Teaching Children Science: A Project-Based Approach, 2/e

Joe Krajcik, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Charlene Czerniak, University of Toledo
Carl Berger, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

How Do Children Construct Understanding in Science?

THINKING ABOUT YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING

>Materials Needed:

Something to write with
If available, the Private Universe Project tapes (Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College, 1995)


1		Picture a tree seed. Next, picture an entire tree. How did the tree get its mass? Where did it come from? Answer these questions in your portfolio.



2		Contrast your answers with those of a few classmates. What ideas do you and your classmates have about where the mass came from? Try to come to a consensus.



3		Look up the word photosynthesis in a science book and read about it. What are your thoughts now about how a tree gets its mass? How do these differ from your initial thoughts? How are they alike?



4		If available, watch some of the episodes of the Harvard Private Universe Project series. One of them centers on how a seed grows to be a tree. What are your reactions to students' understandings of science concepts?



5		Think about the types of understandings you have developed about science concepts. How often have you used your science ideas to explain phenomena in your daily life? List as many examples as you can in your portfolio.

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