Incorporating Movement in Secondary Science Classes

I recently attended a full-day professional development, and it followed the format that’s typical of a lot of professional learning: long lectures consisting of “sitting and getting,” sprinkled with an occasional think-pair-share activity. 

By the third session, I was tired, and I found it extremely difficult to focus—even though the speaker was interesting. I couldn’t help but think about what it’s like to be a student who has to sit and listen all day. 

After this experience, I wasn’t surprised to learn that when individuals are forced to sit still for extended periods of time, the effort they expend fighting the impulse to move leaves little energy for listening, note-taking, or problem-solving (for more info about this, and much of what I discuss in this article, check out The Extended Mind, by Annie Murphy Paul). 

In fact, students who have opportunities to move during class, whether standing, using whole-body movement or hand gestures, or even doodling, are much more likely to retain what they’ve learned. In the science classroom, engaging students in hands-on inquiry is critical to their learning. But when the content doesn’t lend itself to hands-on exploration, it’s important to incorporate opportunities for movement to ensure student engagement and understanding. 

I’ve successfully used several strategies, shared below, to incorporate movement in my eighth-grade physical science classes; these approaches are transferable across sixth- through 12th-grade settings.

Use The Body to Explore Abstract Concepts

The secondary science curriculum is filled with abstract concepts—like atoms, particle motion, and energy conservation—that can be difficult for students to grasp. Research indicates that our brains recall procedural memories (how to do something) much more efficiently than auditory memories. So, instead of simply teaching about these concepts, I’ve helped students embody them.

For example, to teach about particle motion, I have student groups arrange their bodies to represent the particles in a solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. To teach about energy, you can have students participate in “Energy Theater,” an activity that helps them understand that energy can change forms, but just like their bodies as they experience the different transformations during the activity, energy is not destroyed. 

To explain atoms, I place students in groups of six, give them sheets of paper representing the three subatomic particles, and tell them to arrange themselves into a helium atom. You can find several other ideas for movement specific to the middle school science curriculum here. If I taught biology, for mitosis and meiosis I would make students “human chromosomes” and have them role-play the various phases of cell division. 

Turn Worksheets into Opportunities for Movement

When a lesson requires practice or review, I transform worksheets into gallery walks. To do this, print the questions, cut them out, and tape them onto the walls around the classroom or hallway—or, if the weather’s conducive, on the bus port beams outdoors.

Make sure you have printed enough questions to accommodate the number of groups in each class, so that only one group visits each question at a time. Not only does this activity get students moving around the room, but also it fosters peer collaboration, which is critical to learning. This is particularly true during adolescence because teenage brains are wired to socialize; in a 2012 study, scientists found that adolescent brains showed greater activation than adult brains when social information was involved. Peer collaboration can also help students develop crucial science skills such as developing hypotheses and analyzing data.  

Use the Jigsaw Method When Introducing New Information

The jigsaw technique has received attention from thought leaders like Adam Grant because of its powerful effects on learning. While it isn’t movement-centric, it requires small bursts of movement, which can boost cognition. 

First, divide your lesson into segments (e.g., a lesson on electromagnetic waves would have seven segments, one for each type of wave). Give students time to learn about their assigned segment individually. Then, place them in mixed-ability “expert groups” to discuss their segment in depth. 

Afterward, reassign students into new, heterogeneous groups in which each member teaches the others what they learned. Finally, give a short quiz to assess understanding. Not only does this technique get students up and moving during group changes, but also it taps into the sense of responsibility we feel when facilitating someone else’s learning. Research shows that students who learn information in order to teach it tend to review and organize the information more thoroughly. 

Incorporate Movement When Reviewing for a Test

Escape rooms were all the rage several years ago, and I love the collaboration and movement required of students during this fun and engaging review activity. Another movement-friendly review option is a game called “trashketball,” in which students answer questions and shoot a wad of paper or ball into a trash can to earn points for their team. 

I really enjoy using four-corner vocabulary reviews, especially as a quick closing activity. Tape key vocabulary terms in each corner of the classroom (or, for more flexibility with the answer options, tape letters A through D in the corners and make the questions multiple choice); then, project or call out questions or definitions. Have students move to the corner that they think corresponds with the correct term or answer. This is a great way to conduct a quick formative assessment, noting which concepts students need to spend more time reviewing and which students might benefit from extra support.

Considering that our minds are wired to learn in conjunction with our bodies, it’s no wonder that the “sit and get” method of instruction doesn’t typically yield the deep learning we need students to achieve, especially in science, with its many complex and abstract concepts. Incorporating student movement into the classroom not only improves their focus and attention but also allows their brains to rely on stronger learning modalities such as procedural memory, ultimately leading to deeper understanding and longer retention of information.