Scientific thinking in a geological setting

The Tale of Two widely-reported problems from young children

• Making inferences from shreds of evidence

•Relating fossils to the organisms from which they formed

Message in a Fossil: Promoting scientific thinking in a geological context

•Plano Thematic curriculum Integration Project•2nd Grade

Researching Learning & cognitive outcomes of working with MIF

• 2nd graders in Plano School District• Pre and post tests• Knowledge questionnaires• Interviews

piece of paperscrews

coverall

dirty pen

wrench

 

Where is the best place for you to look for the owner of the package?•in the nearby grocery store•in the garage •in the kitchen of the restaurant•in the school

horsecat

tree

lionfrog

shark

flower

snakebutterfly

birdchickenbear

Major results

Significant improvement in:• Recall• Scientific language• Classification• Inference• Sequencing

Henderson, L., Eshet, Y., and Klemes, J. (2000). Under the Microscope: Factors influencing student outcomes in a computer integrated classroom, Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 19 (3), 211-236.

Henderson, L., Klemes, J., and Eshet, Y. (2000). Just playing a game? Educational simulation software and cognitive outcomes, Journal of Educational Computing Research, 22 (1), 105-129.