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What do you see as the difference between “learning about” a science idea and “figuring out how and/or why” something works (in science)? Learning about a science idea reminds me of the way I was taught science. Very little of what we did involved hands-on experiences. Even when we were in high school biology and dissected a frog, I can say I only learned about what my teacher told me to look for. In contrast, figuring out why or how something works is how we are teaching science to our students now. We start with a phenomena. For example, in our physical science unit in 3rd grade, we are learning about forces right now and we started with a game of Tug of War. When I asked students WHY the rope did or didn't move as we have gone through the unit, we have been able to figure out what was actually happening in the game.
Which of these two ideas (learning about or figuring things out) best represents the most recent research on how students learn science today? Figuring things out best represents research on how students should be learning science.
Why might the idea of "figuring things out" be included in a section on "How Students Learn Science"? Support your answer/argument with examples and/or evidence. The idea of figuring things out encourages students to wonder about concepts. They need to ask why something is happening, which is what scientific inquiry is all about.
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