Exploring and dealing with students' alternative conceptions

Quickly explore some of the following sites to identify an alternative conception that you think is important to work on.  You will be using this in the rest of this assignment, including creating some instruction to help students deal with their alternative conception.  

Some Science Misconceptions/Alternative Conceptions/Everyday Knowledge

A list from the MO Department of Elementary and Secondary Education http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/science/SciMisconc11.05.pdf

General alternative conceptions list

Textbook misconceptions -- scroll down to "the misconceptions"

Myths about the nature of science

Students alternative conceptions in

Physics

Challenges in teaching and learning introductory physics

Earth science

Bad meteorology

Dinosaur misconceptions

Chemistry

Chemistry bad science

Beyond Appearances:  a paper on chemical misconceptions in 11 areas

http://www.chemsoc.org/pdf/LearnNet/rsc/miscon.pdf

a concise listing: http://educ.queensu.ca/~science/main/concept/chem/c07/C07CDTL1.htm

Biology

Evolution alternative conceptions

http://bioliteracy.net/misconception.htm  List of misconceptions in biology

http://departments.weber.edu/sciencecenter/biology%20misconceptions.htm another list of biology misconceptions, with references

Question 1. According to constructivism  and conceptual change,  what is going on when students have "alternative conceptions"?  

Question 2.    How can we help students deal with their alternative conceptions?  Propose teaching strategies that are likely to work.  We have discussed this a bit in class, but look more in your book about conceptual change.  Tell why just explaining/telling won't work.

Some teaching/learning resources:

1. This first one is a set of online workshops for teachers.  Wow, are they great.  Each explains, gives examples, talks about implementation and looks at pros and cons.

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/  Click on the Constructivism link, then check out the tabs at the top of the page. Especially recommended are:

applying the theory to your own classroom http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/exploration.html

        Getting started http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/explor_sub1.html

 

Question 3.  Identify a alternative conception from the above list and tell why you have selected it, emphasizing what you see as the difficulties students face.

Question 4.  For the alternative conception you selected in question 3, design a science lesson that allows you

a. to  assess the students prior knowledge,

b. to have students become aware of their ideas

c. to challenge students' ideas, and

d. to give the students practice applying "correct" ideas.