Are you amazed that the card did not fall off and that the water did not come rushing out ?

Most children are.

Is your interest sparkled ?

What you have just witnessed is a discrepant event. This article will focus on the advantages of using discrepant events in elementary science classrooms. In addition, examples of discrepant events to use in the elements classrooms will be provided.

A DE involves a happening contrary to our current beliefs. Contrary to a child's believe and maybe yours, the card stays on the inverted glass. DE are motivational. They spark interest and get children excited about science. Usually, even the most inattentive student will show interest when a teacher uses a DE.

After seeing a DE, most children begin to wonder why and feel the need to have their questions answered. What is occurring in childrenŐs minds can be explained by Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

* assimilation:

When children apply what they already know or believe to a new object or event, assimilation occurs. For example: when babies are given a new object such as a doll, they put it in their mouths. They try to understand the new object by acting on it in a manner familiar to them.

* accommodation:

On the other hand when children change their way of thinking or believing to fit a new even or object, accommodation takes place. When those same babies realize a doll is not for mouthing and begin cuddling it, they are changing their way of thinking to fit the new situation.

Assimilation and accommodation are in opposition to one another so conflict occurs -- conflict between applying old ways of thinking to a new situation and changing the way the thinking to fit the new situation. Children feel uncomfortable when conflicts occur and strive to reach a balance between assimilation and accommodation. In other words, they try to reach a state of equilibrium. In situations that are moderately discrepant for children, such as discrepant events, equilibrium is attained by first assimilating to the new situation and then accommodating to it. Initially children try to understand a new experience by using their old beliefs. When these don not work, children are forced to modify their beliefs so that their way of thinking is in harmony with the new situation. Resolution of the tension between assimilation and accommodation, whereby accommodation occurs, results in mental growth.

DE place children in a state of disequilbirium.

Dr. Leyden's "strange" comments about "life" -- like teachers being forbidden to teach closer than 500 miles from their hometown -- result in "affective disequilibrium."

A teacher's DUTY is to place his/her students into disequilibrium. They pay me to walk into class every day and say things that you don't believe in.

Therefore, one advantage of using DE is that they motivate students to learn science principles. Another advantage is that they provide a focus for fostering problem solving skills in students. DE provide students with meaningful problems to be solved.

problem solving skills

Schools, today, emphasize problem solving skills. Rote learning of facts is not enough if educators want their students to be literate citizens. Helping in the development of problem solving skills.

In many classrooms, teachers are aware of the value in asking student "quality" questions. Yet in the most classrooms, students' questions and questioning strategies receive little attention. IsnŐt it necessary in obtaining pertinent information, in a reasonable amount of time, that purposeful questions be asked ? Most students will not develop the ability to ask meaningful questions on their own. Rather, they will need some guidance from their teacher.

An appropriate time to discuss students' questions seem to be as they are formulating questions to discover an explanation for a DE. At this time, the teacher and student or students can discuss the questioning strategies used in obtaining pertinent information,. Possible questions may include:

what kinds of questions gave you the most information ?

How did the type of questions change as information was gathered?

For example, students, with the teacher's help, may discover that an effective strategy stars with them developing their own "theories" to explain the DE. Then to prove whether their theories are correct, a process of formulating questions, gathering information, and formulating additional questions based on the gathered information begins. As information is gathered, questions usually become more specific. The information gathered should lead children to conclude whether their theories are correct or not. If the initial theories are not correct, then new theories should be developed and the process repeated.

Since asking meaningful questions appears to be an important part of the development of problems solving skills, teachers need to address this issue in elementary classrooms. DE provide one means of focusing on students' questions.

Before examples of DE are provided, a word of caution is necessary. Unfortunately DE are often misused in classrooms. Teachers use them as shows of magic rather than for the science principles they demonstrate.

activities Note: The author lists five DE's in this article -- one you did in class: the screen covering the glass of water.

summary

DEs have a place in elementary classrooms as one of the many teaching strategies used. They not only motivate children to learn basic science principles, but they also provide a focus for improving students' questions skills, a trait basic to the development of problem solving abilities.