When I read the newsfeed on my tablet at night, I usually have one criterion for what I read, and that is: "How does this apply to me?" It could simply be interesting to me, or it may apply directly to my life. If an assignment is interesting or relatable it can help keep the students focused. Suggestions for making learning relevant are given below with links that give you instant access to examples.
Real world connection: this is one of my favorite methods. Connect current events and real-world problems to the lesson. A few examples are:
Personal connection: Relate the lesson to common diseases, or environmental issues that directly affect your community and students. State Departments of Education recommend studies that will contribute to the student’s future, whether it applies to their personal well-being or to the well-being of the community. Science teachers can help students see these connections.
o What vaccines do students need before attending college? (This is an advertisement, but it has some good information.)
o How has climate change affected your area? (warmer summers, more storms, more insect pests) This could be used during the ecology unit.
Hands-on learning: Encourage students to actively participate. Most students get excited about learning this way.
o Biointeractive: Take some time to explore this one! Examples of interactive lessons include:
https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/interactive-case-study-natural-selection-outbreak
o Labs:
Check out the labs at my TPT store.
o Virtual Labs and Animations
Realia: Any object that the students can use their senses to examine, (especially touch), piques interest. In biology class, it could be things like plants, animals, lab tools, x-rays of the body, gene chips, or an empty blood bank collection bag…the list goes on and on. Any item that the students can safely handle that connects the learning with the real world in a physical sense.
Simulations: These allow students to experiment with a concept.
Project-based learning: A science fair project of the student’s choice is a good place to start, but there are many ways to use project-based learning in the classroom. As with a science fair project, these are more involved than regular lessons, but contribute greatly to student learning.
Lessons tailored for students with learning challenges: If students can’t access the information, they can’t engage with the information.
Connect with the community by having guest speakers. People in the students’ community can show them that biology is used in many jobs.
Here are some helpful links with great suggestions for making learning more relevant.
I hope these ideas and examples are helpful to you. Learning something new is always better if it is relevant. I have started a new series of lessons that can be used at the beginning of the year (Why Study Biology?) or at the beginning of a new unit. These are mainly focused on real-world applications, and personal connection to the students. I have also included links to some of my labs.
Great blog and article! Sending this over since it might be helpful for students and teachers and in case it's helpful in your daily work: Expontum (https://www.expontum.com/) - Helps students, teachers, and researchers quickly find research knowledge gaps and identify what research projects have been completed before.