Estimated Time: 15-30 minutes.
Example of Use: Sample 1.5-Day Workshop Agenda.
Overview: Videotaped interviews with "gifted" 8th and 10th grade
students on A Schoolhouse With No Foundation demonstrate that even
bright and motivated student are not able to explain observable phenomena
in terms of the behavior of atoms and molecules. If time is available,
an additional excerpt from the video can be used to show how a 6th-grade
student modifies his ideas about the particulate nature of air when he
is asked probing questions and given time to think. Participants can consider
how the questioner builds on the student’s knowledge to help him progress
toward understanding. This option is particularly appropriate for workshops
where a topic related to student understanding of the particulate nature
of matter is the focus (for example, the water cycle).