Thread by @elakdawalla

I had an interesting physics moment with my daughters (ages 8 and 11) today that illustrated some of the fun and challenging things about teaching kids to be scientists. 1/n

8yo: I'm suddenly cold.
Me: Well, you were upstairs and now you're downstairs. It's always colder downstairs.
8yo: Why?
Me: Because heat rises.
8yo: Really?
Me: Have you ever noticed how it's always hotter upstairs? Heat rises. It's physics!
8yo: I don't know physics yet! 2/n

For young kids, the world is confusing. It's hard to sort out what is pattern and what is random. It can help them to point out things that are systematic and predictable. But they have to be very concrete -- things they can directly experience. Like cold feet every morning. 3/n

So my 8yo thinks, and says: "Like smoke. Smoke rises."
Me: Yes. Not because it's made of smoke, but because it's in air over a fire that made the air hot. 4/n

So now I turn to my 11yo, who is (as is age appropriate) able to abstract a little bit. She can imagine things that she can't directly experience, but it still needs to be linked to things she can directly experience. Also I know she loves the periodic table. 5/n

Me to 11yo: Do you know why hot air rises?
11yo: Because it's a law.
Me: Yes, but do you know why?
11yo: Because it does.
Me: What is air made of?
11yo: (not sure what I'm getting at) air. 6/n

Me: You love the periodic table. What is the stuff air is made of?
11yo: Oh, carbon dioxide and stuff.
Me: Yes, molecules, made of atoms.
11yo: Oh and hot air rises because it's lighter.

Here comes the interesting moment with an 11yo... 7/n

Me: So what happens to the atoms when they get hot? Are they getting lighter? And when they get cold the atoms are getting heavier?
11yo: (Thinking) ....yes?
Me: (internally) oops.
8/n

11yos are much better able to reason than 8yos -- but their reason often leads them astray. This is so hard because I don't want to tell her she's wrong all the time. So I have to sidestep, make the "that's wrong" part a really quick thing on the way to learning. 9/n

Me: You know atoms! They're things! They are themselves! They are indivisible! (Enthusiastically, with fists in the air; my fists are atoms)
The 8yo laughs and pumps her fists in the air. I can use her. 10/n

Me: Atoms are always moving! (I do a silly mom dance with my fists. The 8yo joins me.) 11/n

Me: When atoms get hot, they move a lot more! (the 8yo is really into it now) 12/n

Me: When they get cold, atoms don't move so much! They can get a lot closer together! 13/n

Me: Let's all dance like hot air! (Dance party ensues. Physics lesson over and they're off to school.) 14/14

(Sometimes it's appropriate to help kids struggle through to understanding. But when it's something as invisible and as well-understood as the ideal gas law, I like just teaching it with fun.)