6月18日上午的第一二节课，重庆第二外国语学校国际部ACT科学课上同学们正经历着自己设计实验步骤来证明不同金属条在不同温度水浴下如何形变，并通过采集到的数据进行分析，从而证明自己的假设，最有兴趣的是，课程教师胡馨月老师引导学生们在遇到实验结果无法支持自己已有假设的时候，要通过误差分析和实验条件的状态，重新进行假设，再通过新的实验证明，从而锻炼学生的科学思维和谨慎的研究态度。
以下是参与课程的学生写的心得体会：
ACT, an abbreviation of American College Testing, is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United State. Every test taker must learn the science reasoning section tested in the form of multiple choices. In traditional ACT Science course, students sit in the classroom, acquiring physical, biological, chemistry knowledge and keeping practicing to improve their grade. On 18th June, a special class was open to us. We conducted a science experiment in school laboratory.
The experiment was aimed to examine the expansion of metals on heating. Strips of three metals-zinc, copper and aluminum were prepared. A steel ruler, a beaker, a spirit lamp, a graduated cylinder, and a thermometer were allocated to each pair of students. Teacher Moon represented the experimental guideline that metal bar with a specific length was heated in water bath for 2 minutes, then the change in length was recorded. The steps above were repeated in variable metal length at different water bath temperature (from 30 degrees centigrades to the boiling point) and data collected were plotted to reach a conclusion that will prove or disapprove the hypothesis from each pair of students prior to the experiment. In spite of possibly experimental failure as Moon explained, we will be cultivated the scientific mindset through the loop of hypothesizing and proving to re-hypothesizing and re-proving.
As unexpected, my partner and I encountered several problems when practicing these procedures. The metal bar with the largest length required for control variable can not be put into the beaker. Therefore, we had to bend the metal bar so as to completely immerse it in water. When the remaining time was not enough for us to measure the data under every condition, I recognized the trend out of figures recorded and reasonably estimated the data in blanks. Technically, science researchers are supposed to be always honest to fact rather than conforming to subjective assumption. Ultimately, the lab experiment would be a meaningful and beneficial experience since students’ ability was enhanced in the aspects of pre-college academic preparation and ACT Science comprehension.
Ricardo |
