Teacher's Corner

 Student Investigations:

 The start up scenario sets up a Problematic Situation and suggests two options for student investigations:

1. A web search of sites that provide tidal information and tidal prediction. Students will first brainstorm possible scientific explanations of the mysterious appearance and disappearance of the phantom ship.

2. The other investigation that students could opt for is an explanation based on myth and legend.

The Strategy
Problematic Situations can be used to prepare students for any type of reading material that deals with a problem/solution relationship. Using the strategy with students involves the following steps:

1. Develop a problematic situation for the students to consider. It is especially important that the context of the problem be clearly defined.

2. Pose the problematic situation to the students and in cooperative groups have them generate possible solutions or results. Have each group record all their responses as they discuss them.

3. It may be desirable to have each group decide upon their most promising result or solution. As part of their deliberations, have them develop a justification for why their decision might be considered the best answer. Each group then presents their solutions to the entire class for discussion.

4. The students are now ready to test their solution[s] by further reading, or in this case as a predictive model.

5. How did the student explanations compare with the information provided on the Internet? As a final step, revisit the original Problematic Situation and solicit any revisions, additions, or further comments that the students may now have.

See Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, Doug Buehl, Wisconsin State Reading Association, 1995.
 
Goals and Objectives

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