How the World Works: UT Chemistry

One of the PYP’s six transdisciplinary themes, How the World Works, allows our students to investigate the natural world, scientific principles, technological advances, and their connection and affect on our world and selves. Within their classrooms, students engage in learning experiences to dig deeper into these ideas through hand-on experiments, research projects and presentations, and classroom discussions. Classrooms also bring in speakers from our community and industry experts to add additional perspectives on concepts and topics explored in their units of inquiry. As a PYP school, we believe that real world connections and application helps students further construct their knowledge and understanding.

Our PTA works hard to support the PYP program by providing classes additional opportunities for students to explore these areas. Last week, Spicewood partnered up with the UT Chemistry department to bring our students an assembly about combustion. While playing with hydrogen, balloons, bottle rockets, and fireworks, the UT presenters talked about what combustion is, how it occurs and what makes bigger reactions (catalysts).