developing students' reasoning skills in science

Training on Student Centered Approaches for Science Education

Developing Science Reasoning Skills

RTTC Kandal, March 2010

Content

1.Agreement circles

2.Donuts

3. In the Fishbowl

4.Moral Continuum

5.Odd One Out

6.Thought Experiments

Objectives

Why stimulate students’ reasoning skills?

– Students use scientific terminology – Students justify their ideas– Students listen and react to each other’s arguments– Students respect other opinions– Students explain science in their own words– Students learn from each other– Students learn to clarify values– Teachers identify misconceptions with students– Teachers learn from students

Agreement Circles

• Challenging statement– Start in one circle– Agree or disagree– Position in inner/ outer circle– Convince each other– Change between inner/ outer

circle– Find strong arguments– Make synthesis

• Application– Start or end of lesson– 10 to 15 minutes

Courtesy Ell Brown

Possible Statements for Agreement Circles

Physics: Energy

1. Energy is a material that is stored in an object

2. The faster an object moves, the more energy it has

3. Energy is a type of fuel, which we should use wisely in order to avoid an “energy crisis”

4. Energy can never be created or destroyed

5. When energy changes from one form to another, heat is usually given off

Possible Statements for Agreement Circles

Chemistry: Atoms and molecules

1. Atoms can be seen with a microscope.

2. Atoms have electrons circling them like planets around a star.

3. Molecules expand when heated.

4. There is air between the atoms in a molecule

Possible Statements for Agreement Circles

Earth Science: Planets

1. The Earth is the center of the solar system.

2. Jupiter is the largest object of the Solar system.

3. Pluto is the most-distant and last object in the solar system.

4. The Sun and the Earth have approx. the same age.

5. Earth, Mars and Venus are comparable in size and density

Possible Statements for Agreement Circles

Biology: Nutrition in Plants

1. Leaves must be large in order to present a large surface area to sunlight.

2. Water is important in photosynthesis because its hydrogen and oxygen atoms are used to make the carbohydrate.

3. The rate of photosynthesis increases as light intensity increases

Possible Statements for Agreement Circles

Statements about HIV/ AIDS

1. HIV is the same as AIDS.

2. HIV+ people with no symptoms cannot transmit the virus.

3. HIV can be transmitted by insect bites.

4. HIV survives for a long time outside of the body.

5. HIV only affects humans.

Tips

Explicitly discuss strong and wrong arguments

Provide opportunities for students to come up with new statements

Donuts

• Why “donuts”?– Two circles (or lines) of students

facing each other– Pairs dialogue for 1 minute about a

scientific question– Students in one circle move on– New pairs start discussion again– Repeat a few times– How do discussions evolve?

• Application– Start: review previous lesson– Start: introduction to new topic

Courtesy Nana Mikiko

Donuts

What does the teacher do?

– Walk around during activity, make mental notes and use information for discussion

– Feed arguments where discussion stops– Round up arguments: write pro and contra on board

Courtesy Ricky Tes

Donuts: possible statements

Biology

– Should we encourage people to have their DNA tested for inheritable diseases?

– Should we allow tests on living animals for scientific purposes?

Courtesy Steven Schroeder

Donuts: possible statements

Earth Science

– Should we invest in a manned space mission to Mars?– Should we build dams on the Mekong to provide hydro-energy?– Should we invest money now to fight global warming?– Do local communities have the right to cut down trees for

agriculture?

Donuts: possible statements

Physics

– Are our observations influenced by our prior knowledge – Can we solve our fossil energy problem with technology?– Why does a big oil tanker float?

Donuts: possible statements

Chemistry

– Explain each other which acids and bases you use in daily life– Should we destroy all atomic bombs?

In the fishbowl

• Steps– Introduce topic (open-ended statement)– Group of students discusses statement in front

of class – Others observe and take notes– Afterwards, ask questions and give comments

• Application– Stage 2/3 (after instruction, no test)– Possibly after reading assignment– Time use: 10 minutes

In the fishbowl

What does teacher do?• Facilitate discussion

– Everyone gets involved– Feed when discussion stops– Synthesize arguments (do you mean that…,)

• Make mental notes– Misconceptions– Incorrect arguments– Good formulations

In the fishbowl: possible statements

Physics

– Is air necessary for gravity to act on an object?– Does the wind have energy? – Would you prefer to carry an amount of water with one bucket or

two? Why?

In the fishbowl: possible statements

Earth science

– Life would be impossible without the greenhouse effect– Humans are capable of organizing a manned space mission to

one of the outer planets.– Convince an extraterrestrial visitor that the Earth orbits the Sun

In the fishbowl: possible statements

Biology

– Should we allow vivisection (testing on living animals)?– Should we pay local people to preserve the forests in their area?– How can we stop deforestation?

