Brain-STEM:
Applications for the Classroom
Kenneth Wesson
Educational Consultant: Neuroscience
San Jose, CA
kenawesson@aol.com
Teaching Thinking vs. Lecturing
Who is more inclined to say the others “talk too much!” – Teachers or students?
Lecturing, the 2nd oldest form of teaching, comes from the Latin
lecture, meaning "to read aloud.”
Books - the earliest form of ed-tech (few and $$) → combined
with the lecture (“Audi – torium” not a “Think-a-torium”)
Argument and evidence:
Which Areas of the Plane Need More protection?
World War II: British Royal Air Force wanted to give their
planes increased protection from German fighters
and land-based anti-aircraft guns.
However, the heavy protective metal plates were entirely
too heavy to cover the entire plane → they collected
data on the location of bullet holes and shrapnel
holes on returning planes that had been shot to
determine where the planes had been hit = where
best to apply the protective plates.
Argument and Evidence:
Which Areas of the Plane Need More protection?
Given the picture below, where would you advise them
to add the protective plating for 1 area? 2 areas? 3
areas? 4 areas? 5 areas?
Argument and Evidence:
Which Areas of the Plane Need More protection?
Returning planes were more likely to have holes in the areas
that did the least amount of damage. Instead of adding
protective plating to the areas with the most holes, they
should reinforce the locations with no holes, because aircraft
shot in those particular areas did not return.
Brain-considerate Learning: PERC3S
There are five BC elements that the human brain seeks while
processing incoming stimuli for personal “meaning,” which
makes the information “memorable” and worth remembering.
(1) Patterns
(2) Emotions
(3) Relevance
(4) Context, Content, and Cognitively-appropriate
(5) Sense-making
Patterns, emotions, relevance, context, content and sense-making are
critical factors in driving (1) attention, (2) motivation, (3) learning,
(4) memory formation, and (5) recall. Collectively, these 5 factors are
the primary criteria for transfer into long-term memory storage.
Emotions and Learning
1. Students find that what they care about
becomes the easiest to learn; they
remember best what they understand.
2. Students don’t care what you know, until they
know that you care. (You can pay people to
teach, but you can’t pay them to care.)
3. “Students learn as much for a teacher
as they do from a teacher.”
Linda Darling-Hammond
Stanford University
Emotions Can Become a
Catalyst or an Obstacle to Learning
Afraid to “fail”
“Failure is not an Option”
Failure is nearly always a prerequisite
for future learning and success in
science. Most initial learning
occurs via trial-and-error.
In 60 seconds, draw a quick sketch
of the person sitting next to you.
Find the picture that looks like you
(or the artist can pass it to you,
if you don’t recognize yourself
in portrait) .
“I’m sorry.”
Would a child ever say that?
Who Owns The Learning?
We should allow students to experiment, to take
learning risks, and to test/play with their
ideas. When we do, we are giving them
permission to trust themselves and their
own intuition and inclinations, and
permission to think (often for the first
time), to learn and to grow.
We tried all the systems that had been tried
before. Then we tried our own systems,
and then, we tried some combinations
that no one had ever thought of. And
then, we flew.
-- Orville Wright
“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you will
never come up with anything original."
--Sir Ken Robinson
• EQ = 2 X more accurate as a basis for
predicting an individual’s lifetime creative
accomplishments than IQ.
• Jonathan Plucker (Indiana U): Creativity
(“CQ”) was 3X+ more accurate
• In our schools, we’ve replaced creativity with
compliance (through “standardized”
testing).
Although there are numerous
domains of STEM, they all rely on:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Observations → patterns
Questions (researchable questions about your ideas)
Hypotheses (predictions and claims)
Experiments (apply knowledge of discipline-related
concepts, content and procedures; models; replicable)
Data collection and analysis (standard units of
measurement; “a lot of…”; deduction; if-then analyses)
Evidence (data; patterns; pictures; oral/written reports)
Communication (discourse, precise language; “Am I on
the right course?”); explanations - logic, reasoning;
Theories (create, refine, revise or extend)
Paper Helicopter
Paper Helicopter:
Experimental/Observational/Hypothetical
Approach Of Modern Science
Observation: Successful engineers pay attention
1. In what direction did the propellers spin on your paper
helicopter: clockwise or counter clockwise?
