Skip to content.

Dixie State College of Utah

Sections
Personal tools
 
Home » Elementary Education » Methods in Science » Week 7 – 10/10 and 10/15
Document Actions
  • Print this page
  • Send this page to somebody
  • Content View
  • Toggle full screen
  • Add Bookmarklet

Week 7 – 10/10 and 10/15

EDUC 4300

Week 7 – 10/10 and 10/15

Topics: Constructivism in Elementary Science Education

Review of first 3 Chapters:  what have you learned about teaching science? 

1.      Collect activities/lesson plans using the rocket activity from last week.  Did you include all 12 science processes?

2.      “constructing your ideas” section of the chapter – how much did you learn from going over the activities? Electrical conduction?  The pitch of sound?

3.      Collect science notebook.

Chapter 4:  Constructivism in Elementary Science Education

Basic Goals:

1.      To construct one’s own personal conceptualization of the constructivist approach to teaching and learning

2.      To apply constructivism to the teaching of science

3.      To investigate the application of principles of cognitive development to elementary science education

“The single most important factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows.”

            Quote by: David Ausubel in D.P. Ausubel, J.D. Novak, and H. Hanesian, Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View, 2nd ed. (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1978) p. iv

·         Jean Piaget (1896-1980):  focused on accommodation and assimilation, cognitive equilibration, elaborate

·         Use discrepant events to induce cognitive disequilibration.

o   Are coins magnetic?  (video)

o   Powerful Air: 

 Materials needed:  one sheet of newspaper, wooden pencil and yardstick

 Lay out an open sheet of newspaper on a table near the edge.  Put a pencil on the table so that half of it is under the newspaper and the other half sticks out over the edge of the desk.  Smooth out the sheet of newspaper so there is no air underneath it.  Now, hit the protruding part of the pencil with the yardstick.  The pencil breaks in two. While the newspaper barely moves.  Why? 

·         Mini activities by:  Renee (AM), and Josh, Jen and Megan (PM)

·         Hands-on Science Activities:  Group 1 (AM) and Group 1 (PM) on science as inquiry.

Assignment: 

1.      Pitch of sound:  watch the video clip on the companion CD and develop an activity using this principle

2.      Using one of the activities you have created and explain how you are using the constructivist’s approach to teach science.

Copyright 2007, by the Contributing Authors. Cite/attribute Resource. Week 7 – 10/10 and 10/15. (2007, December 17). Retrieved August 21, 2008, from Dixie State College of Utah Web site: http://pilot.educommons.usu.edu/dixiestate/education/methods-in-science/week-7-2013-10-10-and-10-15. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Creative Commons License