Addressing Misconceptions through Curriculum Design

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Addressing Misconceptionsthrough Curriculum
Design

• STANYS Annual Conference 2008
• Intermediate Level Science Luncheon
• Kathaleen Burke kathaleenburke1_at_mac.com
• Buffalo Science Teachers Network
• Nov. 3, 2008

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Reality
Satisfaction
Expectations
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Preconceived notionsNonscientific
beliefsConceptual misunderstandingsVernacular
misconceptionsFactual misconceptions

• We know theyre there!
• Lets talk about what to do about them.

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• Acknowledgements
• These curriculum materials were inspired by the
  need of the Buffalo Science Teachers Network
  (BSTN) to find an effective way to increase
  student achievement on the New York State
  Intermediate Level Science Performance Test. As
  the BSTN Buffalo Public School District
  Coordinator for the project I began researching
  the relevant misconceptions surrounding density
  and the research- based approaches to addressing
  conceptual change. The resulting format was field
  tested over two years. This was a collaborative
  effort involving several participants whose
  efforts I praise and acknowledge. Special thanks
  go to Dr. Rodney Doran, Professor Emeritus, SUNY,
  Buffalo. Primary field test teachers were Kelly
  Baudo, Amanda Dolan, Robert Tyrrell and Heather
  Schlegel. Robert Baxter and Steve Indalecio were
  involved in the first year of field testing.
  Field Test observers were Ted Anderson, Nick
  Hejaily and Carolyn Steele. Thanks also to Dr.
  Robin Harris, BSTN Project Director and Maureen
  Milligan, BSTN Project Administrator of the
  Teacher/Leader Quality Partnership grant.
• Resources
• A Private Universe. 1989, Cambridge, Mass.
  Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
• Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., and Cocking, R.
  R., 1999, How People Learn Brain, Mind,
  Experience and School, Washington,DC National
  Academy Press,
• Cuicchi, P., Winter, J., and Hamil, B., 2003, Fun
  with Buoyancy, The Science Teacher, Vol. 70 ( 6
  ) 42-45
• Eisenkraft, A., 2003, Expanding the 5E Model, The
  Science Teacher, Vol, 70(6) 56-59
• Libarkin, T., Crocket, C., and Sadler, P., 2003,
  Density on Dry Land. The Science Teacher, Vol, 70
  ( 6)46-50
• Lowery, L.F., 1990, The Biological Basis of
  Thinking and Learning, Berkeley, CA, Lawrence
  Hall of Science
• National Research Council, 1996, Science Teaching
  Reconsidered A Handbook, Washington, DC,
  National Academy Press
• Stepans, J., 2003, Targeting Students Science
  Misconceptions Physical Science ConceptsUsing
  the Conceptual Change Model, Tampa Showboard,
  Inc.

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Rosalind Driver, Roger Osborne Peter Freyberg,
Wynne Harlen (1980s)Lillian McDermott Jim
Minstrell (1990s-present)AAAS Benchmarks
(1993)Black and William (1998) meta-study of
formative assessmentHow Students Learn Science
(Donovan and Bransford, 2005)Taking Science to
School (Duschl, Schewingruber Shouse, 2007)
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ILST Results for Station 3
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Lab-log
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Activity Looking at Shadows 11/3/08Step 1-
Individually and in silence, record this question
on your science lab notebook sampler page.Key
QuestionDo shadows have 2 dimensions or 3
dimensions?Step 2 - Individually and in
silence,record your initial idea and evidence on
your science notebook sampler page.Initial Idea
and Evidence _____________________________________
___________________________
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Lab-log Thoughts about shadows
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Step 3- Now that you have had a chance to
articulate your own ideas discuss your response
with your group members. Record all the
different ideas and evidence that anyone has in a
table.
Lab-log

• Sample
• My Groups Ideas and Evidence
• KQ - Do shadows have 2 dimensions or 3
  dimensions?Ideas Evidence

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Step 4- Write down the materials that are
available to test the Key Question.______________
_______________________
Lab-log Initial plan

• Step 5- Write down a group plan to to test
  your ideas and gather quantitative evidence
  related to the Key Question.Try using the white
  space first.
• Steps to test ideas
• 1.
• Step 6 - Construct a data table to record your
  results. Obtain materials from a facilitator.
  Carry out your plan.

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Lab-log

• Step 7 - Graph your data
• Step 8 - Discuss the evidence from your data
  tables and graphs. Decide whether it supports or
  changes the thoughts you originally recorded.
• Step 9 - Record your final idea and the evidence
  that supports it.

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Step 1- Individually and in silence, record this
question on your science lab notebook sampler
page.

• Teachers and students must be engaged by
  essential science questions, preferably those
  identified as sources of misunderstanding of
  larger concepts, e.g. shadows and moon phases.
• Questions should be constructed to avoid creating
  misconceptions.
• e.g. Do shadows have volume? experience

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Step 2 - Individually and in silence, record your
initial idea and evidence on your science
notebook sampler page.

• The learner must articulate ideas based on own
  experiences before beginning new learning.
• The ideas should be written and honored.
• The learner must be challenged to provide
  evidence beyond opinion.
• Materials should not be visible. They will be
  viewed as clues to the right answer and
  interfere with learners own experience. (School
  of hard knocks)
• Ideas should not be treated as hypotheses or
  predictions. At this stage of experience
  neither is appropriate.

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Step 3- Now that you have had a chance to
articulate your own ideas discuss your response
with your group members. Record all the
different ideas and evidence that anyone has in a
table.

• The 21st century is all about post-constructivisim
  making individual meaning through experience
  shaped by language.
• Often, students own naïve understandings and
  what they learn in science class can exist
  simultaneously because students do not see any
  conflict between them.
• Publicly stating beliefs makes the personal brain
  meet the science class brain.
• Let your kids talk to each other and make sure
  they write it down.

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Step 4- Write down the materials that are
available to test the Key Question. Controlling
the materials promotes rather than limits
inquiry. (School of hard knocks)

• Step 5- Write down a group plan to to test your
  ideas and gather quantitative evidence related to
  the Key Question.Try using the white space
  first.Learners trust evidence gathered by
  personal plans.
• Groups members serve as reviewers and critical
  friends.
• Scientists revise plans as they work.

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Step 6 - Construct a data table to record your
results. Obtain materials from a facilitator.
Carry out your plan.Data tables reveal
experimental designStamp strategy moves groups
along at a productive pace.

• Step 7 - Graph your data
• Students should be able to use graphs to
  construct an evidence-based argument

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Step 8 - Discuss the evidence from your data
tables and graphs. Decide whether it supports or
changes the thoughts you originally
recorded.Step 9 - Record your final idea and
the evidence that supports it.Reflective
practice that honors student designed plans, data
collection and analysis as a source of evidence
for personal conceptual change.