In the fishbowl: possible statements

Chemistry

– Why doesn’t oil mix with water?– Do chemical reactions continue until all the reactants are

exhausted?– How is magnetism important in our daily lives?

Moral Continuum

• “Continuum”:– Opinions not black or white– Listen to different viewpoints

• “Moral”:– Very suitable for ethical

questions (also policy issues)

• Application– Stage 3– Time: 15-20 min

Yes

No

Moral Continuum

– Read aloud a statement students can agree or disagree with– Let students take position along U-shape line– Let some students justify their position– Let students reposition themselves– Organize class discussion & synthesis

Moral Continuum

• Option: Sequence of related statements

– First, use a general statement on the topic– Repeat with a second, more specific statement– Students reposition themselves along the U based on their view– Ask some students to defend their position– Read another , personal statement and repeat steps

Moral Continuum

Examples:

– Statement 1: Do you support that women carry a baby for someone else (surrogacy)?

– Statement 2: Would you accept that your sister carries a baby for someone else?

Moral Continuum: possible statements

Earth Science

1. Would you remove building houses on hills that are prone to landslides?

2. Should developing countries pay to fight global warming?3. Should we pay now to fight future global warming?

Moral Continuum: possible statements

Biology

1. Should we use living animals for research on new medicines?2. Is relief of pain always a good thing?3. Is cloning of humans ethical and should it be done?4. Should we allow the harvesting of organs for organ transplant

without explicit permission?5. Should newly developed but expensive medication be made

accessible for everyone?

Moral Continuum variations

Integrate moral continuum activity with video

- Let student position themselves before and after watching a video (e.g. on deforestation)

- Students justify their position and changes they made

Moral continuum variations

Make a “living” bar graph

– Discrete range of answer categories (strongly agree, rather agree, neutral…)

– Mark space for each category in front of class– Students position themselves in one category– Class discussion

Courtesy tonmoykaushik

Odd One Out

• Step-by-step– Students discuss list in small groups– Try to reach consensus on odd one in the group– Class discussion & synthesis

• Application– Stage 3: deepening understanding

Courtesy Thomas Pix

Odd One Out: Examples

Chemistry

Which is the odd one?

Why is it the odd one out?

Weight

Density

Length

Color

Which is the odd one?

Why is it the odd one out?

Water

Dry ice

Iodine

Sulfuric acid

Properties of matter Properties of matter

Odd One Out: Examples

Physics/ Chemistry

Which is the odd one?

Why is it the odd one out?

Volt

Ampere

Ohm

Watt

Which is the odd one?

Why is it the odd one out?

α- rays

β- rays

γ- rays

X- rays

Radiation SI units

Odd One Out: Examples

Biology

Which is the odd one?

Why is it the odd one out?

Secondary oocyte

Primary oocyte

Sperm

zygote

Which is the odd one?

Why is it the odd one out?

Root hair

Xylem cells

Fiber

Stoma

Fertilization Transportation in plants

Odd One Out: Examples

Earth science

Which is the odd one? Why is it the odd one out?

Earth

Jupiter

Mercury

Mars

Planets of the Solar System

Odd One Out: Examples

Which is the odd one?

Why is it the odd one out?

Cell wall

Chlorophyll

Photosynthesis

vacuole

Biology

Structure of the cell

Thought experiments

Reason about what would happen in a particular situation (no real-life experiment)

– Apply science knowledge– Deep thinking– Connect with prior knowledge

Thought experiments

• Step-by-step– Presentation of situation with pictures, stories, text…– Students discuss and record answer– Class discussion & synthesis

• Application– Stage 3: deepen understanding– 20 minutes

Thought experiments: examples

• Earth Science– “How would a ball fall if it were possible to drop a heat-resistant ball

through a hole drilled all the way through the Earth, starting and ending on opposite sides of the Earth?”

• Physics– “a. Imagine a ball gliding downward from a slope (without any friction). It

starts with an original speed v(0). How will this speed change?– b. Imagine a ball gliding upward on a slope (without any friction). It

starts with an original speed v(0). How will the speed change?– c. Imagine a ball gliding on a horizontal plane; It starts with an original

speed v0. How will the speed change?

Thought experiments: examples

• Biology- Suppose that the temperature in Cambodia increases with 2°C. What

would happen with the environment?- While cruising on the sea, your boat was attacked by pirates and you

were set adrift in a rescue boat. The only things you find on board were a large piece of tarpaulin, some empty jerry cans and some nylon thread. You are very hungry and thirsty. What can you do to obtain potable water?

• Chemistry - What would happen to a filled water balloon as it is pulled to the bottom

of the ocean? - What would happen to the oceans if the atmosphere suddenly

disappeared?