Students complete a diagram of the Solar System by cutting out the provided photos of each planet and pasting them onto a large sheet of paper. Students label each planet with the correct name and write one fact about each planet. The learning target for the lesson is for the students to understand that the solar system consists of the sun and the nine planets that orbit around it. With the information given in the scenario, write a 500-750 word essay describing how this activity can be revised to incorporate constructivism, inquiry-based problem solving, adjustments for differentiation, and the assessment you would use to ensure the target of the assignment was met. Include an explanation of why the constructivist approach is useful for teaching science and health. Support your ideas with two to three scholarly sources.
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“Tell me, and I’ll forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn”. These are famous words by Benjamin Franklin. The constructivist approach to teaching science and health is based on the idea that learning is an active process in which students construct their understanding of the world through their experiences and interactions. According to Neutzling et al. (2019), the teacher guides students as they explore and discover new concepts and ideas in this approach. The constructivist approach emphasizes student-centred learning, where students are actively engaged in learning and take ownership of their own understanding. Instead of being presented with information, students are encouraged to explore, question, and experiment to discover new concepts for themselves (Neutzling et al., 2019). This approach also encourages hands-on activities, group work, and inquiry-based projects to help students connect new information to their prior knowledge and experiences. This paper discusses how the Activity described in the Scenario above can be revised to incorporate constructivism, inquiry-based problem solving, adjustments for differentiation, the assessment to ensure the assignment’s target was met and an explanation of why the constructivist approach helps teach science and health.
While this Activity is a good starting point for introducing the concept of the Solar System, it can be revised to incorporate the principles of constructivism to enhance the learning experience for students. The provided classroom scenario of cutting out and pasting photos of the planets onto a large sheet of paper, and then labelling them with the correct names and writing one fact about each planet is a traditional method of teaching about the Solar System. According to Neutzling et al. (2019), to incorporate constructivism, the Activity can be revised to allow students to construct their own understanding of the Solar System actively. Instead of being presented with the information, students can explore and discover the concepts themselves. For example, students can be given a set of materials such as cardboard, clay, or other materials and be asked to create their model of the Solar System; This allows students to use their creativity and personal experiences to create a representation of the Solar System that is meaningful to them (Neutzling et al., 2019). Thus, incorporating constructivism can be used in the above Activity to enhance the learning experience for students.
Incorporating inquiry-based problem-solving into the Activity can also enhance the learning experience for students. According to Neutzling et al. (2019), instead of simply providing students with the names and facts about each planet, students can be given a problem to solve or a question to answer. For example, students can be asked to research and identify the characteristics of each planet, such as its distance from the sun, size and composition, and atmosphere; This helps students to think critically about the information they are learning and to make connections between different pieces of information (Neutzling et al., 2019). Thus, incorporating inquiry-based problem-solving into the Activity should be encouraged.
Adjusting the Activity for differentiation can also help to ensure that all students have a meaningful learning experience. According to Steffe et al. (2020), students struggling with the Activity can be given additional support, such as a simplified version or extra time to complete it. Additionally, students who are advanced in the subject matter can be challenged with more complex versions of the Activity or given more difficult questions to answer (Steffe et al., 2020). Thus, adjusting the Activity for differentiation should be incorporated into the Activity.
In the constructivist approach to teaching science, students are encouraged to explore the natural world and make observations and predictions. According to Shah (2019), in constructivist approach to teaching health, students are given opportunities to conduct experiments, collect data, and then use that data to explain and understand scientific concepts. This approach also emphasizes the importance of making connections between scientific concepts and real-world applications, helping students see the relevance and importance of science in their daily lives (Shah, 2019). Thus, a constructivist approach to teaching science should be encouraged.
In the constructivist approach to teaching health, students are encouraged to explore the relationships between their health behaviours, the environment, and overall well-being. According to Sistermans (2020), in a constructivist approach to teaching health, students are given opportunities to reflect on their health behaviours and connect to how they affect their health. This approach also emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and decision-making, helping students develop the skills to make informed health choices (Sistermans, 2020). Thus, the constructivist approach to teaching health should be encouraged.
In conclusion, the provided classroom scenario of cutting and pasting photos of the planets onto a large sheet of paper and labelling them with the correct names and writing one fact about each planet can be revised to incorporate constructivism, inquiry-based problem-solving, and adjustments for differentiation to enhance the learning experience for students. The constructivist approach to teaching science and health emphasizes student-centred learning, where students actively engage in learning and take ownership of their understanding. This approach encourages hands-on activities, group work, and inquiry-based projects to help students connect new information to their prior knowledge and experiences. The constructivist approach also encourages the use of real-world case studies, problem-based learning, and service learning to help students connect new information to their prior knowledge and experiences and see the material’s relevance to their own lives.
Neutzling, M., Pratt, E., & Parker, M. (2019). Perceptions of learning to teach in a constructivist environment. Physical Educator, 76(3), 756-776.
Shah, R. K. (2019). Effective constructivist teaching learning in the classroom. Shah, RK (2019). Effective Constructivist Teaching Learning in the Classroom. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 7(4), 1-13.
Sistermans, I. J. (2020). Integrating competency-based education with a case-based or problem-based learning approach in online health sciences. Asia Pacific Education Review, 21(4), 683-696.
Steffe, L. P., & Ulrich, C. (2020). Constructivist teaching experiment. In Encyclopedia of mathematics education (pp. 134-141). Cham: Springer International Publishing.