Liquid Explorations

Alex Gaylor & Miranda Regaldo

Clinical Interviews

Interview 1, Interview 2

Interview 1

Interviewer: Alex Gayler

Interviewee: Stephen, kindergarten (age 6)

Date: March 20, 2009

-Do you know what a liquid is?

Um, yeah.

-What is it?

Like water.

-Exactly. Can you describe what a liquid is like?

Well, it's like water or coke. You can drink it sometimes and like the water cycle.

-Tell me about the water cycle.

It rains and then the water from the ground goes up in the cloud.

-What happens to the water in the cloud?

When it gets really heavy in the cloud then the rain falls again.

-What can you use liquids for?

To drink. And to put out fires. And to wash your car and your hands.

-Can you drink every kind of liquid?

Um….. no. You can't drink like cleaning stuff.

-That's true. So there are lots of different kinds of liquids that you can use for different things, right?

Yeah. Like the gas you put in your car you can't drink. And there's juice and soda that you can drink.

-Ok let's think about juice and water. WHat's your favorite kind of juice?

Orange juice.

-How are orange juice and water the same?

You can drink water and you drink orange juice.

-How else?

They both come in big bottles at HEB.

-That's right. How are water and orange juice different?

They taste different.

-What else?

Um orange juice is orange and water is like, clear.

-Can you see through orange juice like you can see through water?

No.

-Why not?

I don't know. Cause it's orange?

-That might be a good reason. What about apple juice? Can you see through apple juice?

Yeah but it's not clear.

-What color is it?

Like yellowy kind of.

-What's another liquid that you can see through but it's not clear?

Um….. that stuff you put in a cake. My mom made cupcakes for my brother's birthday last week and she put that stuff in there.

-You mean oil?

Yeah I guess.

-How are oil and water different?

Um I don't know.

-Have you ever felt oil before?

Yeah.

-What did it feel like?

Kinda slimy.

-Could you wipe it right off of your hands like you can with water?

No I had to use soap to get all the slimy stuff off.

-That's right. So the oil felt different than the water.

Yeah water is just clean and the oil wasn't.

-That's an interesting way to put it.

Yeah. Ms. Gayler? Can I go get a math tub now?

-Sure go ahead. Thanks Steven!

Analysis

Steven is one of the brightest and most advanced students in the class. This interview did not reveal any major misconceptions that Steven had but it is worth noting that we had just finished a mini-unit on the water cycle which is why he related back to that.  If I could question him again, I would like to have him manipulate some cooking oil and some water to see how he would explain that they don't mix

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Interview 2

Interviewer- Miranda Regalado

Interviewee- Jason

Grade Level- First

Date- 3-30-2009

What is a liquid?

--something wet, it's also something you can drink.

Can you drink all liquids?

--No, you can't drink soap.

So we can't drink all liquids?

--right, some liquids are bad for you like poison they will hurt your tummy.

Ok, So are there different kinds of liquids?

--yes, you can see through some but not all of them,

Can you name a liquid that you can't see through?

--you can't see through milk.

Can you name some other things that are liquids?

--yes, water, milk, juice, soap, blood, some medicine.

Do liquids have a shape?

--they kind of make a puddle. Ya they are puddle shaped.

Well if I put water in this funny shaped bottle is it shaped like it?

--yes, but if you dump it out it just splashes everywhere and makes a big mess.

What makes something a liquid?

--it has to be wet.

So if something is wet it's a liquid?

--yes.

What if I put this rock in water? It's wet, so does that mean it's a liquid?

--No.

Well why not you said for something to be a liquid it has to be wet?

--yeah, but the rock is hard and you can't put it in a bottle.

Ok so then not all wet things are liquids right?

--um I guess so.

So then a liquid doesn't have a shape unless its in a bottle or another container.

--right.

And rocks can be wet but not liquids, so then if something is wet its not always a liquid?

--right.

And some liquids are clear, some are cloudy and some are colored.

--yes.

Is there anything else you'd like to tell me that you know about liquids?

--well they splish and splash.

Analysis

At this point we ran out of time, but I feel like it went very well and Jason  had a lot to say and a few misconceptions of liquids. Perhaps on my next clinical interview I will make a conscious effort not to do it during recess.

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