Responding+with+wonderment+and+awe

//Some people are "turned off" to learning. They make statements like "When am I ever going to use this stuff" or "Why do I have to think so much" or "Does this count for a grade". Learning can be exciting and fulfilling, if you approach it with wonderment and awe. "The most beautiful experience in the world is the experience of the mysterious."--Albert Einstein//
 * Responding with wonderment and awe**

When Mrs. Knowles first handed out the guideline for our Scientific Lab Report Digital Story, I must admit that I wasn't very excited for the project. I simply thought of it as more work that needed to be finished--nothing to be excited about doing. Even after we were in groups and actively involved inwhat essential question to investigate, though I knew that I would learn something from it, it certainly did not once cross my mind that I might actually enjoy doing the task as well. As my group got started on our experiment, my mindset drastically changed.

My group (Philip, Jonathan and Enping) and I decided to investigate the different properties of something called "oobleck": a mixture of corn starch and water. I had suggested this idea to my group because I've seen people make oobleck on various TV shows in the past, and I thought it would be interesting. My group agreed. We decided to do an experiment where we would make different concentrations of oobleck (each with a different ratio of corn starch to water), and then pour 20mL of each concentration into a petri dish, and time how long it took for the oobleck to completely fill the bottom of a petri dish.

To carry out our experiment, we needed oobleck, and a lot of it. When making oobleck, I quickly learned that the best way to mix the corn starch and the water was to use my hands. As soon as I started mixing and playing with the mixture, I truly understood what it was like to "respond with wonderment and awe".

Oobleck is a very interesting mixture. When you slowly stick your finger into it, it feels like a liquid. However, if you poke it really hard and fast, then it feels like a solid, and your finger doesn't sink through it anymore. I found this absolutely fascinating. After I made the mixture, I stood there for what seemed like ages, just playing with it and poking it with my finger. I never would have thought that something as simple as a mixture of corn starch and water could be so awe-inspiring. [The three images above show me mixing (the first picture) and playing with (the bottom 2 pictures) oobleck]

In retrospect, after successfully carrying out the planned experiment, I learned a lot from the data that was collected from the actual experimentation. However, what stood out to me even more than the data itself, was how fascinating oobleck was on its own. I had responded with wonderment and awe without originally believing that I would do so, when I first embarked on this experimental journey. This one, simple experiment has definitely changed my outlook about learning as a whole. I've learned that the most simple things can be truly compelling and captivating, and one of the most important aspects of "learning" is to be able to respond in wonderment and awe to the most seemingly insignificant or simple things. So, Albert Einstein was right when he stated that "the most beautiful experience in the world is the experience of the mysterious". I now know that "the mysterious" can include something as simple as corn starch and water.

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