Metaphors and dancing in class

I got a chance to use a new metaphor in my grade 8 class this week. We were discussing dissolving and the students were having difficulty guessing what happens to sugar when it is put in water. I asked them what they would do if there were a group of them and one of their friends looked down the hall to see someone coming to beat them up. Their first suggestion was to go and beat up the person coming, but I told them that they were all Buddhist and had taken a vow of non-violence. Their next thought was to hide their friend in a classroom, but I told them that the doors were locked. Finally, in desperation, they guy was coming down the hall after all, they said the they would make a wall of them around their friend, who would stay in the middle so the assailant could not reach their friend. This, I said, is what happens to sugar when it is put in water. One student replied 'so, basically, what you're saying is that sugar is a chicken!!'. Yep, that is correct, sugar is a chicken. They then asked if water was 'bailing' on its friend when it evaporated and I said that it was more like a parent coming and making the water go home for dinner; it's not like it has any choice in the matter.

It was such a fun discussion and right when we were finished my principal walked for a visit and I asked if someone would like to explain the discussion. One of the students explained the whole thing so clearly that I suspect that lesson might be one he remembers for a very long time. I hope so anyway!

Afterward, my grade 9 class came in and we learned DNA replication and mitosis by dancing out the moves. First of all I gave different students A, C, T and G and then had the others be the phosphate-sugars to make the ladder with some extra 'floaters' around the room. We walked through the process of DNA replication and then changed the students and did it faster and faster, until it seemed that they were quite clear with the process. Then we worked through some notes on mitosis and proceeded to act that out as well. It was again a lot of fun. After teaching meiosis I have now assigned the students to write a story, song, skit, analogy or comic explaining the three processes. They are due on Tuesday, so I'm looking forward to seeing some of their creativity in action.