Re-engineering:
2. What change can you make to your helicopter
(“re-engineering…”) that will cause the
propeller to spin in the opposite direction?
Brain-STEM:
Applications for the Classroom
Learning is Cumulative: Complexity
Generative knowledge/prior learning: What do you know
about…
• Freezing points
• Thermometers and temperature readings
• Celsius vs. Fahrenheit
• Cause-and-effect
• The three states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases
• Liquids that freeze and those that do not freeze at
32 degrees F
• Expanding and contracting
Freezing
temperatures cause most liquids to solidify
and contract.
Cognitive Constructions Dependent Upon a
Reorganization of Neural Connections (“Ah-hah”)
Initial learning; simple recognition and recall
Identifies context, categories and connections;
understands similarities and differences;
pictorial representation (1st level of abstraction);
Understands multiple relationships and
representational capacities; can solve problems;
understands relevance vs. extraneous; makes
inferences; the “fact” can be applied to a useful
skill or concept;
Complex and flexible thinking; strategic thinking;
create general theories/ hypotheses; multiple
answers/ multiple solutions; understands
systems; has depth and “repertoire”
(This issue of Science and Children received the 2011 Distinguished Achievement Award
recognizing it as the Best “One-Theme Issue” for an American Educational Journal in 2011)
From
Information to
Inquiry to
Investigations
What Does The Current Research Say
About the Learning of Science and…?
The real cause of failure in formal education
is essentially the fact that one begins
with language, instead of beginning with
real and material action. (Piaget, 1976)
A Framework for K-12
Science Education
 Children are born
investigators
 Understanding builds over time
 Science and Engineering require
both knowledge and practices
Problem-Solving with a Partner
In the state of Bihar (India) an alarmingly ↑ rate
of ♀ HS drop-outs.
Propose a solution to this problem with your
partner(s). What was their solution?
Solution: The government provided each
girl a free bicycle to help them with
the long (and often expensive) trip to
school.
The Heritage of the
Human Brain
Problem
Solution
Ask questions
Define the precise problem
Analyze assumptions
Analyze answers/available data
What is generic, specific and related
Call on relevant prior knowledge
Consult (people/references)
Plan investigation
Generate new questions
Use imagination/seek creative solutions
Repeat steps wherever necessary
A Framework for K-12
Science Education
 Children are born
investigators
 Understanding builds over time
 Science and Engineering require
both knowledge and practices
Learning Progressions
1. One disk + straw → Spinning top →
↓
2. Two disks + straw → a wheel-and-axle system
↓
3. Four disks + straws → a pair of two wheel-and-axle
systems
↓
Large disks vs small disks
Cardboard cart vs tongue depressor cart
↓
4. Create your own cart (applications, math, design,
engineering, art)
Engineering
• Creating solutions to problems (the work of engineers
who “engage in a systematic practice of design to
achieve solutions particular human problems” NRC, A Framework for K-12 Science Education,
2012, page 11)
• The success of their solution(s) is determined by how
well or satisfactorily it solves the problem (criteria)
• Solutions are limited by constraints (e.g., the available
materials, time, budget/costs, tools, conditions,
etc.,) and solutions do not occur in a “light bulb
experience.” Instead, they require a deliberate,
thoughtful, systematic design process.
In-depth Investigations and
Connected Learning Progressions
Part 1 - Students tackle an engineering challenge:
“Design a cart that will roll from one place to another.”
Engineering
Engineering challenge: Build a spinning top.
Step #1 - Research the problem/challenge
Step #2 - aBrainstorm
solutions
1. Criteria: construct
spinning
top that spins for seven
Step #3 - Design (draw/illustrate) what the
secondsproposed
or more.
solution would look like
Step #4 - Build a prototype of the design
2. Constraints:solution
(a) use only the materials provided, (b) you
#5top
- Testusing
the prototype
can spin Step
your
only your hands, and
Step #6 - Ifto
improvements
areand
needed
to your top.
