Listen to a fifth-grader’s explanation of how a flashlight lights up at the start and end of a science unit. Consider the rich experiences and forms of reasoning he draws on throughout, and the ways in which the unit supports him in revising aspects of his thinking.
Eliciting students’ knowledge and experiences, and supporting students in working with these ideas over time and coordinating them with additional ideas and experiences, can promote meaningful sensemaking and an understanding that ideas evolve in science.
See how iterating on an explanation can support the development of student understanding: Novak, A. M., & Treagust, D. F. (2022). Supporting the development of scientific understanding when constructing an evolving explanation. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 4(3).
In this video, second-graders take on the...
Listen to Debbie Diaz describe her journey toward science, from being a student shut out from science, to a teacher who believed in her students, and now to becoming a science curriculum specialist for Seattle Public Schools.
Phenomenon- and modeling-based unit in a third-grade classroom.
This site is primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award #1907471 and #1315995