In a science class, Mr. Sumit brought some material. It was a water bottle, a glass and thick paper sheet. He poured water in the glass and put the thick paper sheet on it. Slowly and carefully, he inverted the glass and removed his hand from there. Learners were surprised that paper had stuck on the glass and water was not coming out.

Some students said that paper had glue inside while others said it had stuck due to water inside the bottle. What, according to you, was the objective of doing this task ?

(A) Help learners to understand that experiments are the principal route to scientific knowledge.

(B) Encourage learners to construct explanations based on their observations.

(C) Encourage learners to ask questions.

The correct answer is (A), (B) and (C).

In a science classroom, performing interactive and visually surprising demonstrations serves multiple pedagogical objectives:

1. Understanding the Role of Experiments (Statement A): By demonstrating that an inverted glass full of water covered by a paper sheet does not spill water (due to atmospheric pressure pushing up on the paper), Mr. Sumit shows students that science is tested and validated through real-world experimentation rather than just passive reading.

2. Constructing Explanations (Statement B): When students observed the phenomenon, they attempted to make sense of it using their existing knowledge (e.g., guessing that the paper had glue or that water caused it to stick). Such activities encourage learners to form hypotheses and construct explanations based on direct observation.

3. Encouraging Curiosity and Inquiry (Statement C): Surprising or counter-intuitive science demonstrations evoke wonder and curiosity, naturally motivating students to ask questions about why and how it happened.

Therefore, all three objectives—helping learners understand experiments as a key route to knowledge, encouraging them to construct explanations, and inspiring them to ask questions—are fully supported by this classroom task.