Natural Reserve System

University of California

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Carousel

“Carousel” is a lesson plan created by 2000 HOST Teacher Deanna Smith-Turnage.  

Table Of Contents
  1. Objectives
  2. Location
  3. Teacher Preparation
  4. Procedure
  5. Evaluation
  6. Teacher Materials

Objectives

  • To provide an interactive activity for students
  • To find out where students are in their understanding of science
  • To expose students to misconceptions about science
  • To enable students to gain a better understanding of science

This carousel brainstorming exercise is designed to help students dispel certain basic misconceptions about science.

Location

  • Classroom
  • Time required: One Class Period

Teacher Preparation

Before the project, spend some class time reviewing the scientific process.  What is supposed to happen during this process?  What are some assumptions we make in using this process?

Procedure

  1. Students form cooperative learning groups of three to four students.
  2. Each group will go to a different poster and form opinions about the hypothesis written on it. For two minutes they groups write their opinions on the poster (below the hypothesis).
  3. Student groups will move from poster to poster in an orderly fashion, spending two minutes at each poster. They will respond in writing to what the other groups have written on the posters. The student groups will indicate agreement or disagreement with previous responses and modify them accordingly.
  4. After the carousel has been completed, the instructor and 
    student groups discuss the content presented.

Evaluation

  1. Students will discuss their responses to each of the Myths.
  2. Students will be able to answer “false” to each of the myths if asked on a quiz.

Teacher Materials

Ten non-toxic markers
Ten large pieces of poster paper. Each poster will have one of the following myths written across the top with a thick marker.

Myth 1: Hypotheses become theories which become laws.
Myth 2: A hypothesis is an educated guess.
Myth 3: A general and universal scientific method exists.
Myth 4: Evidence accumulated carefully will result in sure knowledge.
Myth 5: Science and its methods provide absolute proof.
Myth 6: Science is procedural more than creative.
Myth 7: Science and it methods can answer all questions.
Myth 8: Scientists are particularly objective.
Myth 9: Experiments are the principle route to scientific knowledge.
Myth 10: All work in science is reviewed to keep the process honest.