Getting Messy with Matter

In this chapter one of the big focuses was classifying. Classifying, one of the basic process skills, beings with the simple recognition of properties and matures into a grouping and sorting process. In elementary school science children often learn classifying skills by identifying the properties of materials through careful observation, and then comparing and contrasting those properties. I especially liked the part of the book that addressed messiness  with science. In the book the author dreaded coming to a silent class that was much too clean. I remember when I was in elementary school that the majority of my classrooms were the same way. I agree, however, that talking amongst the students is a necessary part of the classroom, and that a little bit of messy can bring the children a good deal of experience and knowledge. If the classroom happens to get a bit messy, then create a 'cleanup' time in which the students tidy up their areas. I remember a song that I learned as a child "clean up clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up clean up, everybody do their share." Perhaps this is the reason why I'm a bit of a neat freak at the end of a great messy experiment!