An Approach to the Concept of Energy for Primary School: Disciplinary Framework, Elements of a Didactic Path and Assessment Scale

A didactic approach to and curricular perspectives of the construction of the energy concept in primary school

Cristina Mariani, Federico CorniUniversity of Modena and Reggio Emilia, I

Hans U. FuchsZurich University of Applied Sciences at Winterthur, CH

In primary school energy is usually studied using an approach characterized by the introduction of different "forms" of energy: hydraulic, eolic, heat, light, work, kinetic energy, ...It looks like energy is a "something" that can transform or change from one form to another.

Whichever approach teachers use, the risk is to convey the idea that energy is a material entity rather than a conceptual tool for interpreting the regularity with which natural phenomena occur.

Another didactic approach—less common in primary school—uses the following language: the energy of (in) the battery is transferred to the bulb“, “energy is transferred from food to muscles”.Energy is presented as a “special something” that moves from one carrier to another (water, air, chemicals, electricity, momentum, entropy...) when an interaction occurs.

OUTLINE

1. Disciplinary framework

2. Methodological and didactic framework

3. Energy path for 4-5th grades

We have designed an approach for primary school teachers and children that meets the following requirements:

1. It creates a continuous link between the interpretation of everyday experience with scientific knowledge;

2. it achieves this continuity coherently by using children’s reasoning;

3. it provides the basic notions that can be later expanded upon, avoiding the use of the word «energy»;

4. it promotes the guiding role of the teacher in constructing meaning.

1. Discipliary framework

Our approach is based on some simple concepts which are fundamental in terms of their role in the discipline and elementary in terms of their affinity with primary images in the child’s mind derived from early experience.

According to the theory of Force Dynamic Gestalts (FDG)*, our experiences, as well as natural phenomena, are conceptualized as having the aspects of quantity or substance, quality or intensity, and force/power [Fuchs, 2009].

The mind makes sense of experience by projecting the aspects of this gestalt metaphorically onto phenomena.

Examples from justice:1)I don’t think there is much justice in the world (justice as a substance which can be much or little).2)I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. (A. Lincoln) (justice has an intensity, it can be light or strong)3)The healing power of justice (justice has a force on human behavior).

Fuchs, H. Figurative Structures of Thought in Science. An Evolutionary Cognitive Perspective on Science Learning. <https://home.zhaw.ch/~fuh/LITERATURE/Literature.html> * The tools for this identification can be found mainly in cognitive linguistics, particularly in Talmy's [1988] theory of embodied schemas of causation (called the theory of Force Dynamics by Talmy).

1. Discipliary framework

For what concerns the scientific plane:

• Quantity (or substance) refers to the concept of extensive quantity

• Quality (or intensity) refers to the concept of intensive quantity (connected to the concept of generalized potential)

• Quantity QualityHEATTEMPERATUREFLUID VOLUME PRESSUREELECTRIC CHARGE ELECTRIC POTENTIALMOMENTUM VELOCITY….

• Force/power is the source of the scientific notion of energy.

We conjecture that the concept of energy can be constructed already in early childhood if we nurture and differentiate these figurative conceptualizations that are, at the same time, the schematic structures of the formal science.

According to this approach, the concept of energy can be built by analyzing interaction processes starting from the notions of cause-effect, quantity, and intensity.

Example

In a windmill, the interaction occurs between the air and the wheel.

Before the interaction, the intensity of the air is high (fast wind), while after the interaction its intensity is low (slow wind).

The wheel is still before the interaction and in rotary motion after the interaction (going from low to high rotational speed).

The energy concept is developed starting from the identifications of the fall and the rise of the potentials of the extensive quantities involved in an interaction.

The pumping of a certain amount of an extensive quantity

through a rising potential (effect)

occurs at the expense of lowering the potential of an amount

of an another extensive quantity by (cause).

