CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

How Science Works: 101 – “Understanding Science”

University of California, Berkeley

Found at: http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/howscienceworks_01

Brief Summary: Program website introducing the Process of Science, with further explorations into a more accurate representation of the process of science, beyond the typical “Scientific Method.” You can investigate:

• The real process of science

• Testing scientific ideas

• Analysis within the scientific community

• Benefits of science

• Science at multiple levels

3a-3e: The main page for teachers can be found at: http://undsci.berkeley.edu/teaching/35_tips.php

It guides the reader to multiple sites for the conceptual frameworks for Understanding Science, resources and teaching tools; an image library on many topics for teachers and PD providers; information related to correcting misconceptions about science based on educational research, in addition to information about alignment to science standards.

Common Misconceptions About Magnetism

From the Science Center for Innovation (2007)
Downloadable Word document

Found at: http://mathinscience.info/public/floating_above_the_rest/AnswersToCommonMisconceptions.doc

Brief Summary: This article lists the most common misconceptions related to magnetism and provides clear explanations with some visuals for refuting them. The Word document that is provided could be reproduced and modified to have the “scientific explanations” removed. Then, teachers can use this document as part of a lesson where students engage in evidence-based argumentation to work through these misconceptions, writing explanations while using evidence from Leo. Then, they can compare what they write to the scientific explanations provided to further refine their ideas. They can also create a class poster with their own developed and refined conceptualization and schema on magnetism.

Toward Learning and Understanding Electricity

by C. L. Wainwright – Pacific University (nd)

Found at: http://fg.ed.pacificu.edu/wainwright/Publications/MisconceptionsArticle.06.pdf

Brief Summary: This research paper is aimed at adult learners, and may help improve teachers’ content knowledge about circuits. The purpose of this paper is to:

• Review the published literature on misconceptions about introductory electricity concepts using simple DC circuits

• Identify misconceptions about electricity not previously cited

• Suggest possible explanations for the origin of these misconceptions

• Describe teaching strategies that have proven successful in challenging these misconceptions

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