(c) five minutes
construct
test
meet the stated criteria, revise or refine the
design/drawing
Use the following
items:
Step #7 – Build the new (“new and
• Stirring straws
improved”) prototype – an “optimized
solution”
• Large plastic
disks (red)
Step #8
Test the
revised solution
• Small plastic
disks
(yellow)
• Scissors
• stopwatch
Engineering
Conduct a formal investigation to answer the following
questions:
• Where should the disks be placed on the stirring straw
in order for the system to spin?
• Will the top spin longer if the disk is placed closer or
further away from the bottom of the system?
• How long will the disk spin if it is placed on the straw
o ½ inch from the bottom
o 1 inch from the bottom
o 2 inches from the bottom
o 3 inches from the bottom, or
o 4 inches from the bottom?
(record your data: What is the optimal design?)
Engineering
1. What seems to be the optimal distance to place
the disk from the bottom of the straw to get the
top to spin the greatest amount of time?
2. Will a larger disk spin longer than a smaller
disk placed the same distance from the
bottom of the straw?
3. If additional disks are added (more mass) to the
spinning system, will the amount of time that it
will spin increase or decrease?
4. record your data
Engineering
Your wheel-and-axle
system
can be made
Step #1 - Research
the problem/challenge
Step #2 - Brainstorm solutions
with the following
items:
Step #3 - Design (draw/illustrate) what the
•
•
•
•
2
4
4
1
proposed solution would look like
Stirring
straws
Step #4
- Build a prototype of the design
solution
Large
plastic disks (red) or
Step #5 - Test the prototype
Small
plastic
disks (yellow)
Step
#6 - If improvements
are needed to
the stated criteria, revise or refine the
pair meet
of
scissors
design/drawing
Step #7 – Build the new (“new and
improved”) prototype – an “optimized
solution”
Step #8 Test the revised solution
Engineering
Engineering challenge: Build a wheel-and-axle
system (transferring your knowledge from
the spinning tops).
1. Criteria: construct a wheel-and-axle system
that rolls at least 24 inches with a slight push.
2. Constraints: (a) use only the materials
provided, (b) your wheel-and-axle system
must roll 24 inches on its own
after one small push, and (c) you
have 5 minutes to construct and
test your wheel-and-axle system.
Engineering
Construct the wheel-and-axel system (Investigate the accompanying
questions and record your data using centimeters.)
1. Insert a green stirring straw through the center hole in a red or
yellow disk (identical to your spinning system) and roll it on
the table. What happened?
2. Add a second disk of the opposite color at the other end of the
straw and roll your wheel-and-axle system on the table. What
happened? Why?
3. Place two disks of the same color at each end of the straw
(now your former “spinning top” system has two disks at
the opposite ends of the straw instead of just one).
4. Now roll your wheel-and-axle system on the table. What happened
when a second disk of the same size was added? Why?
5. Will two large red disks in a wheel-and-axle system roll farther
than two small yellow disks? How could you find out?
Engineering
Your wheel-and-axle system can be made with the following
items:
• 2 Stirring straws
Step #1 - Research the problem/challenge
Step #2
- Brainstorm
• 4 Large plastic
disks
(red) orsolutions
Step #3
- Design
(draw/illustrate) what the
• 4 Small plastic
disks
(yellow)
proposed solution would look like
• 1 pair of scissors
Step #4 - Build a prototype of the design
solution
Step #5 - Test the prototype
Step #1 - Research
the problem/challenge
Step #6 - If improvements are needed to
(What is a wheel-and-axle
system?
meet the stated criteria,
reviseWhat
or refine the
design/drawing
are its constituent
parts? How do the
Step #7 – Build the new (“new and
parts work together?
