Every once in a while I have a lesson that not only works, but exceeds my wildest, geekiest teacher dreams. This is a lesson that goes smoothly from beginning to end, that the children enjoy, understand and learn from. I mean, a lesson that is so good that you actually KNOW that these kids are going to remember what you have taught them instead of just hoping. A lesson that goes beyond the normal attempt to pass on knowledge and enters The Zone.

Today I had one such lesson. We have recently started a Science unit about matter and energy. Today we were talking about molecules, atoms and how matter changes states. For those who could use a refresher course, molecules and atoms are the building blocks of all matter (anything that takes up space). The way molecules move determines what state (solid, liquid or gas) matter is in. Fast moving, relatively disconnected molecules make a gas, while slow, tightly packed molecules make a solid. Heat (a form of energy) can be added or taken away to adjust the rate at which molecule move and consequently the form the matter is in. So a solids can melt into liquids, liquids can evaporate into gasses, gasses can condense into liquids, or liquids can freeze into solids.

To illustrate these concepts for my students (who are still concrete thinking enough to have a hard time believing that something exists when it can't be seen) I spent much of the lesson bouncing around the room like a gas molecule and calling up small groups to help me demonstrate flowing liquid molecules - several of us holding hands and oozing around the room together - and rigid solid molecules - several of us standing as closely as possible to one another. At one point, when the group that was forming a pencil (solid) was all crammed together in a group and shuffling off to one side (solids hold their shape), the students still in their seats actually started applauding. It was great.

After 45 minutes of this they were practically falling out of their seats they were so excited to show off what they knew. I would ask a question and 17 hands (2 were absent) would fly into the air to a chorus of "Oooh! I know!!!" and "Pick me!!". That is what it's all about. These kids learned something today and they were so busy having fun with it that they didn't even notice. Hopefully, they will start realizing that "learning" is not synonymous with "torture".