Howard Gardener's MI Theory in Teaching Chemistry

Every child learns in a different way. Rather than teaching the child with the method you know, teach the child with the method he or she understands. Keeping this philosophy in mind we at Choithram International address various learning needs of our children through varied strategies. One such strategy which was used with learners of grade IX was the Howard Gardener’s Multiple Intelligence Theory.

This applies to teaching even a single topic.  With this in mind, our Grade IX students will be taught the Bohr Model by following Multiple Intelligence strategies.

Intelligence	Activity(topic- structure of atom)
Visual	Bohr’s model through Digi Class/ 3- D model through ball and stick
Linguistics	Used a story telling approach linking stability of atoms with human beings.
Bodily Kinesthetic	Musical chair on Bohr’s Model of Atom
Mathematical/logical	Prepared  board games whereby children learned about the structure of atom
Interpersonal	Children worked in groups

As a part of the Bohr Model structure, the students played musical chairs in the school’s dance room. Each student represented one element of the periodic table. The chairs were arranged in the form of Bohr’s orbit K, L, M.  The central basket represented the nucleus of atoms. The students carried ping pong balls equivalent to the valence of the electron they represented.

As soon as the music stopped, the students had to sit on the chair equivalent to their orbit. E.g. the child representing Hydrogen had to sit in the first orbit near the nucleus. The children not only enjoyed playing musical chairs but learned an important concept of chemistry. The students then presented the research on the element they represented.