Bouncing Raisin Activity to Explore Questioning Strategies & Interview Pathways
Overview
An activity to practice questioning strategies to facilitate learners construction of an explanation for what happens in this activity. Apply science process skills of observation and inference which will be very helpful for this activity to create explanations.
Samples
- Observation - the raisins are on the bottom. The raisins are floating to the top. The raisins have bubbles on them.
- Inference - The bubbles are making the raisins float.
- Interview pathway - Use information from observations, to make inferences which will lead to explanations as how the raisins accumulate bubbles, float, rise to the top, where the bubbles pop, and the raisins sink to the bottom.
Why this activity?
The bouncing raisins activity is highly motivational and provides all the necessary and sufficient information needed to understand what is happening. Therefore, it is an excellent activity to use to practice interviewing learners and focus on questioning pathways and strategies.
It is a descrepent event which usually motivates learners to question their prior knowledge and engage with the materials to seek understanding. If they use their understanding of observation to investigate, then sufficient iinformation is available for them to analyze and make sense of the activity and formulate an explanation of what is happening. If they do not, then by asking, what do they notice about the raisins?, how are they moving?, and what differences are there when they move from place to place? Provides all the information they need achieve success.
Materials
- 60-100 ml of 7 UP
- Small glass
- 10 raisins
- Recording Device
The setup
Video of setup and initial raisin action!
The dance
Video of the raisin dance!
Procedure
- Read the entire activity.
- Get a recorder, video or audio to record the experiment and discussion.
- Get a small group of people (age 9 and up) if possible, else interview one.
- Have them do the Bouncing Raisins experiment.
- After 2-5 minutes ask questions about their observations.
- The purpose of the questioning is to help them construct possible causes of the interactions. YOU ARE ONLY TO ASK QUESTIONS. Do not tell anything.
- Guide their observations with questions so they construct their own understanding based on their observation and reasoning.
Set up for the - Bouncing Raisin Activity
- Put 10 raisins into a glass.
- Pour 60-100 milliliters (ml) of 7 UP into the glass.
- Observe the system of 7 UP and raisins.
- Tell them that you are not going to tell them anything.
- All you are going to do is ask them questions for them to explain what is happening to the raisin - 7 UP system?
- Ask questions to distinguish between observation and inference.
Procedure for instruction
Let learners observe the Bouncing Raisins.
Possible questions:
- What happened?
- What did you observe?
- When learners provide an explanation or inference, ask - What observation(s) gave you that inference (idea)?
- When learners give an idea try to get others to discuss it. Do you agree with ______ (person or idea)? Why or why not?
- Why?
- Did you observe what ___(that person___) said? If not, what did you observe?
Desperate questions:
- What happens to the raisins on the bottom?
- What happens to the raisins on the top?
- What is the difference?
Have them summarize what they believe happened.
- Draw a picture or write a summary for the experiment (Use a diagram and insert bubbles with explanations for raisins on the bottom, floating up, on the surface, sinking).
Moving from summary of observations to an explanation.
- What is a variable?
- What are the variables in the system?
- How do these variables change?
- Have learners use their observations to support their answers.
- Help them to distinguish between observations and inferences if needed.
After an explanation move to expansion.
- Ask. What would happen if you cut a raisin in half?
- Ask. What would happen if another object was substituted for the raisins?
- What about peanuts, paper wads, BB's, cotton balls, buttons, styrofoam packing, or wood chips.
- Ask. What would happen if you decreased or increased the amount of 7 UP?
- Again, have them use their observations and explanation to support how their answers would change.
- Help them distinguish between observations and inferences if needed.
Processing your questioning strategies and pathway
Listen to your recording and collect the data needed to complete the following.
1. Write two of the most open ended (divergent) questions you asked.
2. Time the total number of seconds for your number one wait-times (after you asked a question). Record the information below.
Number one wait times for each question
Average number one wait-times
3. Time the total number of seconds for your number two wait-times (after a student responded and before you responded or asked a question). Record the information below.
Number two wait times for each question
Average number two wait-time.
4. If you slipped and told the learners some information what did you tell?
5. How many times did you repeat learner’s answers?
6. If you used a learner’s idea, write it.
7. Summarize what you learned.
8. What goals do you have for your questioning strategies and why?
9. What were three considerations you felt important in guiding your questioning pathway?