Content-Type: |
text/plain; charset="us-ascii" |
Date: |
Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:45:59 -0700 |
Reply-To: |
|
Subject: |
|
From: |
|
MIME-Version: |
1.0 |
In-Reply-To: |
|
Content-Transfer-Encoding: |
quoted-printable |
Sender: |
|
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
I'm starting to wonder if this is one of those diagrams like the tongue "taste regions," or the "we only use 10% of our brains" business, frequently stated but wrong in some subtle, fundamental way.
I think the problem is with ray diagrams that are not exactly wrong but are so abstract they create a retrograde confusion: they mess up things previously understood. This is not good. Most kids (most people!) have no clue what the arrows represent, something moving but what, photons? Why aren't there more of them?
A better way to go is to give kids some lenses, make some observations and try to come to some conclusions. Then proceed with future inquiries and explanations on the basis of their terms and conceptions, not those of an expert physicist.
David Savory
Community Extensions Program Developer and Exhibit Curator
Science World British Columbia
TELUS World of Science
1455 Quebec Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6A 3Z7
t: 604.443.7561
f: 604.443.7434
e: [log in to unmask]
w: scienceworld.ca
Science World British Columbia is a self-supporting non-profit organization which engages British Columbians in science and inspires future science and technology leadership throughout our province.
This e-mail may be privileged and confidential. Any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. If you received this e-mail in error, please contact the sender immediately.
***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]
|
|
|