2ϕ∆2Q

1ϕ∆1Q

The next step is to recognize that there is a balanced relation between the quantitative and qualitative variables of the causes and the quantitative and qualitative variables of the effects.

Again, the example.A stronger wind results in a higher rotation speed of the wheel.The interaction is mediated through the arms of the windmill, so an increase of the size or of the number of the arms results in an increase in the quantity of wind involved and a consequent increase of rotation of the wheel.

2211 ϕϕ ∆=∆ QQ

The basic concept of energy therefore arises from the identification of the "proportion" (semi-quantitative in primary school) between two related processes, i.e., between the flow of quantities involved and potential differences (left: energy released; right: energy used):

SYSTEM

air wheel

arms

2. Methodological and didactic framework

Educating teachers

It is important to remember that teachers have come up with their own epistemology and reflect upon the discipline they teach, primarily on the basis of their professional and cultural experience.

Therefore, teachers cannot be assumed to come up with the necessary conceptual change on their own: they need to be trained and supported in the change of concepts related to energy.

The didactic path for the children must be structured so that it can serve also as disciplinary and methodological scaffolding for the teacher.

Methodological and didactic aspects present in the energy path

2.1 Affective and cognitive involvement. Learning of new knowledge is promoted if children are directly involved (affectively and cognitively) in the object of study and if they feel that the newly acquired knowledge is relevant to their experience.

2.2 Concepts are built on psycho-sensorial experience. Laboratory work is central, it has to provide practical (hands-on) activities and opportunities for reflection (minds-on).

2.3 Narrative reasoning. The development of the recognition and of the correct (metaphoric) use of FDG occurs through the refinement of language use (oral and written texts, drawings etc.). The account of the world and how it operates is put in the form of narration.

2.4 Scientific knowledge is mediated. There is a piece of knowledge to be mediated (i.e. the concept of energy) which, at the beginning, is known by the teacher only. In order to foster its emergence and its appropriation by the children, the teacher sets the tasks proposed by the story path and guides discussions to let the ideas of the children evolve.

2.5 The world is interpretaed by projecting aspects of the FDG onto experience. Quantity, intensity, and force/power have to be recognized, differentiated, and correlated by the children with the help of the teacher.

3. The energy path for grades 4 and 5: integration of disciplinary, methodological and didactic aspects

The first part is aimed at recognizing the relevant variables of the processes.It tells about two problematic situations. In this background, the tasks and the experimental activities are inserted.

The aim of the second part of the story is to guide children toward the decontextualization and the generalization of the concepts.

A story provides the background to all activities. It is structured in two parts, with different purposes:

LESSON 1 (2 hours)

The story presents two problematic situations:

moving a cart loaded down by stones with the

help of an inflated balloon

moving a cart filled with pots of flowers to the swimming pool with the help of the wind;.

Rupert, the main character, dreams about decorating his swimming pool with flowers.

2.1 Affective and cognitive involvement

LESSON 1 (2 hours)

Worksheet (individual)In your opinion, will Rupert and Aielmo be able to move the car full of geraniums with the help of the wind?In which case?Explain your answer.

Hello! I am Pico.I invite you to do an experiment to help Rupert.First observe the items you find in the suitcase I sent to your teacher.Which items could be used to help Rupert?How are they made?Draw them.

2.2 Concepts are built on psycho-sensorial experience

2.3 Narrative reasoning

LESSON 2 (2 hours)

«artifact» questionsChildren are invited to

observe and explore the artifact and its

functioning

«embodied» questions

Children are invited to imagine to identify

themselves with objects before, during

and after an interaction

In what ways can the wind move the car?Make several tests with the fan switch in different positions and at different distances between the hair dryer and the toy car.Make changes one at a time.Observe if something changes from one test to another.Write down what you observed.

Imagine that the hairdryer is turned off.What does the car experience?What does the air in the environment experience?

