Science can be creative

Some amazing learning happens when we create.

I love to find creative ways to bring science content to my students. I realize, though, that it's something I'm so passionate about but I don't often give them time or opportunity to do the same. So I'm saying it here- I'd like to bring those opportunities more into my practice!

Now,  here's my response to the song writing challenge... to write a song about the Kinetic Molecular Theory and states of matter.

I'm sort of cheating, because it was written by myself and fellow creative science facilitator- Deb Calderon- while we were leading a science camp, about 15 years ago. We asked participants for a topic and one hour, and this is what we came up with. (I haven't put it to music yet but I hope to do some more of that this summer.)

States of Matter (tune of Locomotion).

Here’s a little phase moving through the nation  (come on baby, change your state of matter)

It’s all about what happens in a transformation (come on baby, change your state of matter)

Matter changes phases when you change the heat,

It’s a constant cycle that will always repeat.

Come on, come on and change 

Your state of matter with heat

If it gets a little hotter when a solid’s around (come on baby, change your state of matter)

It’ll cause some action as it starts to melt down (come on baby, change your state of matter)

Molecules speed up and before very soon,

They’ll break up all their bonds and they’ll take up more room

So come on, come on and change

Your state of matter with heat

You’ve got to heat it up now,

Come on baby

Speed up, slow down

Molecules moving around.

When you heat a liquid, then they start to move (come on baby, change your state of matter)

Molecules dance faster getting into the groove (come on baby, change your state of matter)

It’s all about the atoms and their love for vibration

As it turns to gas it’s called evaporation

So come on, come on and change

Your state of matter with heat

You’ve got to cool it down now,

Come on baby

Speed up, slow down

Molecules moving around

Take a gas and cool it, the result is a drop (come on baby, change your state of matter)

Condensation happens, the routine never stops (come on baby, change your state of matter)

Now it’s turned to liquid, it’s no longer a gas

It may change its appearance, but it won’t change its mass

So come on, come on and change 

Your state of matter with heat.