Developing and Using Models

An article by Tiffany Neill    1 Comment

When I first saw the science and engineering practices introduced in the Framework for K-12 Science Education, I found myself thinking how familiar they all seemed, but as I began to investigate each of them a little more, my vision of each began to shift. No where was that more evident than the shift in thinking I made about modeling!

In the PASS standards for science in Oklahoma, modeling is introduced as process standard 5 for high school courses.

Upon reading this, I’m not sure how critically I had ever considered what it meant for students to participate in “the active process of forming a mental or physical representation from data, patterns, or relationships to facilitate understanding and enhance predictions” or how to have students do this connected to science content from the domains of physical science, life science or earth and space science.

When I thought about modeling in the science classroom, I imagined students observing a teacher demonstration, labeling the parts of a cell, identifying plants, animals and decomposers in a food web or building DNA models out of candy that looked like the model in their science textbooks. Can you tell I was a biology teacher???

As I began to investigate the science and engineering practice of Developing and Using Models a little more closely, it became clear that my longtime view of modeling had to shift in order for students to fully experience Developing and Using Models. What I didn’t expect was how powerful this practice truly is for helping students make their thinking visible, revise their thinking and construct explanations for the world around them.

The Framework for K-12 Science Education states that “Models serve the purpose of being a tool for thinking with, making predictions and making sense of experience.” And further “scientists use models…to represent their current understanding of a system under study, to aid in the development of questions and explanations, and to communicate ideas to others.” (NRC, 2011, pp. 56-7).

If you find yourself still wondering what it means for modeling to be utilized in this way, you are not alone. It took several professional development experiences, journal articles and book chapters for it to click for me.

One professional development experience in particular had a profound impact on my thinking about Developing and Using Models. The presenter, Brett Moulding, introduced us to an investigation on a system of connected balloons (see video for demonstration). Once we saw this demonstration, we were given balloons and valves and asked to plan and carry out investigations for the purpose of collecting data to try to explain what caused the observations we saw in the demonstration and in our investigations.

The investigations I tried included:

1. Putting equal amounts of air in both balloons without stretching the balloons out prior to inflating
2. Putting unequal amounts of air in the balloons and stretching out the balloons prior to inflating
3. Putting unequal amounts of air in the balloon without stretching the balloons prior to inflating

Then we were challenged to develop a model to communicate our explanations. Warning! What you are about to see are images of the models I made based on the investigations I conducted that day! Keep in mind, I was trying, for the first time to explain this and do not claim to be artistic!

What you see in the image, are the before and after diagrams I created to represent my observations from investigations one and three before and after I opened the valve between the balloons. You will also notice that I tried to explain with arrows, dots and words what I thought was going on in the system to cause the observations I saw. This was extremely challenging to do as I really wasn’t certain what was causing side b of the balloon to deflate in investigation three.

Once each individual in the room had developed their initial models, Brett asked us to share them with a partner. As I began to share my model and explanation with another science teacher, she stopped and asked a few clarifying questions, which caused me to wonder if I was on the right track with my explanation. When I listened to her explain her model, I wanted to alter my model because she had thought of things I didn’t and the data she collected added to my model.

So, that is exactly what I did! I revised my model, which meant I revised my thinking about what was going on with the balloon system and what was causing one balloon to deflate when the valve was opened.

Later, Brett asked participants around the room to share their revised explanations and models, which again caused me to add to my model and my explanation. However, in some cases, I didn’t agree with what others had come up with so I didn’t alter my model.

Finally, Brett began to facilitate a discussion around the pressure inside and outside each of the balloons and if stretching the balloons out prior to the investigations influenced pressure. I won’t give it away, as I hope each of you will try this out yourselves, but the discussion, served as an explanation about pressure and tension which I then utilized to further revise my model one last time.

What I also realized in that moment was Developing and Using a Model was not:

• Developing an artistic replica of an existing model;
• Creating a diagram as a means to label and visualize vocabulary;
• Something created or prepared by a teacher.

Developing and Using a Model was really about me:

• Developing a conceptual or mental model that explained the observations I saw and the relationships within a system of study;
• Creating some physical representation of my mental model;
• Modifying my initial model based on additional data and information collected from others.

Connection to Other Science and Engineering Practices:

As I reflected on my experience with developing and using models, I also realized that I engaged in several science and engineering practices while I was actively working to develop a model to explain the system of balloons.

• I planned and carried out investigations and collected data that helped me formulate my initial model.
• I engaged in argument with myself and with others and sometimes those arguments happened in my head.
• I analyzed and interpreted data collected from the investigations I and others conducted.
• I continually asked more questions, even if I didn’t verbalize them.
• I used the models to aid me in constructing explanations.
• I obtained information through discussions and through investigations, I evaluated my own understanding and the explanations presented by others (including Brett) and I communicated information to others via my models.

Connections to Disciplinary Core Ideas:

I also noticed that my model included, using concepts from the Disciplinary Core Ideas of Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions and Matter and its Interactions. I’m not ashamed to admit that my initial models utilized concepts associated with the elementary levels of these Disciplinary Core Ideas. However, as I gathered additional information from others and Brett and as I began to connect this additional information with my own explanation of the balloon system, I moved into utilizing concepts that are associated with the middle school and high school progressions for these Disciplinary Core Ideas.

Connections to Crosscutting Concepts:

Keep in mind, the entire time I was trying to develop a model it was in an effort to try to explain what was causing the observations I saw when the valve was released between the two balloons. I also had to consider all of the parts of the system and the relationship those parts had to each other in addition to how the structure of the balloon material affected how it functioned in relation to air pressure.

These crosscutting concepts were the question prompts I found myself internalizing as I was trying to construct an explanation for the observations I saw.

Now, as I think about how we incorporate developing and using models in the classroom, it seems we should be focused on having students develop and use models as outward expressions of their thinking.

• We should prompt students to develop models to display how they would begin to explain what could be causing the observations they see.
• We should ask students to think about how the parts of the system are interacting and how those parts could be contributing to the observations they see.
• We should encourage students to share their models and revise them based on additional information they collect or hear from others.

As I look back on how I utilized modeling in my classroom prior to these experiences, I would say students were constructing models for the sake of constructing models (e.g., food models of the cell) or to reinforce ideas. However, students weren’t developing and using models to advance their ideas or to consider how the model worked with respect to evidence and theory.

I will be forever grateful for the experiences that have led me to see how powerful this science and engineering practices truly is for students and I hope we begin to see it utilized in classrooms across Oklahoma in this way. As this happens, I am sure other teachers will share classroom tales of success!

Interested in learning more about Developing and Using Models?

• Read pages 56-59 in The Framework for K-12 Science Education
• Check out the PD on Your Plan Module: Developing and Using Models (link coming soon).
• Check out the article, Developing a Learning Progression for Scientific Modeling: Making Scientific Modeling Accessible and Meaningful for Learners.

Featured Image: Created by Creative Stall from Noun Project

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About the Author: Tiffany Neill