Dad Asks, Arhi Explains: Short “Why?” Films and a Free CC BY-NC Pack to Spark Curiosity in Primary Science

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CC-BY, provided by the author

Children ask “why?” all day long. Why do bees make honey? Why are polar bears white? Why do volcanoes erupt? My daughter Arhi and I make Arhi & Dad, a channel of short cartoon science films for children aged about 5 to 11. In every film, Dad asks a “why” question and Arhi explains the answer in simple words. The films are short on purpose: they are meant to start a conversation, not finish it.

We wanted to answer a simple question for teachers: what can a class do once the film has finished? So we turned four of our topics into a free 10-page classroom science pack. It is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0, which means teachers anywhere can copy, adapt, translate and share it for teaching. This article explains how the pack works and what we have learnt about using a very short film as the hook for a hands-on lesson.

The pattern: watch, predict, test, talk

Every activity in the pack follows the same four steps.

1. Watch: show a short “why” question from the film, or simply read the question aloud.
2. Predict: before anything is touched, pupils write or draw what they think will happen. The pack has prediction-first worksheets for this.
3. Test: the class does a simple, low-cost experiment and records what really happens.
4. Talk: pupils compare their prediction with the result and explain why, using a “science in simple words” box.

Putting the prediction first matters more than anything else in the pack. When children have committed to an answer, they watch the experiment closely, because they want to know if they were right. A wrong prediction is not a failure; it is the most interesting moment of the lesson.

CC-BY, provided by the author

Image 1: Cover of the free Arhi & Dad Classroom Science Pack. Author: Ben Hulme (Arhi & Dad). Licence: CC BY-NC 4.0. 

Four low-cost experiments

All four experiments use cheap classroom or kitchen items. Each takes about 20 to 40 minutes and works for small groups or as a whole-class demonstration.

• Waterproof Test (everyday materials, ages 5 to 7): children test which materials let water through and learn that we choose materials for a job because of their properties.
• Thirsty Celery (plants and water transport, ages 7 to 9): a celery stalk in coloured water shows how plants move water up from the roots.
• Magnet Hunt (forces and magnets, ages 7 to 9): pupils find out that not all metals are magnetic. A paper clip and a steel spoon stick; aluminium foil does not.
• Shadow Size (light and shadows, ages 7 to 9, with extension for 9 to 11): moving an object closer to a torch (flashlight) makes its shadow grow.

Each experiment page has learning goals, simple steps, a “science in simple words” box, discussion questions and safety notes. There is also an answer key, and QR codes link to the matching videos. All four activities build working-scientifically skills: predicting, fair testing, observing and recording.

 

CC-BY, provided by the author

Image 2: The Waterproof Test page from the pack. Author: Ben Hulme (Arhi & Dad). Licence: CC BY-NC 4.0.

Written for classrooms across Europe

The pack and the films are in English, but we wrote them with non-native readers in mind. Sentences are short, and where British and other English words differ, both are given, for example, “torch (flashlight)”. The topics are common primary science topics in schools across Europe and beyond, and the age bands match typical primary years. Because the pack is CC BY-NC, teachers are free to translate it into their own language for their class.

Safety, kept simple

An adult supervises every activity, adults do any cutting, and nothing hot is used. Children do not taste anything, spills are mopped up straight away and everyone washes their hands afterwards. We also remind teachers to check for allergies, for example to celery, before starting.

What we have learnt about short explanations

Making very short films has taught us a few things that we think apply to any primary science lesson.

• One question, one idea. Each film answers a single “why” and stops. Trying to add a second idea usually loses the first one.
• Simple, but never wrong. Simple words are fine; a simplification that children will have to unlearn later is not. We check every explanation before it goes out.
• Let the child explain. In our films the child, Arhi, gives the answer and Dad asks the question. In class, the same swap works well: let pupils be the explainers.
• Leave something to test. A film that answers everything leaves nothing for the class to do. A good hook leaves the “how do we know?” for the experiment.

Send us your questions

An optional page in the pack invites classes to send in their own “why” questions, through their teacher and with first names only, for Arhi to answer in a future film. It gives pupils a real audience for their curiosity.

Try it

The free pack can be downloaded here, with no sign-in needed.

The films are on YouTube: Arhi&Dad.

We would love to hear how it goes in your classroom, and which “why” questions your pupils ask next.

About the author

Ben Hulme is a dad from Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, who makes the children’s science channel Arhi & Dad with his daughter Arhi. The channel grew out of the questions Arhi asked at home, and Ben now turns those questions into short cartoon films and free classroom materials for primary teachers. He is interested in how short, simple explanations and hands-on experiments can make science fun for young children.

The post Dad Asks, Arhi Explains: Short “Why?” Films and a Free CC BY-NC Pack to Spark Curiosity in Primary Science appeared first on Scientix blog.

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