Alexis Markavage is a Ph.D. student in Science Education at Indiana University and a former K–1 teacher specializing in inquiry-based, project-driven instruction.

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Blog Posts:

Saturday Science: Learning, Melting, and Balloon Mishaps - 4/20/25

Play, Questions, and Purpose: Reflecting on Our April 16 Presentation - 4/16/25

A Moment of Connection at INAEYC - 3/29/25

Building Transfer in Elementary Science -
11/10/24

Embracing the Mess: Learning Through Exploration - 10/25/24

Investigating Bubbles: A Playful Path to Scientific Thinking - 11/2/22





     

Bio:

My name is Alexis Markavage, and I am a Ph.D. student in Science Education at Indiana University. My professional journey began in 2014 as an afterschool program leader at a Title 1 elementary school in my hometown near San Francisco. Although I originally studied fine art and graphic design at the University of Southern California, I quickly discovered that my creativity thrived in the classroom setting. This realization led me to earn a teaching credential and spend seven years teaching kindergarten and first grade in San Francisco, where I developed a strong interest in inquiry-based and project-driven learning.

Throughout my teaching career, I sought to make learning meaningful and accessible, especially in under-resourced schools. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I turned to STEM as a powerful way to re-engage students and foster academic resilience. What began as a single classroom project using recycled materials evolved into a larger commitment to hands-on, collaborative science learning. In 2022, I earned a Master’s degree in STEM Instructional Leadership from Johns Hopkins University, where I explored the broader challenges and opportunities for STEM implementation in early elementary education.

Now, as a researcher, I am particularly interested in how play, inquiry, and integrated science instruction can support student learning and promote teacher confidence. My work focuses on helping generalist elementary educators implement STEM and STEAM experiences without requiring extensive resources or specialized training. At Indiana University, I am developing a traveling exhibit titled Pop-Up Science Sparks, supported by the Daisy M. and Vivian L. Jones Fellowship Award. This rotating science display is designed to engage students in fundamental science concepts while providing educators with resources to extend those explorations back into the classroom.

In addition to my academic work, I am the creator of Think Big Primary, a curriculum design store on Teachers Pay Teachers, where I share original teaching resources to support playful, purposeful instruction in early elementary classrooms. I believe that all learners, regardless of age, are capable of deep, critical thinking when given meaningful opportunities to explore ideas. Through this platform, I strive to provide teachers with high-quality, practical materials that make complex concepts more approachable, especially in areas where they may feel less confident. My goal is to make rigorous, developmentally appropriate science learning both engaging and accessible to every classroom.

My long-term goal is to contribute to teacher education and curriculum development that bridges research and practice. I hope to support educators in implementing innovative, student-centered approaches to science that foster curiosity, collaboration, and a strong academic foundation from the earliest grades.




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Current Role:
Ph.D. Student, Science Education
Indiana University, Bloomington
Associate Instructor, Teacher Development Program

Education:
  • Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction – Science Education, Indiana University (2024–present)
  • M.S. in Mind, Brain & Teaching + STEM Instructional Leadership, Johns Hopkins University
  • M.S. in Multiple Subject Teaching Credential (CA PreK–5)
  • B.A. in Fine Art (Graphic Design), University of Southern California

Professional Experience:
  • Science Curriculum Writer, EduSmart (2023–2024)
  • K/1 Public School Teacher, Creative Arts Charter, San Francisco (2016–2023)

Fellowships & Grants:
  • Daisy M. and Vivian L. Jones Fellowship ($5,000, 2025–2026): Funding for Pop-Up Science Sparks, a traveling science exhibit for elementary schools
  • E. Wayne Gross Memorial Fellowship ($3,250, 2025–2026): Action research on formative assessment strategies in preservice science education

Presentations:
  • INAEYC Early Childhood Conference (2025)
  • US Play Coalition Conference (2025)

Teaching:
  • E328: Science in the Elementary School (Preservice Teacher Methods Course)

Professional Service:
  • Committee Member, NARST Scholarship Committee (2025–2027)

