WSST Conference 2017

Modeling is identified as an important practice of science in the Next Generation Science Standards. Models provide a shared mental image among teachers and students, which in turn creates a shared platform for meaningful dialogue. Models are similar to, but not identical to, the “real” thing they represent. If students can describe how a model is like the real thing, and how the model differs from the real thing, they are well along their path to a conceptual understanding of the process the model represents. This presentation will provide insights into teaching with models – while exploring interactive models that depict the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.
Recent work by science education researchers has uncovered a multitude of student misconceptions related to understanding the flow of genetic information – how information coded in the nucleotides of DNA is transferred to mRNA, which is then used to code for a protein. Although students can regurgitate words that suggest an accurate understanding of the process, many misconceptions are uncovered when students model the process by manipulating foam nucleotides and amino acids. Workshop participants will use these interactive models in the presentation and learn how they can be borrowed from the Milwaukee School of Engineering Model Lending Library.