This is part of some work reported in a seminar Challenging pupils with scientific explanations given as part of the APECS Project (Able Pupils Experiencing Challenging Science):
The students were set a task to think about – ‘what are the questions you would most like to know the answers to’?
It was thought that this might be a useful short activity to find out what kind of question motivates the curiosity of able 14 year-olds. (N.b. Y9 pupils are 13-14 year olds, but by July the majority will have reached 14.)
The students were each given a sheet headed ‘Explanations wanted (The questions I’d most like to know the answers to)’, and asked to suggest their own questions.
| Theme | question |
|---|---|
| Human biology | Why do we go red when we are embarrassed? / Why are you only spotty during puberty? / Why is urine not always the same colour? / Why does sweat attract men? / Why are breasts the shape they are? / Why do men have nipples? / Why do cuts itch when they have scabbed? / Why do we have eyebrows? / Why does your hair go grey when your older? / Why do people die? / Why do people have pimples – how do you get them? What for? / Why is poo smelly? /Why are we allergic to certain things? / Why is the human brain so complex? / Why do women have to carry babies during pregnancy? / Why does the blood clot? / Why is the life span of humans extending? / Why do we have an appendix apart from to get appendicitis? / Why do we only have two eyes? / Why do we have 10 fingers and 10 toes? / Why does our nose stick out? / Why do informaties {infirmaties/deformaties?} occur when a person infected with Radiation give birth? / Why do Brain cells not build up again? / Why does sweat smell? / Why does your hair grow quicker when you cut it? Or does it? / Why does hair stop growing after a certain length? / Why do we get bruises? / Why do we have the sense smell? |
| Human psychology | Why can’t your brain remember everything you have done in your life? / Why do humans have emotions? / Why does it take so long to learn something? / Why do humans refuse to learn? / Why can you not remember being born if it was such a big thing? / Why do some animals all seem to look the same? / Why are some things instinctive and others you have to learn? |
| Personal differences | Why do some people have perfect pitch? / Why do people’s level of intelligence vary? / Why do ginger people burn in the sun and have freckles? / Why do some people need glasses at a very young age? / Why are man and woman so different? / Why are our voices different? And what makes them change and why? / Why are some people double-jointed? / Why can Miranda do that weird thing with her tongue? / Why are some people mentally defective even if no one in their family is? |
| Humans and other animals | Why do animals appear to be less intelligent? / Why are humans so clever compared to every other species? / Why do we have 2 legs and most mammals has 4 legs? / Why have humans evolved more and developed technology much more than other living organisms on the world? / Why do humans take so long to grow up to adults compared to other animals? |
| Living world | Why do bigger creatures have less legs? / Why do dogs wag their tails when they are happy? / Why are there different animals that are able to do different things? / Why do somethings swim somethings walk and somthings fly? Why don’t we all do all 3? / Why do viruses exist? / Why were the dinosaurs then and not now? / Why do different animals have different pray (sic) when they could eat other things? / Why is celery green and watery and solid? |
| Evolution | Why did life develop on earth? / Why aren’t we adapted to every one earths climates structures heat and lack of food? |
| More philosophical / fundamental questions | Why is the world the way it is? / Why do humans exist? / Why can’t scientist have explanations for everything? / Why does no one know the meaning of life? / Why do we exist? (how we were formed from substance and energy) / Why is there time? / Why was and is there evolution? / Why do our whole lives evolve around time? / Why is life necessary? / Why do we want to stay alive? / Why can’t all humans peacefully coexist? / Why do we exist? / Why do we care about other people? / Why do people want to find things out? / Why are we afraid? / Why is the universe there? / Why do we not know what is outside the universe? / Who made the first straight line and how? / Do scientists believe in fate/destiny? If not, why not? Is science not a bit like predicting or explaining fate? / Why is time measured like it is? Is it correct, how do you know and when was it invented & by who? / Why can we not travel at the speed of light? |
| The physical world | Why does the sea flow in and out? / Why do cornflakes go soggy? / Why are all planets round? / Why did the big bang happen? / Why are there 3 states: solid, liquid and gases? / Why will the sun eventually die out? / Why does it rain? / Why is glass transparent? / Why were there ice ages? / Why is distance measured in light years in space? / Why is the sun hot? / Why does cornflour mixed with water act as a solid and a liquid e.g. when you lightly step on it it’s a solid |
| Extra terrestrial life | Why haven’t we encountered any other sentient beings yet? / Why is there no life on Mars? / Why have we found no other life in space? |
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Dr Keith S Taber kst24@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
© Keith S Taber, 2003/2013