Igniting Curiosity and Creativity!

Step inside Mrs. Iannarelli’s, or as her student’s call her “Mrs. I”, second grade classroom at St Vincent Catholic School in Elkhart, Indiana and you’ll discover budding scientists eager to explore. Currently these young scientists are immersed in the GLC Unit: Exploring Matter, where they’re learning about both reversible and irreversible changes. Through engaging, hands-on lab lessons, students use their curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills to discover the wonders of science!

An atmosphere of excitement fills the room as students prepare for their investigation into reversible and irreversible changes in matter. With some initial instruction from Mrs. I and the innovative GLC Graphic Instruction Guide (GIG), also known as picture instructions, in their Data Notebook, students create a design with Skittles candy around the edge of their plate.

“I love science because you can be creative.”

The anticipation builds as they predict what might happen before they pour the water in the middle of the plate. It didn’t take long before the students erupted in amazement. “WOW!”, “It’s making a rainbow!”, “Look at mine!”, “This is awesome!” Students immediately became curious and began to ask questions springboarding into further investigations. One student exclaimed, “I love doing science, you get to learn and play at the same time!” Their genuine enthusiasm underscored how hands-on activities spark natural curiosity and creativity.

Throughout the experiment, students engaged in discussions confidently describing their observations using new vocabulary words demonstrating genuine comprehension and an eagerness to learn more. “You can’t put the color back on the Skittles–that’s an irreversible change!” 

Mrs. I sees the GLC curriculum as a key ingredient in fostering a love for science at an early age. “I love the GLC hands-on curriculum! It uses simple, everyday materials for the lessons. The kids are so excited to take the labs home to explore and share what they are learning with their family and friends.”  

In Mrs. I’s second grade class, science sparks curiosity, fosters creativity, deepens understanding, and builds a bridge between the classroom and home inspiring a passion in students to explore and learn. Mrs. I’s passion for science and her ability to inspire curiosity in her students is truly remarkable.

GREAT JOB, Mrs I! For creating a classroom environment where learning is both exciting and meaningful!