MoDeLS Project in scientific modeling

for late elementary and early middle school students

[From the website, in 2011:]

MoDeLS els.northwestern.edu/models/

MoDeLS project, funded by the National Science Foundation's Instructional Materials Development program, is working to develop a theoretically-grounded and empirically-supported learning progression for late elementary and early middle school students with regard to their modeling practices and meta-modeling knowledge.

MoDeLS is refining or developing modeling-enhanced curriculum materials for students and teachers in these grades, and exploring students' learning using these materials.

MoDeLS works with pre-service and classroom elementary and middle school teachers to develop the expertise needed to engage students in scientific modeling, and explores the teachers' learning.

THE TEAM is led by Brian J. Reiser, Professor of Learning Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. (847) 467-2205 [cognitive science]

Barbara Hug at University of Illinois,

Joe Krajcik & Betsy Davis at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,

Christina Schwarz at Michigan State University

(and several others)

SEVERAL RESEARCH PAPERS CAN BE DOWNLOADED AT

els.northwestern.edu/models/research/

els.northwestern.edu/models/progressions/

LEARNING PROGRESSIONS:

A learning progression characterizes variations of the practice that are appropriate for learners, and a sequence of successively more complex versions of that practice, building from the understandings and practices learners bring to the classroom to a more sophisticated view.

A learning progression for a scientific practice outlines:

* a model of the target practice appropriate for learners

* the starting points of learners' intuitive understandings and practices,

* a sequence of successively more sophisticated understandings and practices, and

* instructional supports that help learners develop the practice.

In MoDeLS , we develop a learning progression for one such practice, scientific modeling, explore its implementation in two grade bands, elementary and middle school, and examine students’ developing knowledge and practices. We will also investigate how to support teacher learning about modeling, so they can be more effective in teaching this practice.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

… First, we designed a 4-6 week unit about condensation and evaporation around the phenomenon of a solar still for 5th grade. The unit integrates scientific modeling into the lesson sequences. Second, we have designed supplemental modeling activities or revised previously existing activities in which we identified existing topics or units such as electricity and astronomy …

MIDDLE SCHOOL: …built upon IQWST, a NSF-funded project developing a comprehensive and coordinated middle school inquiry-based science curriculum. Three studies, conducted in the context of pilot enactments of two 6th grade units, one in physics and the other in chemistry …

/iqwst/Papers/

AN OUTCOME OF MoDeLS PROJECT:

As the abstract below indicates, 5th & 6th graders can build models. At this URL, you can download several references, by clicking on "references".

ey.com/doi/10.1002/tea.20311/abstract

Journal of Research in Science Teaching

Special Issue: Learning Progressions

Vol. 46, Issue 6, pages 632–654, August 2009

Developing a learning progression for scientific modeling: Making scientific modeling accessible and meaningful for learners

Christina V. Schwarz, Brian J. Reiser, & 7 others in MoDeLS project

Abstract:

Modeling is a core practice in science and a central part of scientific literacy. We present theoretical and empirical motivation for a learning progression for scientific modeling that aims to make the practice accessible and meaningful for learners.

We define scientific modeling as including the elements of the practice (constructing, using, evaluating, and revising scientific models) and the metaknowledge that guides and motivates the practice (e.g., understanding the nature and purpose of models).

Our learning progression for scientific modeling includes two dimensions that combine metaknowledge and elements of practice -- scientific models as tools for predicting and explaining, and models change as understanding improves.

We describe levels of progress along these two dimensions of our progression and illustrate them with classroom examples from 5th and 6th graders engaged in modeling. Our illustrations indicate that both groups of learners productively engaged in constructing and revising increasingly accurate models that included powerful explanatory mechanisms, and applied these models to make predictions for closely related phenomena. Furthermore, we show how students engaged in modeling practices move along levels of this progression. In particular, students moved from illustrative to explanatory models, and developed increasingly sophisticated views of the explanatory nature of models, shifting from models as correct or incorrect to models as encompassing explanations for multiple aspects of a target phenomenon. They also developed more nuanced reasons to revise models.

Finally, we present challenges for learners in modeling practices — such as understanding how constructing a model can aid their own sensemaking, and seeing model building as a way to generate new knowledge rather than represent what they have already learned.

? 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 46: 632–654, 2009

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