Circuitry

1. Circuitry Prior Knowledge Investigation Joy N. Scales

2. Evaluating Students’ Prior Knowledge • Interview • Number and type of students selected • Type of information evaluated • Other types of prior knowledge assessment • Talking with cooperating teacher • Talking with students

3. Evaluating Students’ Prior Knowledge (con’t) • Interview examples • When students were asked what would happen in a series circuit when the circuit was broken at a bulb, sample responses… • “They will stay the same. Cause the electricity just won’t run to that bulb but will still go to the other two. It can still reach the other two.” • “They won’t be able to run anymore. Well, I remember from 6th grade when we did this that they won’t light when one goes out…like Christmas lights!” (Student also answered the same for the parallel circuit.) • “The other bulbs will shine brighter. Since one went out, there will be more juice to the other two.”

4. Developing the Lesson Plan • My concerns in developing the lesson • Would it bore the students because they have seen it before? • Would they be able to handle the supplies without incident? • How do I address their misconceptions and still allow them to discover the answers for themselves?

5. Teaching the Lesson • Engage – Discrepant event • Explore – Discrepant event further explored • Explain – Discussion and activities dealing with series and parallel circuits • Elaborate – Connecting these ideas with other topics already mastered • Evaluate

6. Student Pages • Examples of student circuit drawings… • Series

7. Student Pages (con’t) • Parallel

8. What I Would Change • Alter the discrepant event • Change the focus slightly • Look further into what common misconceptions are

9. What I Learned • Consistent awareness of misconceptions of concepts • Of my students • Of general students (research) • Learn from others • Specific lesson plan discoveries