Fun, interactive, and meaningful science lessons with Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Abstract

Classrooms are never one size fits all, so what is the most effective way to engage every student in a single class during a single lesson? Build your lesson around the students' intellectual abilities! Fun, Interactive, and Meaningful Lessons with Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence show the reader how to pack as much punch as possible into a single experience using all eight (or as many as possible) intelligences to captivate every student in the classroom and make sure no one gets left behind.  This particular experience applies seven of the eight intelligences into a 30-minute science lesson on the Food Chain: Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers using a lesson checklist as a guide. Activities, handouts, and other materials for this lesson were then picked based on the list, keeping all intelligences in mind.  Students will have multiple opportunities to move around the room, discuss, investigate and collaborate while learning new materials, which they will enjoy.  This concept is useful for any age, ability, or subject material and teachers can easily modify for the needs of the classroom. A link to all teacher created materials can be found in the article.  Creating fun, interactive, and meaningful lessons that reach every student can often be a daunting task, especially in a science classroom.  The most effective way to reach all students is to use Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences.  The thought of incorporating all eight intelligences into a single lesson may be overwhelming, so it's important to start with a checklist; if your lesson covers each learning style, you are sure to come out with a winning lesson to use for years to come.