Teaching Density in the Physics/Chemistry Lab, Step 4

by John R. Walkup, Ph.D.

In the previous step, we outlined the academic content we expect our students to learn in a physics lab centered on ratios and density. Now that we know what to teach, how do we teach it?

No single instructional method is ideal. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses. The science of teaching is knowing how to employ these methods and understand their strengths and weaknesses; the art of teaching is knowing when to select a method for a given situation.

A big factor in method selection is the type of thinking that students need to develop to learn content. Bloom's Cognitive Process Dimension (i.e., the familiar recall, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create levels of Bloom's Taxonomy) is an effective scheme for categorizing these types of thinking. For this reason, I mapped each level of the Cognitive Process Dimension against some of the more popular instructional methods found in K-12 classrooms.

Such a mapping is neither research-based nor set in stone; it only serves as a starting point for selecting an effective and efficient instructional method for each component of the lesson. Other factors could play a role in method selection, such as the teacher's own skill sets and comfort/experience with the method, the time available to teach the content, and the academic proficiency of the students, among other things.

So, let us go back to Step 3 and, for each example of content we have chosen to teach, think about the type of thinking students will employ while learning this content. To categorize this type of thinking, we will use the traditional Cognitive Process Dimension of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy, which we new address one by one.

Remember

Recall scientific definitions of density  

Cognitive strategy (rehearsal)

Understand

Understand concept of density and uniform density

Guided inquiry


Understand the concepts of ratio and mass; understand precision and its relationship to significant figures; understand the concepts of mean and variability.


Cognitive strategy (elaboration)


Understand the concept of ratio.

Guided inquiry

Apply

Apply knowledge of statistics to measure mean and variability of data

Cognitive strategy (rehearsal)

Analyze

Analyze the impact of statistics on the field of technology

Group scaffolding


Analyze their own feelings, concerns, and illuminations as they carry out the lab

Log review/discussion

Evaluate

Evaluate the quality of experimental results in terms of variability

Group scaffolding

Evaluate the career field of technology in terms of their own interests

Free exploration

Create

Create a report that provides adequate guidance to reader

Group scaffolding

Formulate new questions of their own to further their understanding of what was learned

Question Matrix

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Seeking training at your school or district centered on Cognitive Rigor or Depth of Knowledge?  Call me at (559) 903-4014 or email me at jwalkup@standardsco.com. 

We will discuss ways in which I can help boost student engagement and deep thinking in your classrooms. I offer workshops, follow-up classroom observation/coaching, and curriculum analysis to anywhere in the country (and even internationally).