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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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This is such an interesting topic!  Minda Borun, in her research, looked at 
naive notions and how they impact on best practices for science museums.  And I 
found it absolutely fascinating: many people don't think to ask critical 
questions, not because they don't care or aren't interested, but BECAUSE THEY ARE 
SURE THEY ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWERS!

Minda actually built some devices to contradict widely held incorrect 
concepts of gravity.  I don't know how well they worked -- but of course the idea 
would be to deconstruct an incorrect concept and then introduce a correct 
concept.  Ideally, this would be done through an inquiry based process -- always 
assuming time, money, and energy for the process!!  LOL

Lisa
Eric Mazur at Harvard tells a wonderful
story of one of his Harvard physics students taking a conceptual test
and asking him, "Dr. Mazur, should we answer this the way you taught us,
or the way we know it works in the real world?"  When that students is
filmed at graduation (In Private Universe, for example), 3 years later,
she will be very unlikely to recall the physics teacher's model.  

Lisa Jo Rudy, Writer/Consultant
625 Chelten Hills Drive
Elkins Park, PA 19027
http://www.lisarudy.com/
215-635-9735

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