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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Lisa,

As another example, I've asked 248 planetarium audiences so far, ranging in grades 2-college, "What happens if a hammer is released by an astronaut on the moon?"  In the admittedly informal 'count of hands' method, an overwhelming majority of the audience members stated that it would float!  Of course, then I show the  Apollo 15 clip of David Scott releasing a hammer and feather on the moon...and in 247 cases, the audience looks quizzically at the screen, and you can see the 'ohhh okay' happen.  

Ken Brandt
Director of the Robeson Planetarium and Science Center
JPL/NASA Solar System Ambassador

-----Original message-----
From: Lisa Jo Rudy [log in to unmask]
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 12:50:22 -0400
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: naive notions

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> 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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More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
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message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
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