In the Classroom
A May 1990 article in Phi Delta Kappan recounts the story of a fourth-grade teacher who challenged her students to experiment with the idea of heat. Convinced that their
hats, sweaters, blankets, and rugs all produced heat on a cold winter day, the children placed thermometers inside the garments and recorded the results. After three days the clothes still showed no rise in temperature. Although some of the
students began to realize that they needed alternative explanations,many clung to their belief that the clothing generated heat. They were willing to continue testing the
garments until their hypothesis was proven—the entire year, if necessary. The teacher had to set limits for the task and guide the students’ examination of the evidence. The constructivist teacher sets up problems and monitors student
exploration, guides the direction of student inquiry, and promotes new patterns of thinking. Classes can take unexpected turns as students are given the autonomy to direct their own explorations. Raw data