aiming for deep and enduring understanding. six facets of understanding explanation interpretation...
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Aiming for Deep and Aiming for Deep and Enduring UnderstandingEnduring Understanding
Six Facets of UnderstandingSix Facets of Understanding
• Explanation • Interpretation• Application• Perspective• Empathy• Self-Knowledge
Enduring Understanding:Enduring Understanding:
• Understand how the relative movements of the Earth, moon, and sun account for the observed moon phases.
Example ActivitiesExample Activities
• Here are some examples that show how each facet can be used as the basis of a Stage 3 activity aligned with the enduring understanding.
ExplanationExplanation
• Students use a light bulb (sun) and an orange (moon) to give an explanation of how the moon phases are formed from the perspective of Earth (their head).
InterpretationInterpretation
• Students research historical explanations of the phases of the Moon (e.g. Aristotle, Plutarch, cultural stories, etc.).
ApplicationApplication
• Students are given Galileo’s original 1612 drawing of the phases of Venus. Using a light bulb and an orange, students verify these observations and document the relative positions of the sun, Venus, and Earth that produce these phases.
PerspectivePerspective
• Students are shown a picture of the Earth from the moon when the Earth is in a waning gibbous phase and then they discuss the relationship of the sun-Earth-moon positions that account for Earth’s appearance.
EmpathyEmpathy
• Students consider the following scenario: A visitor from another planet, a female alien named Myrna, visited your school last weekend. Myrna’s planet has no moons orbiting it. Put yourself in Myrna’s place. What might it be like to live on a planet without a moon? How might life on Earth be different without a moon?
Self-KnowledgeSelf-Knowledge
• Students in small groups compare their postconception quiz with their preconception quiz and discuss how their answers changed.
Examining UnitsExamining Units
• Look for Stage 3 activities that effectively use the six facets to promote deep and enduring understanding.