Affiliations:
  • Graduate Student Member, NARST (2025–present)
  • Graduate Student Member, ASTE (2025–present)

Saturday Science: Learning, Melting, and Balloon Mishaps

4/20/25
Maddison and I with our beautiful hot air balloon


This past spring, I had the joy of co-leading a four-week Saturday science series for kindergarten and first-grade students called Science Quest: Let’s Heat Things Up! Alongside an undergraduate preservice teacher, Maddison, we welcomed about 10 young scientists each Saturday for hands-on heat-themed experiments. Our goals were twofold: give the preservice teacher a chance to teach and get paid in a fun, low-pressure environment, and offer children an engaging, curiosity-fueled experience outside the typical school day. I’d say both goals were met—with some melted chocolate and crayons, flying balloons, and valuable lessons along the way.

One of our highlights (and misadventures) came during our hot air balloon day. The kids successfully built mini tissue paper balloons that floated using hair dryers, but our grand finale didn’t go quite as planned. A gust of wind caught our large demo balloon mid-launch... and it ignited. Lesson learned! We’ll be rethinking that part of the experience for future safety and success.

Despite the fireball, the series was a hit. Here’s a quick outline of our weekly themes and standout activities:

🔥 Science Quest: Let’s Heat Things Up! – Weekly Highlights:

Week 1: How Do Animals Stay Warm?
  • Melted ice cube races using body heat
  • Built thermometers and igloos
  • Learned how reptiles and mammals regulate body temperature

Week 2: What Is a Greenhouse?
  • Tested insulating materials using warm water and thermometers
  • Built a large collaborative greenhouse with PVC pipes, tarps, and color-tinted windows
  • Planted seeds in mini greenhouses to take home

Week 3: Can Heat Make Things Move?
  • Water density experiment: hot vs. cold water
  • Created and launched mini hot air balloons
  • (Attempted) big balloon launch—note: wind + fire = no thanks

Week 4: Can We Build an Oven?
  • Designed solar ovens from cardboard boxes
  • Tested them under heat lamps with crayons and chocolate
  • Open-ended maker time for creative builds

Each week reinforced the idea that science isn’t just about right answers—it’s about wondering, testing, revising, and sharing the journey with others. The preservice teacher gained confidence in leading playful, inquiry-based learning. And the kids? They reminded us that discovery is at its best when it’s hands-on and a little unpredictable.

making an “insulated cup” to see if we could keep the heat in


Play, Questions, and Purpose: Reflecting on Our April 16 Presentation

4/16/25


On April 16, I had the opportunity to co-present a workshop with my friend and fellow IU Ph.D. student, Ryan Schaben, at the Play, Learning, and Inquiry Conference. Our session was called “Unlocking Purposeful Play: Asking Thought-Provoking Questions to Maintain Engagement and Deepen Learning.” It was designed for K–8 educators who, like us, believe in the power of curiosity and playful exploration in all subjects.

From the moment attendees walked in, we immersed them in an active provocation: building structures out of newspaper and tape. This hands-on challenge immediately sparked laughter, collaboration, and the kinds of “how” and “what if” questions we wanted to highlight throughout the session.

Our goal was to help teachers reimagine questioning, not as something to quiz kids, but as a tool to provoke thinking, deepen engagement, and fuel playful learning. We explored the research behind effective questioning, shared personal classroom stories, and introduced a framework for designing what we call “back-pocket questions” (a term we stole from Ambitious Science Teaching). These are open-ended prompts that educators can pull out at any moment to nudge student thinking without interrupting the flow of learning.

One of my favorite moments was watching teachers use our mystery tube activity to generate their own thoughtful questions. Many admitted they felt uncertain at first, but then found themselves having fun and thinking more deeply than expected. It mirrored what often happens with students: playful learning can feel unfamiliar at first, but it creates the space for wonder, struggle, and discovery.

At the heart of our session were two big takeaways:
  • Play isn’t a break from learning—it is learning.
  • Asking better questions leads to better thinking.

We left feeling energized by the conversations and hopeful that even small shifts—like waiting longer after asking a question or replacing “why” with “what do you notice?”—can make a meaningful impact in classrooms.

