Finding Teachable Moments

The other day, my 2.5-year old scientist was complaining about teething pain, so I gave her an ice cube wrapped in a cloth to munch on. She quickly got distracted and put it down, and when she went to pick it up later, the ice cube was gone!

When the days are long and the nights are long too (my 4-month old scientists prefers inquiry activities between midnight and 4am), its easy to explain away phenomena that are not very exciting to us because we’ve seen them so many times. The ice disappeared. I cleaned it up. The ice turned into water. It just happens. It’s magic.

These are the moments that can create scientists. Science is not knowing that ice melts into water, but asking how and why. Science is testing to make sure it works the way someone says it does.

So, we did. We put some ice into a cup and let out sit for a couple hours. It only a took a minute or two, but it can help teach a scientist the power of observation and that claims should be supported with evidence.

What “teachable moments” have you found? Send me an email or comment on social media!