Why Create Models

As the author points out using models is a way to communicate. Children in the early grades of elementary school use a real insect to observe and use as a model for a clay representation o... See More

As the author points out using models is a way to communicate. Children in the early grades of elementary school use a real insect to observe and use as a model for a clay representation of their own creation. This is then used to help students understand the purpose of a model. This activity is simple yet important in the developmental understanding of the purpose of models.

The importance of teaching Modeling

The author makes a point about the importance of making models in science and for student learning and presents a lesson where students create a model of an insect. The lesson for lower grad... See More

The author makes a point about the importance of making models in science and for student learning and presents a lesson where students create a model of an insect. The lesson for lower grades is very nice but I feel the upper elementary students should spend more time discussing why the model is only a representation and can never be as good as the real thing and that sometimes models focus on one thing (the surface of the insect, for example) but at the expense of something else (like the insides). Overall a good explanation of why we should teach modeling and a good lesson to introduce it!