Misconceptions Using students ideas to create effective teaching Dave Henry Buffalo State College

Outline Review of why we are interested in misconceptions Using the Core Specific examples –Power of pictures –Using assessment BEFORE instruction: Heart, circulation –Temperature –Discussion of other examples

Use the Core to support your teaching What is the most important goal for elementary science? Be sure to understand what content is in the core and, more importantly, what is NOT in the core. –Solar system –Electricity

Power of Pictures Pictures are sometimes a powerful catalyst for creating mental models. Sometimes we use a picture to help students understand, but how they integrate the picture into their understanding can be very different from what we intend.

Text Picture describing Photosynthesis

Examples for intermediate exams

Exploring student ideas using a model of a light bulb

After our initial exploration in students’ ideas about the path of electric current and what might change that flow, we used Christmas tree bulbs to explore the Short Circuit Idea Dakotah: “Yes, I think the third wire is being skipped and just keeps flowing through.” Eric: “No, it won’t light because the wire is blocking the electricity” Stephanie: “Yes, the electricity is going from the battery through the third wire to the bulb then through the third wire again and back to the battery.” Josh: “Yes, because the electricity can’t go through the third wire.” Sample of student quotes when asked if the bulb will stay lit when the extra wire is placed in the circuit

Sample Item from a student. Think about what we know about this student’s thinking.

Temperature What is temperature? Predictions of temperature of blocks Discussion of ideas Observations