And the best part? We built this session together, as two educators who believe that learning should be joyful, collaborative, and full of questions worth asking.

These newspaper collaborations were made with strangers in small groups. It shows how one prompt to make a structure from newspaper can be interpretted and executed so differently from group to group!






A Moment of Connection at INAEYC

3/29/25


On March 29, I had the privilege of presenting at the Indiana Early Childhood Conference in Indianapolis, leading a session on integrating playful learning in K–1 classrooms. I came prepared to share frameworks and strategies, but what I took home was something more meaningful: connection and reflection.

One preschool teacher told me at the end of my session how impactful it was to hear that classroom materials should be treated as a gift to children, not something teachers still consider their own. That simple reframing opened up a whole new way for her to think about her classroom space and her role within it. I’m so glad that was an important takeaway for her. It was something I had to learn throughout my own experience as a teacher, and once I did, I began to see my role as a teacher and my classroom as a shared experience with my students rather than a nagging daily job.

Even after the session ended, two other attendees stayed and talked with me for over an hour. Our conversation circled around a shared belief: that allowing children more space for discovery and inquiry can be a game-changer for behavior and engagement. We swapped stories, reflected on challenges, and envisioned more joyful, student-led classrooms.

The conference was a beautiful reminder that early childhood educators are deeply committed to finding ways to center curiosity, connection, and care in their classrooms. I’m grateful to have been part of that conversation in Indianapolis.

Selfie with my friend Sohheon Yang, a fellow IU grad student who spoke at INAEYC 2025.

Building Transfer in Elementary Science
11/10/24

This year, as a first-year Ph.D. student in Science Education at Indiana University, I’ve been learning just as much as the students I teach. One of my main responsibilities has been leading a science methods course for undergraduate preservice teachers. A foundational idea we’ve returned to throughout the semester is the concept of transfer. This is something I admittedly hadn’t considered much during my own years as a classroom teacher.

In the context of science education, transfer refers to a student’s ability to apply knowledge and skills learned in one context to new and unfamiliar situations. It’s what bridges classroom instruction and real-world thinking. When students develop the capacity to transfer, they’re not just learning science facts, they’re learning how to think scientifically.

This spring, we explored transfer through a thoughtfully sequenced unit inspired by Ambitious Science Teaching’s Ice Cream Unit for Grade 2. Rather than front-load students with vocabulary or textbook explanations, we began with an experience—making ice cream in a bag. It was playful, messy, and immediately engaging. But more importantly, it opened the door to some rich scientific thinking.

Building Transfer Step by Step:

  1. Grounding Concepts in Experience - The ice cream activity introduced heat transfer in a tangible way. Students could feel the cold seeping through the bag, notice how the ingredients changed state, and begin asking questions rooted in observation.
  2. Extending Through Investigation - We followed with a color-diffusion experiment using hot and cold water. Students began to link temperature with molecular behavior—constructing explanations based on what they observed, not what they were told.
  3. Modeling Molecular Motion - Using Legos, students modeled the arrangement of particles in solids and liquids. This gave them a concrete way to represent abstract ideas and connect their experience back to observable phenomena.
  4. Applying Understanding - Students then examined classroom materials to identify physical properties and predict behaviors, using their growing understanding of particles and states of matter.



What Transfer Looks Like in Practice: True transfer isn’t just about recalling a definition. It’s about taking what was learned while doing and using that understanding to interpret new experiences. When students use prior investigations to explain a new phenomenon, they're showing that transfer is taking place.

5 Ways to Support Transfer in Elementary Science:

  1. Start with Experience - Begin with a hands-on activity before explaining the concept. Let students observe and question before defining terms.
  2. Use Real-World Contexts - Ground investigations in familiar scenarios—like food, weather, or play—to help students connect school and home life.
  3. Integrate Across Subjects - Make connections between science and literacy, math, or the arts. For example, writing about the steps in an investigation supports both language development and metacognition.
  4. Promote Critical Thinking - Encourage students to make predictions, test ideas, and revise their thinking. Scaffold these opportunities with sentence starters or discussion routines.
  5. Make Learning Visible - Use models, drawings, or student-led presentations to externalize thinking. Reflection activities help students articulate what they’ve learned and how it connects.

