![]() Given this, to use models in learning science, teachers need to provide students with opportunities to understand what a model is, how to develop a model, and the role of symbols and other features of models can play in supporting their reasoning. More specifically, developing and using models aligned to the NGSS is most concerned with “the process by which scientists represent ideas about the natural world to each other, and then collaboratively make changes to these representations over time in response to new evidence and understandings” ( Ambitious Science Teaching 2015). While many things can be described as a model, from representations to objects, developing and using models as an SEP in the NGSS focuses on how models serve as tools for reasoning. Given this, the following four questions can be used to guide our use of models in teaching science: What is the purpose of a model? How can we develop a model? How can we use models in teaching science? What should we consider when teaching with models?Įach of these is considered along with relevant examples from high school students’ modeling activities. However, engaging students in developing and using models in science classrooms is still difficult given how modeling has only recently been emphasized in science classrooms as an important practice for knowledge development ( Campbell and Oh 2015). A special issue of The Science Teacher in September 2013 focused on the theme “Developing and Using Models,” and other supportive guides have also been released. More resources and preparation are needed to support teachers in using the three dimensions effectively in teaching science ( Krajcik 2015). DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs) in K–12 science instruction ( McFadden and Roehrig 2017). ![]() In addition, a limited amount of guidance to support teachers in the practical aspects of combining the three dimensions currently exists (i.e. Designing such experiences is not easy, and it is particularly challenging for new teachers who have little experience making decisions about the best way to develop specific knowledge and practices, especially in relation to choosing appropriate resources for engaging students in activity ( Kaufmann et al. Through these processes, students can visualize and understand complex systems as scientists do when they explore the natural world.Ĭultivating students’ scientific knowledge and developing their capability in scientific inquiry depends on a teacher’s ability to use existing resources to design rich learning opportunities ( Brown and Edelson 2003). ![]() As students engage with peers in developing models, they can move from using models to unpack their initial ideas to explain phenomena, to using evidence from observations, readings, and experiments to revise or refine their models. Among the SEPs, Developing and Using Models offers students a sense-making tool to reason about how real-world events or system works. The role of SEPs as stated in the Framework for K–12 Science Education is to “help students understand how scientific knowledge develops, … and gives them an appreciation of the wide range of approaches that are used to investigate, model, and explain the world” ( NRC 2012). The NGSS identifies three dimensions: disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), science and engineering practices (SEPs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs) for teachers to consider as they design challenging and worthwhile instruction. The Next Generation Science Standards ( NGSS) focus on students’ application of sense-making and problem-solving skills to deepen their understanding about naturally occurring phenomena ( NGSS Lead States 2013).
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