Misconceptions about the Seasons
The video documentary A Private Universe, produced by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, explores why so few students truly grasp basic science concepts. The video traces the problem through interviews with Harvard graduates and their professors, as well as with a bright ninth grader who has some confused ideas about the orbits of the planets.
You can download the video by registering at the Annenberg Media: Teacher Professional Development web site. Resources related to the research reported in A Private Universe are featured in Misconceptions about the Seasons. The video is also available from through Pyramid Film & Video, which offers a study guide at http://www.pyramidmedia.com/1225guide.pdf. Another lesson plan based on the video and developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science is found at http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/pdfs/seasons_teachsheet.pdf. The following resources also use the Private Universe as a jumping off point for investigating students’ misconceptions.
The Private Universe Teachers Lab enables teachers to practice techniques of identifying student misconceptions and moving toward conceptual change in basic astronomy. This lab contains a survey to identify misconceptions and three in-class activities for grades 4 to 8 that help students gain an understanding of the phases of the Moon. There are teacher discussion forums on planning teaching sequences and learning how to adapt activities to different situations. MSP full record
This video clip explores the origins of student ideas to find out whether experience equals learning. It shows how experience can work for or against learning because students can disbelieve concepts that they have "learned." MSP full record
An example of an assessment item about the seasons is shown in this video clip. MSP full record
This site describes and provides access to streaming video of the documentary A Private Universe, which is featured in the resources above. Links to related resources and ordering information for the video or DVD and teacher’s guide appear on this site. MSP full record
This article describes a study in which students' conceptual understanding about the earth was examined. In the study, students enrolled in introductory science courses at four institutions, completed open-ended questionnaires, and participated in interviews. The institutions consisted of a small private university, two large state schools, and one small public liberal arts college. Students were probed on a variety of topics related to the earth's crust and interior, and to geologic time. Analysis of questionnaire and interview responses indicates that students hold a number of nonscientific ideas about the earth. Additionally, students apply a range of ontological categories to geologic phenomena, with significant implications for teaching geosciences from a systems perspective. MSP full record
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Copyright
June 2007 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work
supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any
opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
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