The Project was inspired…

• by the Private Universe Project

Our four year project was inspired by the

Private Universe project

.

• Dick Konicek is a professor emeritus at UMASS Amherst and has been a science educator for the past 52 years teaching at all levels. He recently published a book with NSTA Press on teaching science through inquiry entitled Everyday Science Mysteries and is completing a second volume due to be published in April 2009.

• Page Keeley is the current president of NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) and is the Senior Program Director for Science at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. Her work at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA) involves leadership and professional development for teachers and leaders in both Maine and nationally. She is also a best selling author of several books on science assessment.

• Joyce Tugel A Science Specialist at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA). Her work at the MMSA is primarily focused on the areas of teacher leadership, mentoring, new teacher support, and science professional development, which includes national support for the Curriculum Topic Study project. Joyce is a co-author of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 2.

The World is^Flat

A Professional Development Model to Identify and Change Science

Misconceptions

not

Funded by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education’s Improving Teacher Quality program

Our Goals

• Train prospective and veteran teachers identify student misconceptions

• Develop strategies to change misconceptions

• Evaluate success

Our Partners

• Springfield Science Museum

• Springfield Schools

• Springfield College

Our consultants Maine Alliance for Science and Math

Our Audience

• 30 elementary schools

• 15 science resource teachers

• 45 classroom teachers

• 24 pre-service teachers per year

VIDEO (2 min)

Marisa elicits student responses

Physical ScienceMitten (Source of Heat)

50

623

61

0100200300400500600700

A (lower) B(higher) C (same)

Answers

Fre

qu

ency

(N=734)

Reasons for choosing B (hotter inside)

• “We wear mittens to keep us warm witch means the mitten is hot.”

• “…on a winter day mittens warm you up…”• “…mitten captures the air and makes it

hotter.”• “…the heat in the mitten is like a blanket it

covers the thermometer…on the table…is no warmth around the thermometer.”

VIDEO (2:19 min)

Marisa engages students to explore mitten problem

Students responses post

• “…there is no main source of heat in the mitten.”

• “…mitten needs your hand to make your hand warm because your hand is letting out the heat from your body heating up the mitten.”

• “…mitten doesn’t have heat engry in it so you would have to put your hand in the mitten so it would change.”

VIDEO (4:00 min)

Marisa evaluates student’s understanding

Annual Cycle

Needs of Seeds“Seeds sprout and eventually grow into young plants called seedlings. You want to try to sprout some seeds. Put an X next to the things you think you need to provide for those seeds in order for them to sprout.”

__ water __ light__ soil __ darkness__ air __ warmth__ food __ Earth’s gravity__ fertilizer

Explain your thinking. Describe the “rule” or reasoning you need to decide what a seed needs in order to sprout.

Mona: The moon lights up in different parts at different times of the month.

Jared: The phases of the moon change according to the season of the year.

Sofia: Parts of the moon reflect light depending on the position of the earth in relation to the sun and moon.

Drew: The earth casts a shadow which causes a monthly pattern in how much of the moon we can see from Earth.

Trey: Different planets cast a shadow on the moon as they revolve around the sun.

Oofra: The shadow of the sun blocks part of the moon each night causing a pattern of different moon phases.

Natasha: The clouds cover the parts of the moon that we can’t see.

Raj: The moon grows a little bit bigger each day until it is full and then it gets smaller again. It repeats this cycle every month.

Mrs. Timmons asked her class to share their ideas about what causes the different phases of the moon. This is what some of her students said:

Museum Insect Activity

02468

101214161820

Tick

Cockr

oach

Beetle

Spider Fly

Mos

quito

Centip

ede

Shrim

p

Grass

hopp

er

Drago

nfly

Crab

Milli

pede

Insect Choices

Fre

qu

en

cy

Pre

Post

Museum Insect Activity

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101214161820

head

thor

ax

finge

rs

abdo

men

ears fu

r

6 le

gs

wings

ante

nnae

claws

brea

k

Insect Characteristics

Fre

qu

en

cy

Pre

Post

Insect Pictures Pre Post

Tick 4 2

Cockroach 14 18 Correct

Beetle 14 14 Correct

Spider 1 0

Fly 14 18 Correct

Mosquito 13 16 Correct

Centipede 3 1

Shrimp 0 1

Grasshopper 13 17 Correct

Dragonfly 13 18 Correct

Crab 1 0

Millipede 2 1

Characteristics Pre Post

head 15 18 Correct

thorax 14 16 Correct

fingers 1 2

abdomen 13 15 Correct

ears 3 3

fur 1 1

six legs 15 18 Correct

wings 9 13 Correct

antennae 9 18 Correct

claws 3 3

beak 1 0

Museum Results Answers Data

Self-efficacy Results

Physical Science

Pre/Post Mean pre Mean post Mean diff T-value*

Understanding 24.85 29.79 4.94 6.260Teaching 24.25 28.92 4.67 5.385Assessing 21.92 28.37 6.44 5.888

• N = 26• *significant at the alpha level < 0.001• Confidence levels in all areas significantly increased

immediately after the workshop