Kate McQueen
Tentative Nature of Science Unit
-With interventions for a specific studentWhole Class Science Lesson Plans: each 30 minutes
Monday
Week 1
Written Response
on personal past
misconceptions
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Evaluating
Perspective
Pictures Activity
Observation
versus inference
lesson: Tube
string apparatus
Great Fossil Find
Class Discussion
on the tentative
nature of science
The Blind Men
and the Elephant
Parable story and
Written
Reflection
“Earth is Flat”
(Pluto Gets a
Demotion/ Earth
is the center of
the Universe)
Lesson
Class Research
Time in books,
magazines,
newspapers, or
internet on areas
of question in
science
Class Sharing of
areas of science
in question found
Be prepared to
answer
questions/address
misconceptions
about Scientific
Law versus
Theory
Class Discussion
on Tentative
Nature of
Science,
examples given
from the whole
week, Written
Reflection
Week 2
Boy, Were We
Wrong About the
Solar System by
Kudinski
with
Class Discussion
on the tentative
nature of science
Specific Misconception Intervention Sessions with Jim: each 20 minutes
Monday
Week 1
Intervention 1:
One-on-one
discussion of his
written response
on past
misperceptions
Tuesday
Wednesday
Intervention 2:
Give him
materials to
make an
electrical circuit
with different
materials than
before, (different
# of wires, potato
as a power
source, etc.)
Thursday
Friday
Intervention 3:
One-on-one
discussion with
student about
how his ideas
changed
throughout the
Fossil Find,
Have him write a
reflection on how
his thoughts
evolved and
changed with
new information
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Week 2
Intervention 4:
Popcorn
Experiment
revisited with
different and/or
modified
popcorn. Discuss
with Jim the
different beliefs
from the past.
Intervention 5:
Discuss his
research to make
sure he is on
track. Ask if the
people who
would not
believe that the
earth was round
where being
flexible.
Intervention 6:
Touchstone,
revisit and give,
a summary of all
the examples of
how scientific
knowledge had
flexed and
changed over the
centuries, how
his mind had
changed during
the fossil find,
the circuit with
new materials,
and the various
popcorns. Have
him write a
response on his
understanding of
the tentative
nature of science.
Week One:
Monday’s Class
The session will start with a start with a class discussion on what types of ideas that they
believed in kindergarten that they now understand to not be true. It is important to note that I am
assuming that I have helped built a strong sense of community and respect that mistakes are
learning opportunities within this classroom. I will share that when I was a child, I believed that
clouds were produced in a factory on the west side of Cleveland and pumped into the sky via
tubes.
After writing some ideas from the discussion on the white board, the students will be asked to do
a free write response on one or more of their past misconceptions.
Jim’s Intervention 1:
During my intervention time with Jim, we will have a one-on-one discussion of his
written response on past misperceptions. I will have him share his free write and I will assess if
he was able to identify a past misperception. If he did not, we will discuss some ideas until one is
identified. If he did already identify a misperception, I will ask him why he believed it to be true
in the first place and what information or event caused him to change his mind.
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Tuesday’s Class
Evaluating Perspectives Lesson
The students will be shown a series of pictures that trick the eye. Students will be asked
to look at the pictures and describe in their journals what they see going on in the photograph.
They will be asked to describe what the picture is trying to imply is happening. They will be ask
to compare what they think is actually happening to what is being implied and how they think it
is being accomplished. The class will then come together and share their thoughts. The idea that
things are not always as they initially seem will be presented.
Photo examples:
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Wednesday’s Class:
Observation versus Inference lesson: Pull string apparatus (Directly from E548)
The class will observe the teacher using the pull string apparatus and make a chart of empirical
data. Then the class will make a chart of what they infer. The students will then be given
materials to investigate if they can make a working model of the string pull apparatus based on
their inferences on how it was constructed.
Jim’s Intervention 2:
To respond directly to Jim’s unwillingness to retest his working circuit or to discover if
there are other ways, the student will be require to do so. He will be given a new, different set of
circuit materials with two wires and a circuit board. He will be instructed that he has to make the
light bulb light up but cannot use the same confiquiration that he did before. Once he has
completed a new circuit, he will be asked “What are the similarities to the old circuit and the
differences?” Since he has found two systems that work to light the bulb, can there be more?
While he is working on that, I will be seated next to him for questions and motivation.
During this time, I will be setting up a potato battery circuit as found on the Instructables
website.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Potato-Battery-Driven-LED/?ALLSTEPS
After he is done with his circuit but before I light the LED bulb with the potatoes, I will ask
him if he thinks that it is possible to light the bulb without a traditional battery. He will be asked
why or why not. What is his evidence? I will them light the bulb and ask what he thinks now that
a third circuit system has been investigated. He will be asked to free write about these
investigations at home tonight.
