Teaching for misconceptions

Visible thinking unearths powerful data for teachers and student to identify progress and next steps.

One of the misconceptions I have stumbled on while teaching this unit has been around evaporation.

Last week my students observed water evaporating with heat and condensing again with cold.

Yet listening into their Doodlecasts, I was amazed how many children thought the oceans were a source of drinking water. Many were concerned that ocean pollution would lead to water shortages for humans.

The students know water should be colourless, odourless, tasteless, but they haven’t made a connection to their own personal experience that ocean water is salty and isn’t safe to drink.

From this doodlecast the children are showing they need to investigate further

• Salinity
• Evaporation

If I had just relied on a the kids labelling a cycle, I might not have uncovered this misconception in students thinking.

They need to understand evaporation.    If I had just relied on a the kids labelling a cycle, I might not have uncovered this misconception in students thinking.

I love how the girls are saying that they need to research and find out more – they are showing  enthusiasm  and curiosity about the world around them. Demonstrating not just what they say but how they say it is so important!