Using Videos to Jazz up your Science Lessons

Level: Secondary I and II
 
In this activity, students must invent an imaginary creature and determine the characteristics that allow it to survive in its environment. To give your class some inspiration, start by watching our video (French only) on physical and behavioural adaptations. You can also provide students with material they can build on, such as a detailed description of a fictional environment. Split the class into small teams and have them brainstorm how their creatures will need to adapt to survive. If you want to go a step further, you can conduct this activity over several classes. Ask each team to build their creature out of recycled materials and present it to the rest of the class.

Level: Secondary IV
 
In this activity, students must design and build a device that converts electrical energy into another form of energy to accomplish a particular task (e.g., a device that makes a sound, lights up, or moves). Start by reviewing the basics of electrical circuits by watching this video (French only) with your class. Next, allow your students to get hands-on and try building their own circuits using various materials:

• Electrical wire with alligator clips
• Conductive metal wire
• Different types of batteries
• Adapters to connect two batteries in series
• Different kinds of bulbs
• Switches
• Etc.

For a fun twist, encourage your students to add decorative elements to their circuit. You can also adapt this activity by setting constraints, such as limiting what materials students are allowed to use. As a follow-up activity, you can have them draw a diagram or plan of their prototypes using standard electrical symbols.

Level: Grades 5 and 6, Secondary I and II
This activity is about the different types of rocks. Ask your students to bring in rocks so they can identify them. You can also provide some of your own to ensure there’s a good variety. If possible, consider taking your class to the park or around the school’s neighbourhood to collect rocks. Start by asking your students to classify the rocks based on their similarities and differences. Then, play this video (French only) for the class, pausing after each rock category to let the students study the specimens in front of them. This will allow them to determine which categories their rocks actually belong to while recording their observations in their notebooks. Afterwards, they can give brief presentations or test their knowledge with this exercise (French only).

Level: Secondary IV
 
Another fun way to teach your students about the periodic table is to play bingo based on the chemical elements. Read out a series of clues and have your students guess which elements they’re referring to. They can cross out the corresponding square if an element appears on their bingo card. To prepare them for the game and strengthen their knowledge of how the periodic table is organized, you can review our Crash Lesson on this topic in class (available in French only). Interspersed with questions, this interactive video also makes an effective review tool.

Level: Grades 4 and 6

To introduce students to the concept of photosynthesis and the reasons why leaves change colour in the fall, try doing this quick experiment to extract the pigments found in spinach.

Crush a few spinach leaves in a bowl and add a touch of rubbing alcohol. Wait a bit for the alcohol to become infused with colour, then transfer the tinted liquid to a separate container. Place a strip of coffee filter paper in the liquid and cover the container. Then, sit back and watch what happens! Over the next few minutes, the spinach pigments will climb up the filter paper and separate into green and yellow. The green pigment is chlorophyll, the substance responsible for photosynthesis. The yellow pigment is a different, “hidden” pigment.

Once your students have had a chance to watch the pigments separate, ask them questions to get them thinking about why leaves change colour: What do plants need to undergo photosynthesis? What happens in the fall? Why do leaves change colour in the fall? Afterwards, we suggest watching this Alloprof video (available in French only) to complement the discussion. You can end the lesson by taking your class out to the schoolyard to collect leaves and classify them according to the pigments they contain.