Thursday’s Class
The class will participate in the Great Fossil Find investigation. (Directly from E548)
The definition of the tentative nature of science will be revisited at the start of the lesson. While
walking around during the investigation as well as in the wrap up discussion, I will make sure to
ask Jim’s response and explanations to Question #3 Did any of your group members resist
changing in light of new information? Question #4 Did the information from another group
influence your assumptions? As well as question #6 If this ‘fossil find’ scenario is typical of the
work of scientists, what features of the nature of science does it demonstrate?
Friday’s Class
The students will be shown a video reading of The Blind Men and the Elephant Parable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkpBMg023Fg
They will be asked to identify when the blind men were making observations and when they
were making inferences. In a literary response in there science notebooks, the students will be
asked to relate this story to the Great Fossil Find investigation, the Observation and Inference
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Lesson as well their own stories of early misconceptions from the beginning of the week. They
will be given the majority of the 30 minutes to write this reflection.
Jim’s Intervention 3:
Jim and I will have a one-on-one discussion about how his ideas evolved from the start of
the Fossil Find, during the middle and at the end. I will have him write a reflection on how his
thoughts evolved and changed as new information was presented.
Week Two:
Monday’s Class:
This class will start out with a reading of Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System
by Kudinski, We will have a class discussion on the examples of the tentative nature of science
shown throughout this book. To emphasize to the class that we still not completely sure about the
details of our solar system, this current event article about the speculation of the existence of a
ninth planet beyond the orbit of the dwarf planet Pluto will be shared.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/05/120511-new-planet-solar-system-kuiper-beltspace-science/
Jim’s Intervention 4:
During my intervention time with Jim, we will discuss the different beliefs that turned out
to be true or false from the past mentioned in the read aloud book. I will ask him again if he
believes that all popcorn will float no matter what. Whatever his response, we will test that
theory. I will then put a piece of regular popcorn, a piece of caramel corn and a piece of popcorn
with a tiny buck shot or steel staple hidden in the puffed kernel into the water and discuss with
Jim his observations. I will ask if his theory was supported or disproved.
Tuesday’s Class:
“The Earth is Flat” Lesson
As a class we will discuss the disproven theories that the earth is flat, that it is the center
of the universe and that Pluto used to be considered a planet. Through lecture and discussion we
will look at the ideas that lead educated people to believe these ideas and the ideas and people
that helped to disprove these ideas. A brief written response will be written in the student’s
science notebook.
Wednesday’s Class:
The class will be given time to research in books, newspapers, and/or on the internet.
They will be asked to find topics that scientist do not agree on. I will prepare the class by
reminding them of the difference between scientific law and scientific theory. They will be
informed that they will be sharing the topics found the next day. If they do not find anything in
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the 30 minute time slot, it will be homework. Books, magazines and newspaper clippings will be
provided to take home if needed.
Jim’s Intervention 5:
During this intervention time, we will discuss his research idea to make sure he is on
track. We will discuss the important idea that human error is a real consideration in the process
of discovering things scientifically. We will revisit the definition and explanation of the
importance of the tentativeness and flexibility of scientific knowledge. I will ask if the people
who would not believe that the earth was round where being flexible or rigid in their thinking.
Where the scientist being flexible or rigid in their thinking?
Thursday’s Class:
The class will come together and informally share the topics or areas of science that are
disputed. I will be a vigilant facilitator of this discussion to avoid any misperceptions being
formed. I will be prepared to answer questions and address misconceptions about scientific law
versus scientific theory
Friday’s Class:
We will have another brief class discussion on tentative nature of science. I will ask for
specific examples given from the last two weeks of lessons. These examples will be written on
the board. If there are lulls in the discussion, I will bring up specific lessons and ask probing
questions about them. The student’s will then be asked to write a reflection on what they learned
about how scientific knowledge changes and why. They will be asked to include three examples
from our investigations, experiments and class discussion.
Jim’s Intervention 6:
Jim and I will come together for a last touchstone one-on-one discussion. I will ask him
to either verbally or in writing give three examples of how scientific knowledge had flexed and
changed over the centuries. I will ask him to also give three examples of how his mind had
changed during the fossil find, the circuit with new materials, and the various popcorns
investigation. I will have him write a response defining the tentative nature of science. This
might seem redundant from the last class activity but I want to make sure that he processes these
ideas repeatedly in writing.
At this point, Jim should have been able to see that scientific thought is not set in stone. If
he is still unclear or resistant about the tentative nature of science after this intensive two weeks
of hitting the topic, my next step would be getting in contact with the parents to notify them of
this specific goal and hopefully get them on board.