Grip your left hand firmly with your right hand. Open and close the left palm a few times to pump the blood out of the left palm. Now hold the grip for a minute and watch and feel.
This was our experiment to see what happens when our hand is starved of blood. Children found interesting things - as the blood flows out the hand freezes, you can't open the fingers. The palm looks white as the blood is drained out. The hand becomes cold as the energy production is shut down. Fingers feel numb as neurons are starved of oxygen and energy.
Children found it unbearable after one minute. Now free the left hand and watch. Children observed - the palm immediately blushes red as the blood rushes in. It feels hot as the oxygen burning and energy production starts. The hand now feels heavy due to rush of extra-blood. Tingling continues for some time till neurons start working again. It takes another minute before the hand feels normal again.
Children wrote down their experience and the experiment. Their first-hand experience of why blood is important to our body. We begin study of human circulatory system.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The anti-Pavlov Experiment
While we were learning the human digestive system, children did a short version of the famous Pavlov's experiment. They thought of their favourite food and observed how their mouth waters. The digestion process starts just at the thought of food. Our body and mind is driven by the sensory inputs.
Some years back scientists discovered yet another powerful effect. Something like an anti-Pavlov effect. This looks at how children resist reflexes and what happens to these children. In the now famous experiment, children (age 5-7) were give a chocolate. They were asked to wait till the teacher returned after 15 minutes if they wanted another chocolate. Not surprisingly, most children ate their chocolates and a few resisted the temptation (about 2/3 and 1/3, respectively). It turns out that those who resisted the temptation went on to do exceptionally well in higher studies. Those of who ate the chocolate many became school drop-outs. The study is now well established and suggests that - learning to delay gratification may be a major factor in doing well in studies.
When I talked about this experiment in the class, they all wanted to try it out- and so we did. This time I raised the stakes by saying that they may eat chocolate only after dinner and they should not talk about this to anyone till then. I admit that I had primed them by telling about the experiment - but the 'delayed-gratification' part was still valid. To not eat is ok but 'not talk about it' is a serious challenge for a 9-10 year-old.
I was expecting a scandal in school about chocolates being distributed in class by teacher. Other classes demanding their share of chocolates. To my surprise, there was no sign of it till the end of the school-day. Children had managed to keep mum. Now they are off to a short vacation. When they return I will find out if they really did wait till dinner time - before telling their parents.
PS : Back from vacation, I asked them. Most children did not eat the chocolates till after the dinner. There were a few who came and told me 'they had eaten it in the school itself - because the chocolates were melting in their pockets'. I notice that children like to be challenged - may be I need to raise the stakes higher next time.
Some years back scientists discovered yet another powerful effect. Something like an anti-Pavlov effect. This looks at how children resist reflexes and what happens to these children. In the now famous experiment, children (age 5-7) were give a chocolate. They were asked to wait till the teacher returned after 15 minutes if they wanted another chocolate. Not surprisingly, most children ate their chocolates and a few resisted the temptation (about 2/3 and 1/3, respectively). It turns out that those who resisted the temptation went on to do exceptionally well in higher studies. Those of who ate the chocolate many became school drop-outs. The study is now well established and suggests that - learning to delay gratification may be a major factor in doing well in studies.
When I talked about this experiment in the class, they all wanted to try it out- and so we did. This time I raised the stakes by saying that they may eat chocolate only after dinner and they should not talk about this to anyone till then. I admit that I had primed them by telling about the experiment - but the 'delayed-gratification' part was still valid. To not eat is ok but 'not talk about it' is a serious challenge for a 9-10 year-old.
I was expecting a scandal in school about chocolates being distributed in class by teacher. Other classes demanding their share of chocolates. To my surprise, there was no sign of it till the end of the school-day. Children had managed to keep mum. Now they are off to a short vacation. When they return I will find out if they really did wait till dinner time - before telling their parents.
PS : Back from vacation, I asked them. Most children did not eat the chocolates till after the dinner. There were a few who came and told me 'they had eaten it in the school itself - because the chocolates were melting in their pockets'. I notice that children like to be challenged - may be I need to raise the stakes higher next time.
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