Starting a Science Class Book Club

The Subversive Act of Instigating Passion in Students

If you want to spark interest/passion in students, few things could do better than a good book.

It’s been awhile, but I’ve read Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman with my students. I remember the experience as being a positive one. A few years ago, I received an email from a student saying how much he appreciated reading the Feynman book in physics class. It was really nice of him to let me know.

So my plan is to bring reading back to the classroom, only this time, in a better way. Feynman’s book is a biography, and I like biographies, but this time I want to use books to expand students’ understanding of science, math, or perhaps computer science. My goal is to ignite a passion for math and science; to spark their interest in my subject. A good book makes students curious and pushes them to learn more.

Sameer Shah, a math teacher and blogger, has started a book club with one of his classes. The idea seems great. I want to do a similar thing with my students in IB Physics because I have two years with them, which gives me more time for reading.

In my school, students almost don’t read books outside of their language classes and I need to change that. I need to decide what books I should read with them. I would love to discover and read a book for the first time with my students, but I’m afraid that I may ruin the experience (by choosing the wrong book) if I don’t vet the book first. Yet, if I carefully select and read the book ahead of time, I can make sure the book is the right level for my students and I can plan the experience for them better. I’m hoping that starting a book club with my students will help develop in them a desire for learning.

As soon as I know more what books I’m going to read, I’m going to update this post. Hopefully, it can help you make decisions too.

Learning in focus — Never stop learning. Never stop reading.