PERC 2009 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Why Must Bulb Touch Battery? Interpretations of Fourth Graders' Thinking |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | This paper continues a presentation given at the AAPT conference, providing further discussion of theoretical conjectures about and implications of our findings. Previous work suggests college students have more difficulty lighting a bulb with a single wire and a battery than with two wires (Slater et al., 2000), results that have informed the design of activities (Schaffer & McDermott, 1992). I present some unexpected findings from two 4th grade classes engaged in a 15-hour inquiry module on electric circuits. Students successfully lit the bulb with a single wire in a variety of ways, but students from both classes showed and expressed the view that the bulb must be in direct contact with a battery in order for it to light. I offer an interpretation of this in terms of a resources perspective (diSessa, 1993; Hammer et al., 2005), where spontaneously generated explanations and actions are contextually sensitive. (NSF Grant #0732233) |
| Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Victoria Winters San Diego State University / University of California, San Diego 5365 Toscana Way #448 San Diego, CA 92122 Phone: 909 262 0386 |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
David Hammer University of Maryland, College Park davidham -at- umd.edu |
