Using Models to Enhance How
Students Learn Science
Brooke Bourdélat-Parks and Betty Stennett
NSTA  San Antonio, TX
April 12, 2013
BSCS Mission
The mission of BSCS is to transform science
teaching and learning through research
and development that strengthens learning
environments and inspires a global
community of scientifically literate citizens.
BSCS
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Biological Sciences Curriculum Study
Nonprofit organization 501(c)(3)
Established in 1958
Work portfolio includes curriculum
development, professional development,
educational research and evaluation projects.
• Supported by public and private agencies
Getting to Know Each Other
Introduce yourself:
• Where do you teach?
• What grades do you teach?
• What interested you about this session?
Modeling Examples
• Toward High School Biology unit
• Written in partnership with Project 2061, part
of AAAS
• The unit is currently being field tested as part
of a research project.
• We will use select examples to focus our ideas
about using models in the classroom.
Try this…
Individually, answer the following question using
words and pictures.
How do living things grow bigger?
Work with 2 other people to create a drawing
(with labels) to show your ideas about the
question.
Changes in Living and Nonliving Things
As you watch these videos, record what you
observe. Include observations that suggest
change is occurring.
• Change in a Living Thing
• Change in a Nonliving Thing
Questions
• Do you think that new materials are being
made during each change?
• If so, where do you think the “stuff” comes
from to make these new materials?
Three Changes
• Baking Soda and Vinegar
• Steel Wool (Iron) and Air
• Hexamethylenediamene and Adipic Acid
As you watch each reaction, write down any
observations about the starting and ending
substances.
Making Sense of Observations
Materials
• Card Pack #1 – Starting Substances
• Card Pack #2 – Ending Substances
• Change charts
Try to place the correct starting and ending
substances on the change charts using your
observations.
For each change…
• Are the properties of the starting substances
the same as or different from the ending
substances? What is your evidence?
• Do you think that new substances were made
in the reaction?
Now Use Card Pack #3
• Look at the Water card and the model key.
• How does each model represent a water
molecule?
• Summarize your ideas in the table. Two
examples are provided for you.
• Discuss
– What is an atom?
– How is it different from a molecule?
Continue Using Card Pack #3
• Find the iron card and pick two other cards.
• Study the different models on each of the
three cards.
• Discuss
– Is the tiniest part of each substance an atom or a
molecule (and still be the substance)?
– If it is a molecule, what type of atoms and how
many of each make up the molecule?
Use the Completed Change Charts
Discuss with your group
– Are the molecules in the ending substances the
same as or different from the molecules that make
up the starting substances?
– Are the types of atoms that make up the ending
substances the same as or different from the
types of atoms that make up the starting
substances?
– What could happen to the atoms to make the
ending substances from the starting substances?
Representing Chemical Reactions
with Models
• Use the LEGO® bricks to build the molecules
of starting substances (green side).
• Put any unused bricks back in the kit and close
the kit.
• Look at the ending substances (yellow side)
and determine how to build them, moving as
few bricks as possible.
• Build the models on the yellow side.
Share Your Ideas
• Share your reaction with a group who had the
other change mat.
• Discuss
– Did you have any leftover bricks (atoms) after
building the ending molecules?
– Did you need any additional bricks (atoms)?
– How would you describe what you did to the
LEGO bricks (atoms) in order to make the ending
molecules from the starting molecules?
Representing Nylon Formation
with Models
• Start with the green side of the change mat.
– Add the 6 carbon atoms to the chain first.
– Add oxygen or nitrogen atoms to the carbon
atoms at either end.
– Add hydrogen atoms to the carbon, oxygen, and
nitrogen atoms.
• Put unused pieces back in the kit and close
the kit.
Representing Nylon Formation
with Models
• Look at the yellow side to see the ending
molecules.
• Plan how you will make the ending molecules by
– drawing an X on any connection you are going to
break.
– identifying where you are going to form new
connections by circling atoms and drawing lines.
• Build the ending substances, breaking as few
connections as possible.
Analogy Map
Part of Model
Part of Real
World
Sticks
Carbon atoms
Red balls
is/are
like
Molecules
They are alike
because….
Questions
• How many total monomers did we make?
• How many of each kind of monomer?
• If we attached all the monomers from the
whole group, we would have a big polymer of
nylon. How many water molecules would we
make?
• How can small molecules make very large
molecules?
Return to Your Ideas About…
How do living things grow bigger?
• With your group, discuss any revisions you
would like to make.
• Add to or change your poster to reflect your
latest ideas.
• What do you think happens to the mass of
living things as they get bigger?
• What do you think happens to the mass of
substances involved in chemical reactions?
Consider What Happens to Mass
in These Reactions
• Baking Soda and Vinegar
• Steel Wool (Iron) and Air
Draw a diagram of what is happening at each
point where I stop the video.
Can We Model This Reaction?
• Modeling baking soda and vinegar with mass
measurements
Write a brief summary statement at each point
where I stop the video.
Study the Following Data
Animal
German
shepherd dog1
(male)
Human2
(female)
Spiny lobster3
Skink4
Initial Weight
(Age)
Final Weight
(Age)
20 pounds
(at 2 months)
51 pounds (at
9 months)
7.7 pounds
(at birth)
64 pounds (at
10 years)
3 pounds
(at 11 months)
4 pounds
(at 2 years)
0.62 grams
(at time of tail
loss)
1.72 grams
(when new tail
was fully grown)
Change in
Weight
Increase or
decrease?
Return to Your Ideas About…
How do living things grow bigger?
• With your group, discuss any revisions you
would like to make.
• Add to or change your poster to reflect your
latest ideas.
Models as defined in the Next Generation
Science Standards
• Practice 2 in the Next Generation Science
Standards
• Models are external representations of mental
concepts.
• Models provide a powerful tool of explaining
phenomena.
• Models link scientific theory with specific
observations or phenomena.
• Models can include diagrams, three-dimensional
physical structures, computer simulations,
mathematical formulations, and analogies.
Content Representations
The physical aspect that students will use in
their model.
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Analogies
Metaphors
Diagrams
Charts
Graphs
Concepts Maps
Simulations
Role Playing
Each of these is a
way to help students
make science ideas
more concrete and
real.
Models Help Students Reason
About a Phenomenon
• In what situation
would this not be a
model?
• In what situation
would this be a
model?
Today’s Experience
• What was the content representation for
each of the models we used?
Analyze a Model
• Use the Analysis Guide: Selecting and Using
Content Representations to analyze your
assigned model.
Design a Future Lesson
• Think of something that you teach that
represents a difficult-to-understand
phenomenon.
• Design models/content representations that
you can use to help students understand the
phenomenon.
– Consider the types of models we used today and
the other types of content representations.
• Use the Analysis Guide to determine the
effectiveness of your model.
Share Your Ideas
Meta Moment
What did you learn today that you would like to
use in your class? Why did you choose the idea
you did?
• Thank you for your attention!
• Questions?
The slides for this session will be available at
http://www.bscs.org/sessions.