GEMS project

The topic that I chose to conduct my clinical interview on was on decomposition. The Terrarium Habitats GEMS guide is about decomposition and decomposers and I think that many students might be a little unsure about the topic of decomposition. My interview questions will focus on the role of decomposition in an ecosystem and the role of decomposers in the decomposition process. The questions I will be asking are as follows:

I began the interview by asking the child’s name, the grade that he was in, and what he likes about science. My interview went as follows:

Interviewer “Hi my name is Sara and I am going to be asking you some questions today about science. But first I want to know a few things about you. What is your name?”

Student: “Oh, I love doing experiments where you make new things. I like animals too and my science teacher had animals in our classroom, it was really cool.”

Student: “We got to look at worms and bugs in the playground and then we had to write about them.”

Interviewer: “Yes it has to do with dead things. What do you think happens when things like plants die?”

Student: “Anything that lives on the ground, bugs and ants and stuff like that.”

Student: “I guess so, I really don’t know what worms eat, but they live in the ground so maybe.”

Interviewer: “Could you draw me a picture of what you think decomposition would look like?”

Interviewer: “So I see in your picture you started out with a living plant and then a dead plant.”

Interviewer: “I also see you have some bugs eating the plant. What will happen once the bugs eat the entire plant?”

Student: “I think other animals come and eat it, my dog eats our cat’s poop so I think other animals must do that too.”

Interviewer: “Could the animal waste be helpful to the new plants that are growing?”

Interviewer: “So using your picture could you explain to me what decomposition is now?”

Student: “Yeah its like when something that was living dies and then gets eaten by bugs and stuff.”

Student: “Because the animals need things to eat and they would die without it”

Interviewer: “Thank you very much Sean for talking with me today. Can I keep your drawing?”

Student: “Yes you can keep it. Do you want me to draw anything else for you?”

My interview with Sean was very interesting because I was not sure if he would know very much about decomposition and I found his knowledge of the subject was limited. Sean seemed to understand that decomposition had to do with things dying and animals eating the dead organisms but he had no knowledge that the nutrients would be returned to the soil for the new plants. When I asked Sean what would happen once the bugs had finished eating the dead plant and he responded they would go find more dead plants I tried to guide my question by asking about animal waste. Sean was very clear that animal waste had nothing to do with plant growth. It is clear that Sean has a misconception about the job of decomposers and their role in decomposition. The drawing that Sean has provided only shows pictures of bugs eating the plants even though we had talked about worms eating the dead organisms too. I feel that Sean thinks that decomposition is when things die and bugs eat the dead organism and that is the end of the process. It was interesting to find this out because early in the interview I had asked Sean about observing worms in his science class last year but all he remembered from that experience was that the worms moved if you touched them. I am sure that his teacher had talked about worms being decomposers but he did not seem to remember much about the role of a worm in an ecosystem. This interview was eye opening because as educators sometimes we do not realize how much a student’s prior knowledge can influence their thinking about certain topics, especially when their prior knowledge contains misconceptions.

Christy Insogna

Clinical Interview

I interviewed a student going into fourth grade next year named Shelby who is my friend’s niece visiting from Arizona . I chose animal adaptation as my topic because it is an important concept in my Terrarium Habitats GEMS Guide. I also figured that many students would have misconceptions about this topic. Listed below are the main questions I prepared before the interview.

1. Tell me what you know about animal adaptations.

2. Why are adaptations important for animals?

3. Can you tell me about a particular animal’s adaptations?

Several other questions arose during the interview. These were mostly based on Shelby ’s answers. The interview transpired as follows.

Christy: Hi Shelby !

Shelby : Hi.

Christy: Are you having fun with your Aunt Janice?

Shelby : Lots of fun. We go swimming and I like camp everyday.

Christy: Great! Do you mind if I ask you some questions?

Shelby : No.

Christy: What’s your favorite subject at school?

Shelby: Reading.

Christy: Do you like Science?

Shelby : Yes.

Christy: What do you like about Science at school?

Shelby : I like doing experiments. I like the pictures in our Science book, and I like learning about animals.

Christy: What experiences have you had with animals?

Shelby : I have a dog and a fish.

Christy: Have you had any experiences with animals at school?

Shelby: We went to the zoo last year, and Miss Meyers has a guinea pig.

Christy: Tell me what you know about animal adaptations.

Shelby : Animal adaptations? Like how they change?

Christy: What can you tell me about that?

Shelby : Animals change sometimes. Sometimes into different animals.

Christy: Tell me more about that.

Shelby : Like how a caterpillar changes into a butterfly.

Christy: Can you tell me about how another animal adapts to it’s environment?

Shelby : Ooh! I know! Like how a lizard turns colors.

Christy: Why does it do that?

Shelby : To match the rock or sand it is sitting on so no one can see him.

Christy: Why doesn’t he want anyone to see him?

Shelby : Because he is scared they might hurt him.

Christy: What other animals have adaptations?

Shelby : Um….(Pause)….Frogs?

Christy: How do they adapt?

Shelby : They change from a tadpole to a frog.

Christy: Do they have any other adaptations?

Shelby : Yes. They can go from water to land.

Christy: Tell me more about that.

Shelby: Well, they are in the water as tadpoles. But when they turn into frogs, they can go on land. But I think some frogs can still live underwater.

Christy: Why are animal adaptations important for animals?

Shelby: It keeps them safe and it helps them do stuff.

Christy: Thanks for answering these questions for me Shelby.

Shelby : You’re welcome.

Christy: I hope you have a fun summer with your Aunt Janice.

Shelby : Thanks.

Christy: Bye.

Shelby : Bye.

My interview with Shelby was an eye opening experience. This child has already completed the third grade, the grade that I teach, and yet she has many misconceptions about animal adaptations. I am wondering about my own students and how well they could answer these questions after a year of science instruction under me. I might be surprised at the misconceptions they also have. But back to Shelby . I could tell that the words “animal adaptations” made Shelby feel unsure of herself. One more realization that teachers need to be teaching vocabulary in meaningful ways so students retain those words. She started out by saying it was when an animal changed. Her first example was a caterpillar to a butterfly. Later on, she referred to a lizard changing its color to match its surroundings. She was on the right track here. She was a little confused again talking about the tadpole changing into a frog, but then spoke of frogs being able to live in water, then on land, which is an animal adaptation. When I asked her why these adaptations were important, she told me it was to keep the animals safe and that it helped them do stuff. I think if I had then asked her how these adaptations keep animals safe, she could have come up with more examples that were really adaptations. Shelby , like many other students, has gotten by in school with her teacher thinking she has got it all, when really, she has some misconceptions. One way teachers could lessen these misconceptions is by using Marzano’s approach on vocabulary where students write in their own words what the definitions of vocabulary words are and then draw pictures to go with their thinking. Students then share these with classmates and can add onto their work. These are stored in a science folder where they can be reviewed often. When students write information in their own words, they retain it easier. It is also helpful for them to draw the pictures to go with their definition because Pavio’s Dual Coding Theory shows us that information taken in by more than one way will be easier to recall. The use of Graphic organizers might have also helped Shelby with the concept of animal adaptations. If the concept was presented in the middle and her teacher had branched off adaptations for different reasons, and then certain animals and their adaptations, she would have had this visual to call up from her memory. Teachers should not rely solely on multiple choice tests to assess a student’s knowledge on any given topic. We need to talk to students and ask them to explain concepts so we can catch these misconceptions as they occur.