How to Enjoy Studying Science
Play science games., Make a group., Perform experiments., Draw a picture., Learn with 3D models., Use mnemonic devices., Find real-world examples.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Play science games.
Talk to your teacher about science games you can play with your classmates to learn and help reinforce scientific concepts.
You can make up your own games, or buy some online or direct from an educational store.Help reinforce basic concepts and vocabulary with crossword puzzles, which are easily downloaded online.
Create a boardgame with science trivia, asking questions such as “What are the states of matter?” “What are the names of the Noble Gases?” or anything that pertains to what you are studying in class. -
Step 2: Make a group.
Try forming a club or group that meets once or twice a week before school or during lunch for science-related activities.
Use its as a form of group study.
Use club time to play scientific games, watch documentaries, and try different experiments.
Have competitions between club members or participate in events like the Science Olympiad as a team.Ask your science teacher if they would be willing to supervise your club. , Simple experiments such as making a papier mache volcano or the Cartesian Diver are easily done at home in your spare time.
More complicated experiments can be undertaken for class projects and science fairs.
Work with a subject that is meaningful to you.
If you care about conservation, for instance, try making your own solar-powered phone charger at home.
Ask yourself “Why?” questions frequently.
Learning how to do something isn’t the same as knowing what makes that something work.
Look up information on the sort of results you want to see, and ask yourself “Why did my experiment produce these results rather than the predicted ones?” Follow the scientific method.
If you are doing your experiment for class or a science fair, it is important to follow the scientific method so that you can properly record and report your experiment.
Remember to include background research, a hypothesis, and an analysis along with your methods., If you are a visual learner, turn your studies into art.
Draw pictures and diagrams to help you follow your course material, and use these to supplement your notes.
Be detailed and include labels.
If, for example, you are drawing a plant cell, identify the chloroplast, nucleus, mitochondria, ER, vacuole, Golgi body, cell wall, etc.
Make sure there is information to match the visual.
Be colorful.
Creativity has been shown to help students actively engage in the learning process.Get creative and colorful with your drawings, even if it doesn’t exactly match the models in the text books. , Use interactive 3D models of topics like molecules, organs, or the solar system.
Ask your teacher if any models are available to the class.
If not, create your own.
There are a number of tutorials and DIY instructions for scientific models online.
Use your notes and drawings to help you take the models apart, identify their components, and put them back together.
Test yourself by seeing if you can name and describe individual components of the model.
Try throwing all the pieces into a bag, pulling one out at a time, and listing all the information you know about that piece. , Make memorizing facts easier with little memory tricks, a rhyme, or an acronym.
These are meant to help you remember confusing concepts, difficult terms, and hard-to-remember facts.For example, HOMES is an acronym for the 5 great lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).
This mnemonic device might be of big help for you to remember the planets of the solar system:
My Very Energetic Mother Jumps Straight Up North (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).
Be as creative and as funny as you want as long as the facts can be easily remembered. , Science becomes more meaningful when you understand how it impacts your daily life and the larger world around you.
Tie basic experiments back into real-world examples.
If, for example, you do a demonstration showing oil is lighter than water, pair it with a discussion of oil spills and what sort of impact floating oil could have on the environment.
Engage yourself in your surroundings by identifying hazards in local environments.
Use rising sea levels or extreme storms to help learn about earth science and climate change.
If you are in an earthquake-prone area, use that to study plate tectonics.Integrate chemistry with environmental studies by testing local water and soil samples.
Taste test more acidic and more alkaline foods to see how chemistry impacts what you eat. -
Step 3: Perform experiments.
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Step 4: Draw a picture.
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Step 5: Learn with 3D models.
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Step 6: Use mnemonic devices.
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Step 7: Find real-world examples.
Detailed Guide
Talk to your teacher about science games you can play with your classmates to learn and help reinforce scientific concepts.
You can make up your own games, or buy some online or direct from an educational store.Help reinforce basic concepts and vocabulary with crossword puzzles, which are easily downloaded online.
Create a boardgame with science trivia, asking questions such as “What are the states of matter?” “What are the names of the Noble Gases?” or anything that pertains to what you are studying in class.
Try forming a club or group that meets once or twice a week before school or during lunch for science-related activities.
Use its as a form of group study.
Use club time to play scientific games, watch documentaries, and try different experiments.
Have competitions between club members or participate in events like the Science Olympiad as a team.Ask your science teacher if they would be willing to supervise your club. , Simple experiments such as making a papier mache volcano or the Cartesian Diver are easily done at home in your spare time.
More complicated experiments can be undertaken for class projects and science fairs.
Work with a subject that is meaningful to you.
If you care about conservation, for instance, try making your own solar-powered phone charger at home.
Ask yourself “Why?” questions frequently.
Learning how to do something isn’t the same as knowing what makes that something work.
Look up information on the sort of results you want to see, and ask yourself “Why did my experiment produce these results rather than the predicted ones?” Follow the scientific method.
If you are doing your experiment for class or a science fair, it is important to follow the scientific method so that you can properly record and report your experiment.
Remember to include background research, a hypothesis, and an analysis along with your methods., If you are a visual learner, turn your studies into art.
Draw pictures and diagrams to help you follow your course material, and use these to supplement your notes.
Be detailed and include labels.
If, for example, you are drawing a plant cell, identify the chloroplast, nucleus, mitochondria, ER, vacuole, Golgi body, cell wall, etc.
Make sure there is information to match the visual.
Be colorful.
Creativity has been shown to help students actively engage in the learning process.Get creative and colorful with your drawings, even if it doesn’t exactly match the models in the text books. , Use interactive 3D models of topics like molecules, organs, or the solar system.
Ask your teacher if any models are available to the class.
If not, create your own.
There are a number of tutorials and DIY instructions for scientific models online.
Use your notes and drawings to help you take the models apart, identify their components, and put them back together.
Test yourself by seeing if you can name and describe individual components of the model.
Try throwing all the pieces into a bag, pulling one out at a time, and listing all the information you know about that piece. , Make memorizing facts easier with little memory tricks, a rhyme, or an acronym.
These are meant to help you remember confusing concepts, difficult terms, and hard-to-remember facts.For example, HOMES is an acronym for the 5 great lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).
This mnemonic device might be of big help for you to remember the planets of the solar system:
My Very Energetic Mother Jumps Straight Up North (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).
Be as creative and as funny as you want as long as the facts can be easily remembered. , Science becomes more meaningful when you understand how it impacts your daily life and the larger world around you.
Tie basic experiments back into real-world examples.
If, for example, you do a demonstration showing oil is lighter than water, pair it with a discussion of oil spills and what sort of impact floating oil could have on the environment.
Engage yourself in your surroundings by identifying hazards in local environments.
Use rising sea levels or extreme storms to help learn about earth science and climate change.
If you are in an earthquake-prone area, use that to study plate tectonics.Integrate chemistry with environmental studies by testing local water and soil samples.
Taste test more acidic and more alkaline foods to see how chemistry impacts what you eat.
About the Author
Susan Flores
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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