Figure 2. Modeling practice as the

Figure 2. Modeling practice as the interaction of the elements of the practice and metamodeling knowledge. The two types of goals, sensemaking and communicating understanding, each emerge from the use of the practice elements and metamodeling knowledge.This distinction is important in identifying model practices that go beyond common classroom sciencepractice. Typically, classroom practice uses models for communication of (finalized) ideas, rather than for sensemaking around developing ideas. Furthermore, constructing models as supporting sensemaking (helping the modelers figure out a phenomenon) is new to most teachers, who think of models created by students as ways to demonstrate understanding they have acquired in another context (Schwarz & Gwekwerere, 2007). Often, if students need to learn about phenomena, teachers assume that models should be provided to them to observe and sometimes manipulate (such as stream tables or computer models) where the accuracy of the model is not questioned nor do students attempt to improve the model.