Something To Think About

Discrepant Eventsas motivation

Think: How the pear got in the bottle?

Pair: Talk with a partner about your ideas for how the pear got in the bottle.

Share: Let’s generate a list of how we think the pear got in the bottle.

Solution

The bottle is put over the flower on a pear tree and the pear grow inside of the bottle.

Discrepant Events

What is a discrepant event?

A discrepant event causes a discrepancy in what is physically observed and what the observer thinks should happen.

Peristiwa Bercanggah

menggunakan situasi di mana biasanya terdapat percanggahan antara ramalan murid dengan pemerhatian yang akan mereka lakukan. Dengan lain perkataan, Peristiwa Bercanggah menyebabkan berlakunya apa yang dikatakan “konflik kognitif” iaitu keadaan ketidakseimbangan yang berlaku dalam minda murid disebabkan percanggahan tersebut

Why use the discrepant event?

Get the attention of the observer Provoke thought Upset the student’s usual way of thinking Initiate inquiry by the observer Help the student become better equipped

mentally to approach new situations that may cause curiosity and puzzlement

Some Way To Create Discrepant Events

Demonstration Film Reading a description of events Laboratory activities Field trip to the site of a natural phenomenon

Teknik Peristiwa Bercanggah sesuai dijalankan menggunakan teknik ramal-perhati-terang.

Steps In Creating a Discrepant Event

1. Focus the students’ attention on what they are about to observe ( but do not tell them so much it spoils the surprise)

2. Students experience discrepant event

3. Allow students time to think about, discuss, and try to explain the discrepant event

Pedagogical Uses of A Discrepant Event

1. Initiation: Initiate a lesson and get the students’ attention and interest on an area of science

2. Question generation: Elicit questions from the students

3. Informal evaluation of understanding: During a lesson, to evaluate students understanding (called ‘formative evaluation”)

………….Pedagogical Uses of A Discrepant Event

4. Address student misconceptions: Use a discrepant event that contradicts an incorrect student framework of thinking (like a feather and a brick falling with the same acceleration….in vacuum

………….Pedagogical Uses of A Discrepant Event

5. Application: Test whether the students can apply what they have learned to explain a similar, but unexpected, phenomenon

6. Formal evaluation of understanding: After a lesson as part of a formal test of students’ understanding (called “summative evaluation”)

Why do a discrepant event?

What students know is true is not what they witness, creating cognitive dissonance

Cognitive dissonance makes the student wonder opening their minds to alternative explanations

When do I use discrepant events?

To engage students in learning about a concept, issue, or skill.

To create an opportunity to unlearn a predetermined misconception.

Can you prove that it works?

Positive influence on content achievement because of student motivation.

Suchman, J.R., “Inquiry Training in the Elementary School”, THE SCIENCE TEACHER, Vol. 27, Nov. 1960.Marlins, James G., “A Study of the Effects of Using the Counterintuitive Event in Science Teaching on Subject-matter Achievement and Subject-matter Retention of Upper-elementary School Students”, Doctoral Thesis, The American University, 1973.

Liem, Tik L., “A Study of the Effects of Using Discrepant Events in Science Teaching on Concept Retention of Upper Elementary School Students”, Institute of Education, Halifax, 1980, pp. 287-293.

Liem, Tik L., Effects of Using Discrepant Events in Science Concept Retention of Junior High School Students”, Paper presented to the National Co-Educators Conference, Winnipeg, October 1980.

Best, J.W., RESEARCH I N EDUCATION, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1977.

Discrepant Event Example

Teabag rocket

teabag non-flammable

plate scissors lighter or match

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Safety: This experiment requires adult supervision. Perform this experiment away from curtains or other flammable materials.

Remove the staple, label and string from the teabag. Pour out the tea. Unfold the teabag and stretch it out. Use your finger to turn the teabag into a cylinder. Stand the cylinder on one of its end on a plate on a

flat surface. Use a lighter or match to ignite the top of the tea bag

cylinder. Wait a few seconds.

The flame created by burning the teabag heated the air inside the teabag cylinder. When the air was heated energy was transferred to individual pieces of air called air molecules. The air molecules moved around more quickly and spread out to take up more space. This means that the air molecules were further apart from each other and therefore the air was less dense.

The warmer, less dense air rose above the cooler, denser air.

When the teabag burned, the teabag turned into ash and smoke. The smoke lifted away and all that was left was the ash. Ash is light, so it doesn’t require much force to lift it. The rising of the less dense (heated) air inside the teabag had enough force to lift the ash of the teabag.

Questions:

1. Prediction: What do you think will happen?

2. Observation and data: What did you observe?

3. Explanation: Describe what you think happened in words and pictures.

4. Extension: Write down at least one follow-up question you have about the event.

5. Acknowledgement: Have all your group members sign-off on your report.