational TV show about science and write a summary or review of it. Back in class, students can share three things they learned from the show with the group.
Grades: Secondary I to II
The phases of the moon may repeat month after month, but they never cease to inspire curiosity. Creating a moon phase logbook is an activity that combines art and science. Have students observe the moon and sketch its phases every day for a month. At the end of the project, each student will have a beautiful journal that shows off their scientific curiosity, and perhaps even their artistic talent. On the Space for Life website, you can download this ready-to-use tool to share with your students in preparation for this activity. Finally, as a follow-up activity, you can have students do this Alloprof exercise (available in French only) on the phases of the moon.
Grade: Secondary II
One idea for an interactive homework assignment is watching our interactive review videos, called Crash Lessons. They give a quick, easily digestible overview of a topic, with review questions to complete at the end. The Crash Lesson on cells covers the characteristics of life along with animal and plant cells. After the video, students will find nine questions to assess their understanding of the topic. As a bonus, we take care of marking!
Writing : Alloprof Teachers' team