Making Models

1
Making Models

• A New Exhibition at the
• Museum of Science, Boston

2
Educational Goals

• Provide visitors with practice in four science
  thinking skills associated with models
• Recognizing
• Assessing
• Using
• Creating

3
Recognizing models

• Presenting visitors with a variety of objects,
  some that they recognized as models, and others
  that they didnt, seemed to expand what they
  recognized as a model.

4
Assessing models

• Mystery games where visitors had to guess what a
  model represents helped them to assess what a
  model did and didnt tell them about the real
  thing.

5
Using models

• In a few cases, creating role-play scenarios
  helped visitors to begin using models and
  thinking of other ways the model might be useful.

6
Creating models

• The type of material we provided visitors
  predetermined the type and range of models
  visitors would create. Beaded chains and
  pipecleaners led visitors to create a wide range
  of models that were simple yet effective.

7
Creating mental models

• Mystery games engaged visitors in process of
  creating a mental model of something they could
  not directly see.

8
For more information.

• Christine Reich
• [phone]
• creich_at_mos.org