What Do Kids Know - and Misunderstand - about Science?
Author: Crockett, C.
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Publication Date: 2004, February
Journal: Educational Leadership
Journal Volume: 61(5)
Pages: 34-37
Available for purchase online at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb04/vol61/num05/abstract.aspx#What_Do_Kids_Know%e2%80%94and_Misunderstand%e2%80%94About_Scie
Abstract (written by WestEd)
Exposing misconceptions and incomplete understandings in science at the beginning of a lesson is recommended to help the teacher design activities that help students reflect on their knowledge and consider new ideas.
Crockett says that usable knowledge and usable ideas, correct or incorrect, help a student explain phenomena. Get students to identify their ideas and then clarify or challenge the validity of those ideas by applying the scientific method of inquiry and experimentation. Active classroom conversations help students and teachers examine ideas.
In the carousel activity, small groups of students "dump" as many ideas as they can in four minutes about a question for a new unit of study. Groups circulate through tables, each with a different question, reviewing prior responses and adding new ideas. Returning to their own table, they consider all the responses on their papers. Class discussion sums up and validates correct information and questions for further study.
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From WestEd.org
At WestEd we continuously examine the latest research about how teachers can more effectively present complex mathematics and science material, how districts and states can design and implement the best assessment strategies, and how policymakers can make informed decisions. This issue of R&D Alert highlights some of our knowledge and work in mathematics and science.
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