Science instruction can feel messy (both literally and figuratively). But when students are given opportunities to do science before being asked to explain it, we’re not just teaching content, we’re nurturing scientific thinking.

The next time you plan a unit, consider what opportunities your students have to transfer their knowledge. How are your lessons building from one another to create lasting understanding?


References
Chinn, C. A., & Iordanou, K. (n.d.). Theories of Learning.
Ambitious Science Teaching. (n.d.). Ice Cream Unit Grade 2 Teacher Guide.
Embracing the Mess: Learning Through Exploration

10/25/24

As educators, our natural impulse is often to contain the mess—to keep materials tidy and children clean. Yet we know from experience and research that meaningful learning often arises from the moments when students are fully immersed in doing. Some of their most enduring memories are made when they’re allowed to get their hands dirty in the process of discovery.

In the early grades, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize hands-on engagement with the natural world. For example, standard K-ESS2-2 from Earth’s Systems encourages students to “construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs.” What better way to understand this than by digging into the soil, observing roots, or watching insects interact with their surroundings?

While I offer science resources and writing extensions on Teachers Pay Teachers that help students synthesize their learning, I believe that conceptual understanding begins with physical exploration. Worksheets and writing activities serve as important complements, but it is the messy, sensory-rich experience that often cements ideas in young learners’ minds.



One of my favorite classroom projects involved creating miniature tide pools. Students worked in teams to design small aquatic habitats using found materials. Although the resulting tide pools were messy (and a bit slimy), the learning was rich. Instead of keeping the models, we documented the work with photographs and held presentations where each group shared their process and observations. The experience fostered not only science understanding but also teamwork, resilience, and pride in their work.



Another memorable example came from an old GEMS guide focused on tree habitats. We built a large “classroom tree” out of cardboard boxes and tubes, then painted it and added paper leaves. It became a shared space for imaginative play and discussion, illustrating how open-ended projects can help young students build deep connections to scientific ideas.

In a world that sometimes values neatness over curiosity, I encourage educators to let go—at least a little. Let your students get messy. Let them wonder, create, and explore. Learning can be unpredictable and untidy, but those are often the moments that matter most.

Investigating Bubbles: A Playful Path to Scientific Thinking

11/2/22


Spring and summer offer ideal conditions for bringing science learning outdoors. One engaging way to spark student curiosity across grade levels is through the exploration of bubbles. This seemingly simple activity introduces key scientific principles in a hands-on, inquiry-based format that supports both early and advanced learners.

Soap bubbles provide a perfect entry point into the concept of surface tension. The cohesive forces between liquid molecules cause them to stick together and minimize surface area, always resulting in a sphere. Regardless of the shape of the bubble wand, the soap film will naturally form a round bubble due to these molecular interactions. This phenomenon opens up rich opportunities for exploring properties of matter, force, and shape.

Here are three accessible methods for bubble investigations that offer increasing complexity and creative variation...

Pipe Cleaner Bubble Wand: This is a tactile, shape-focused method. Students form pipe cleaners into different shapes—circles, squares, and hearts—then observe how all the bubbles, regardless of wand design, remain spherical. This reinforces the concept that physical forces, not just wand shape, influence the bubble’s form.

Straw String Bubble Wand: In this version, a loop of string is threaded through two straws. When dipped into bubble solution and gently pulled apart, a flat soap film forms. Students can blow through the middle to create individual bubbles or experiment with the geometry of the film. This setup offers opportunities to explore airflow, surface area, and cause-and-effect relationships.

Large Dowel Wand: Using string and wooden dowels, students can build a larger-scale version of the bubble wand. This approach invites exploration of engineering and design, as students walk backward to expand the soap film into enormous bubbles. It's ideal for intermediate grades and integrates well with NGSS crosscutting concepts such as structure and function.