In a word – YES! Who doesn’t like to have a moment of investigation and play? Where you can sit and observe, examine and play? Models are show-and-tell in the classroom. They provide us a quick hands-on tool to put theories to the test. Models allow us to question new concepts and for our brain to switch gears. I use various models when teaching new ideas to students. They give depth to the content. Depth I cannot begin to demonstrate without models.

During my professional development session, I questioned the attendees how they convey ideas of macroscopic and microscopic scale (i.e. 1 mole of M&M’s = 6.022 x 10²³ M&M’s and the size of a single Carbon atom — 170 pm).  Cell Size and Scale

All of the attendees use models.

Models they made themselves, or models they have learned from over their education and have incorporated into the classroom. Whether it be a professionally designed model to show trigonal planar geometry or three balloons tied together, the model works to deliver what our mind struggles to see. Models are wonderful additions to any educators toolbox.

Have fun, enjoy your work, and bring a model for show-and-tell.