Assignment #7: The Virtues of Not Knowing

The goal of this exercise is to prepare you for deep and intentional discussion of this article during our next class session. In the book, The Having of Wonderful Ideas: And Other Essays on Teaching and Learning, Eleanor Duckworth pens an essay on The Virtues of Not Knowing.  Eleanor Ruth Duckworth is a cognitive psychologist, educational theorist and constructivist educator. Wikipedia

PLEASE PICK UP A COPY OF THE ESSAY AT MY OFFICE
(Herty Hall 349 -The Science Education Center)



A. Before reading the essay, respond to the following on the blog:

1. What do you think this essay is going to be about?  
2. What do you think is virtuous (valuable, worthy, honorable) about not knowing something?  
3. How to do you think that this idea of ‘the value of not knowing’ applies to a science classroom?

B. Read the article and respond to the following on the blog:
4. Find three (3) quotes (sentences/groups of sentences) that you found to be interesting. Rewrite each quote in the blog. For each quote, explain why is it is interesting to you. Include any learning theories that you have been studying that may support or conflict with these quotes.


C. Using a blank sheet of paper, create a flow chart that describes the child's thought process in developing the diagram using the glassware. Bring your flowchart to class to share.

Assignment #8: Respond to the following statement...

"Science is everything."

Nature of the Atom: Resources

• Light: http://www.cosmosportal.org/files/51501_51600/51526/file_51526.jpg
• Models of hydrogen atom: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/hydrogen-atom
• The Chem1 Online Textbook: Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table (html)
• Video Lectures: MIT (html)
  • Lecture 1: Atomic Theory of Matter (html)
  • Lecture 2: Discovery of Nucleus (html)
  • Lecture 3: Wave-Particle Duality of Radiation and Matter (html)
  • Lecture 4: Particle-Like Nature of Light (html)
  • Lecture 5: Matter as a Wave (html)
  • Lecture 6: Schrödinger Equation for H Atom (html)
  • Lecture 7: Hydrogen Atom Wavefunctions (html)
  • Lecture 8: P Orbitals (html)
  • Lecture 9: Electronic Structure of Multielectron Atoms (html)
  • Lecture 10: Periodic Trends in Elemental Properties (html)

Why do you think the course is taught using this approach?

Science Responses in groups during class: Sept. 4, 2012

​

Alexis, Madison, Haley, Tynisha

a.

Teaching us to make our science classes more memorable

b.

Science related content isn’t always scientific

c.

Coming up with your own conclusions is important

d.

Shows that not everyone’s experiences are the same

    

Siobhan, Casey, Tarver, Clay

-

refresher/ jog our memory

-

as teachers we have to be conscious of the curriculums

-

science is a question based study

Sarah, Brianna, Kelly, Jill

-

in order to prove we all have the capability to teach science; science relates to everything

-

science intertwines with every subject

-

teaching us to think more broadly

Maci, Maggie, Nicole, Missy and Casey

-

metacognition: consciously thinking about our learning process

-

recalling past scientific experiences

-

actively learning

-

sharing knowledge with each other

-

thinking critically

-

observing the world around us

LET THERE BE LIGHT!: Bring the following to class on Tuesday, September 11

A.  Decide as a cohort who will bring the following to class.

1. Glow sticks (one for each person, including the 2 course facilitators and Joanne Previts)
2. A lamp with a working bulb that we can access
3. Candles (4-6)
4. Lighters (1-2)
5. Flashlights (as many as you can find)
6. Any other sources of light that you can think of, bring to class!

B. Bring your text books and your journals to class on Tuesday

C. Also remember to post your Light Tour of Milledgeville pictures to your FaceBook page so that we can view them on Tuesday.

Assignment #6: Come prepared for a Quiz

Quiz on Tuesday!

We know that you have a number of questions, and as we discussed at the beginning of class, this is OK. Come prepared to respond to the following during a quiz on Tuesday, September 11, 2012:

List ALL of the concepts discussed during the past 3 class sessions.
In class, you will devise a concept map that connects the concepts and ideas that you have.
This map will also include what happens when plastic containers with foodstuff is heated in a microvave oven; the Light Tour of Milledgeville; what is the "UNKOWN" gas that you observed in the spectral tube; your ideas of atomic theory, models of the atom, hypothesis-building, etc.

You will be evaluated on the depth of thought associated with the development of your concept map. Some examples of maps are given in the link below.

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/conceptmaps.html
http://cmap.ihmc.us/docs/ConstructingAConceptMap.html

Checks Lab Overview

CONCEPTS
1. Scientific knowledge is uncertain, tentative and subject to revision.
2. Scientific explanations and interpretations can neither be proven nor disproven with certainty.
3. Scientists use a variety of criteria to compare explanations and select the better ones.
4. Human values deeply influence science (its terminology, the questions asked, and the criteria used for choosing among theories).
5. Scientists can study events of the past for which there are no witnesses available, by proposing plausible explanations, then testing those ideas by looking for clues expected due to a proposed explanation.