Imagine that the hairdryer is turned on.What does the air feel passing through the hair dryer?What does the air feel coming out of the hair dryer?What does the air feel when encountering the toy car?What does the toy car feel getting hit by the air?

Worksheet (individual)

2.2 Concepts are built on psycho-sensorial experiences

LESSON 2 (2 hours)

Will our friends be able to move the car with a balloon?How?Explain your answer (write and draw)

Find the cars and the balloons in the suitcase.Before you use them, answer this question:How can you use the balloon to move the car?Draw a picture.


LESSON 3 (2 hours)


«artifact» questions

How can you use the balloon to move the car?Make several tests with the car and the balloon.Make changes one at a time.Observe if something changes from one test to another.Write down what you observed.


LESSON 3 (2 hours)

«embodied» questions


Imagine that the balloon is inflated and the exit for the air is kept closed with a finger.What does are the air in the balloon experience?What does the car experience?

Now imagine you remove the finger from the hole.What does the air feel passing through the hole?What does the air feel outside the balloon?What does the car feel as it escapes?

Imagine the balloon to be completely deflated.What does the car experience?


LESSON 4 (2 hours)

2.4 Scientific knowledge is mediated

Discussion lead by the teacherStarting from the list of the answers given by the children, the teacher helps to find shared expressions and to give specific names to the quantities.

SYSTEM

LESSON 4 (2 hours)

EXPERIMENT

SUBJECT

BEFORE DURING AFTER

THE INTERACTION

QUALITYWHAT

CHANGES THE QUALITY

QUALITY

Car &hair dryerexperimen

ts

AIR fast resistance slow

CAR still push moving

Car &Balloon

experiment

AIR compressed expansion free

CAR still push moving

2.5 The world is interpreted by projecting aspects of the FDG onto

experience.

Discussion lead by the teacherStarting from the list of the answers given by the children, the teacher helps to find shared expressions and to give specific names to the quantities.

LESSON 5 (2 hours)

The story continues with the characters taking a trip to the mountains.It offers different contexts in which extensive quantities and their different qualities (potentials) can be recognized.

LESSON 5 (2 hours)

Situation in the story

What we talk about High quality Low quality

Stream water fast slow

Lake water high low

Sandwich food highly nutritious little nutritious

Windmill wind fast slow

Storm electricity high potential Low potential

Walkie talkie batteries charged discharged

Rotary saw rotation fast slow

Sky light bright dim

Discussion lead by the teacherThe slides of the story are projected again without the characters’ dialogues and the teacher discusses with the children to compile a summarizing interpretative table.

2.4 Scientific knowledge is mediated

LESSON 6 (2 hours)

Windmill with a led light

Frog with photovoltaic panel

Dynamo torch

Dynamo torch

The children work in groups (4 in total) to analyze the functioning of four toys:

Putt-putt boat

LESSON 6 (2 hours)

Before using the toy, answer the following questions:How is the toy made?What parts is it composed of?Draw it precisely.How do you have to operate it to make it function?

Then play with the toy.

Assign to each member of the group the role of:•journalist (who describes the functioning of the toy)•technician (who describes the composition of the toy)•scientist (who explains the functioning of the toy)•engineer (who improves the functioning of the toy)

The groups, in turns, act in relation do the assigned toy.

Worksheet (in groups)



Crucial point:how to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the course compared to the conceptual construction.

Two linguistic scales have been created in order to build a qualitative and quantitative tool for language analyses suitable to link the linguistic change to conceptual evolution.

The vertical scale (VS)

The horizontal scale (HS)

The vertical scale (VS) from 0 to 5 shows a gradation of increasing quality in the language used to express the identification of variables in accordance with the conceptual framework adopted. In this analysis, we consider that the language reaches a higher level if terms denote variables and the specification of relationships

Level 0 : agonist or the antagonist alone are present (the blades move);

both entities are related only to verbs of motion (the wind moves the blades);

the cause of the process is attributed to an external factor (the switch on)

Level 1: agonist and antagonist with verbs of implicit idea of a force

(the hairdryer makes the air move; the windmill is driven by the wind)

Level 2:implicit modulation of the agonist and of the antagonist(you could move it by using the force of Rupert and Aielmo; you

can load onevessel at a time).

