Case-Based Questions

Prepared by Mark A. Templin, University of Toledo

CASE 2

After several afternoons observing Mrs. Franklin's fifth and sixth grade science classes, you begin to notice some differences among how various students learn science. Your science methods instructor has given you an assignment to describe how each of two students learn during a particular science unit and to compare and contrast their learning. You focus on Rosalinda and Jonathon because they seem so different from each other.

Rosalinda seems relatively disinterested in Mrs. Franklin's presentation of high and low pressure systems and what kind of weather is associated with each. Although she is not a "behavior problem," she does not raise her hand or call out answers like many other students. This fact strikes you as odd because earlier when you had asked students to think about what made a hot air balloon rise into the air, Rosalinda was very forthcoming and was a leader in the discussion within her group. In fact, she seemed to know strategies that actually helped others come to clearer understanding. For example, she said,

I know that the air inside the balloon gets lighter because the air particles move faster and spread out farther when they hit each other, but I don't know about the pressure of the air-whether it's higher or lower. We need to figure that out. Jason, can you look up air pressure? You're good at finding things in our book.

Jonathon, on the other hand, listened intently to Mrs. Franklin's explanation and wrote notes to himself. When Mrs. Franklin assigned the class ten weather-related terms (e.g., isobar, barometric pressure, temperature, humidity, etc.) Jonathon got right to work and was among the first ones done writing the definitions for each term. On the science unit test he scored very well, answering all but one of Mrs. Franklin's multiple-choice questions correctly. During the group activity, when the students were asked to think about the workings of a hot air balloon, Jonathon did not contribute to the group other than to supply some definitions from his notes.

Privately, when you asked him to explain how the hot air balloon worked he said,

Hot air rises and it takes the balloon with it because it is inside.

You asked,

Why does that happen?

He thought for a long time and said,

I don't know.

Use what you found out about Rosalinda and Jonathon to answer the following questions.

1		What is inert knowledge? Give an example from this case. (Chapter Learning Performance 2.1)
2		What is meaningful knowledge? Give an example from this case. (Chapter Learning Performance 2.1)
3		What are content, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge? (Chapter Learning Performance 2.2)
4		What kinds of knowledge does Rosalinda possess about air? (Chapter Learning Performance 2.2)
5		Compare and contrast Jonathon's and Rosalinda's knowledge about air. (Chapter Learning Performance 2.2)
6		What is a receptional approach to teaching and learning? What is an example of an activity from this case that is taught using a receptional approach? (Chapter Learning Performance 2.3)
7		What is a transformative approach and what is an example of an activity from this case that is taught using this approach? (Chapter Learning Performance 2.3)
8		Jonathon seems to be having trouble understanding what happens when air is heated to a higher temperature within a hot air balloon. Suggest three scaffolds that you would use to help Jonathon and defend why each scaffold is appropriate for helping him. (Chapter Learning Performance 2.6)
9		How do authentic tasks help young women with minority backgrounds, like Rosalinda, participate and stay interested in science? (Chapter Learning Performance 2.7)
10		Mrs. Franklin has told you that you can teach the class about precipitation. Develop a lesson that will help both Rosalinda and Jonathon understand what causes changes in our weather like rain. (Chapter Learning Performance 2.5)
11		Analyze the lesson you developed in Question 10. What features of a social constructivist model of teaching and learning does your lesson have? Use the Scale for Evaluating the Degree of Constructivist Learning (p. 51 of your textbook) to help you analyze your lesson. (Chapter Learning Performance 2.4)