What is a bearing?) *
improved”) prototype – an “optimized
solution”
Step #8 Test the revised solution
* CCSS –E/LA Standards application
Reading Informational Text at grade level
Engineering
Engineering challenge: Build a cart (based on
the knowledge
you gained from the wheelStep #1 - Research the problem/challenge
and-axle
system).
Step
#2 - Brainstorm solutions
Step #3 - Design (draw/illustrate) what the
proposed solution would look like
Step #4
- Build
a prototype of the
design
Criteria: design
and
construct
a 4-wheeled
cart
solution
that moves
one
place to another
Step #5from
- Test the
prototype
#6 - If improvements are needed to
(rolls 24Step
inches).
meet the stated criteria, revise or refine the
Constraints: design/drawing
(1) use only the materials provided,
Step #7 – Build the new (“new and
(2) yourimproved”)
cart must
roll
inches on its own
prototype
– an24
“optimized
solution”
given one
small push, and (3) you have 10
Step #8 Test the revised solution
minutes to construct your cart, and run
your 1st test measuring the distance..
Engineering
“Build a cart” materials (in baggie):
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
2 green stirring straws
1 drinking straw
3 x 5 file cards or 4 X 5 piece of cardboard
4 large (red) or 4 small (yellow) plastic disks
2 tongue depressors
4 small binder clips
1 pair of scissors
Scotch tape
4 clothespins
Cardboard ramps
You will also need:
• 1 measuring tape
In-depth Investigations and
Connected Learning Progressions
Part 2 - Students improve their design
Redesign their cart to meets new constraints: Rolling
distance (incorporating CCSS-Math)
Re-Engineering
• What are some of the important design characteristics
of a cart that allow it to roll?
• How can you improve on your design or your
engineering techniques? (the design of the cart, the
materials, etc.)
• What would you do differently if you were constructing
a cart with no constraints?
• How is your design like a real “go kart” or a “soapbox
derby car”? How is it different?
• How is your design like a real car? How is it different?
Engineering: Building a cardboard cart
1. Cut a piece of cardboard into a 5” x 4” rectangle
2. With a pencil, draw a line 2 cm (the width of a tongue
depressor) from the edge of the two longest sides of the
rectangle. Fold on the lines of the cardboard.
3. Place a tongue depressor on the inside of the folded part of
the cardboard. It should create a 90 degree angle with the
base of the cart. Use two binder clips to secure each tongue
depressor.
4. Slide a clear 4 inch drinking straw through the rounded
“loop” on the bottom of the binder clips.
5. Slide a green stirring straw all the way through the clear
straw.
6. Place a disk onto the (4) ends of the 2 green stirring straws.
(You should now have a four-wheeled cart. Decorate your
car if you wish.)
In-depth Investigations and
Connected Learning Progressions
Part 3 – Investigating start positions (Crosscutting Concept: cause-and-effect)
Students design and conduct an investigation using their
carts to find out how start position affects distance
Engineering
Measure the distances traveled from each starting point
for each cart (maybe more than once).
1. Will the distance traveled differ when the cart is
released from each of the three different starting
points? Predict the difference? Test your prediction.
2. Will the distance differ with 4 large wheels versus 4
small wheels (a “CA low-rider”)? Predict the
difference? Record your results.
3. What role does the force of gravity play on the
distance? (When the cart starts at a higher position,
the force of gravity has more time to act on the cart
before it reaches the level tabletop/floor.)
STEM education…
The easiest way to incorporate play and STEM
into your curriculum is to identify the STEM in
the content and activities that you are already
teaching.
Some content is “STEM,” but not labeled as
such, while other content lends itself towards
STEM and play with just a few modest
modifications.
Imagining, Thinking, Visualizing, Drawing, (Re-drawing), Building, Testing…
Drawing does for the brain during the day,
what
Dreaming does for the brain at night.
Research is a formalized curiosity. It is
poking and prying with a purpose.
-- Zora Neale Hurston
Contact Information:
Kenneth Wesson
National Science Consultant
(408) 323-1498 (office)
(408) 826-9595 (cell)
San Jose, CA
kenawesson@aol.com
sciencemaster.com