Level 3: use of verbs that focus on the opposing entity in the process

(one thing that resists is the weight of the pots; the car resists).

Level 4: explicit modulation of the agonist and of the antagonist(by changing position there is less air and then the toy car goes

slower; if youhave weak water, a dam that is not very resistant is enough).

Level 5: level 4 + the identification of the potential difference(Teacher: So if it blocks, what does it do? Child 1: It makes

resistance, the waterloses its speed, its impetuosity because the water slams;

Teacher: What does thewater falling on the blades do? Child: It slows down. Teacher: And

the blade?Child: It accelerates).

The horizontal scale (HS) measures the richness of a description or the number of elements identified in a cause-effect interaction

Level 1s is attributed to sentences with no explicit reference to the chain and

no information on the device.

Level 2s corresponds to a series of at least 3 identified cause-effect relationships

(hairdryer-air-toy car-motion; electricity-fan-air)and some elements or objects that are related to the device (the current, the fan of the hairdryer, the numerous wheels of

the gear, ...)

Level 3s is characterized by a series of at least 4 cause-effect relationships and by the

evaluation of how physical characteristics (size, weight, material, type of

surface, ...) of the structural device can influence the process

The horizontal scale (HS) measures the richness of a description or the number of elements identified in a cause-effect interaction

Lesson Type of question and discussion Activity

Vertical scale(% of cases) Horizontal scale

0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

I(pre- test)

Discussion: which game will you choose to represent the story

situation?53 29 18 x

Artifact Before doing the experiment(hairdryer-car) 54 28 16 x

I Artifact Doing the experiment (hairdryer-car) 8 68 24 x

II-III

Embodied Doing the experiment (hairdryer-car) 90* x

Artifact Before doing the experiment(car with balloon) 45 55 x

Artifact Doing the experiment (car with balloon) 15 30 20 30 5 x

Embodied Doing the experiment (car with balloon) 90* x

IVDescribe as a journalist

Mime game50 50 x

Explain as a scientist 90 10 x

V

How do we make it work?

Doing the experiment(wind mill, dynamo torch, pot-

pot boat, solar panel frog)

50 50 x

How can it work better? 75 25 x

Describe and interpret process in the story (part 2) 75 25 x

Describe and interpret sand mill game 75 25 x



0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

I(pre- test)





II-III






Mime game50 50 x


V




50 50 x




The data show that: children’s language in pre-test ranges from levels 0 to 2 on the VSand It is at level 1s- 2s on the HS



0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

I(pre- test)





II-III






Mime game50 50 x


V




50 50 x




compared to the pre-test, “artifact” questions led to an increase in the

elaborateness of answers lying between level 2s and 3s on the HS.

With“artifact” questions referred to while doing the experiment, we notice an

evolution in language (VS) (24% and 30% of answers are at level 4 in the I and II

lesson, respectively);


Verical scale(% of cases) Horizontal scale

0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

I(pre- test)





II-III






Mime game50 50 x


V




50 50 x




the “embodied” questions facilitated an increase in level on the vertical scale (II and III lessons)


Language level evolution(% of cases)

Cognitive tool evolution

0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

I(pre- test)





II-III






Mime game50 50 x


V




50 50 x




Level 4 is maintained in the final discussion (taken as the final assessment) where children have observed, described and interpreted a game without the help of leading questions. In the dialogues of the last two lessons, level 5 was reached only if children were prompted by the teacher with specific questions.

Thank youfor your attention!

An Approach to the Concept of Energy for Primary School: Disciplinary Framework, Elements of a Didactic Path and Assessment Scale

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