‘Students’ Alternative Conceptions (Primary Science) ‘Some Observations by Teachers on Common Students’ Alternative Conceptions Theme , fons Scientific Conceptions” Diversity [= Non-flowering plants reproduce by |» Sone non flowering plants (eg mass spaces, which the same a fun and ferns) reproduce by spores ‘+ Fungiare plants. ‘+ Fungi and plats belong to diferent froupsof ving things. Plants can ‘make thelr oven food, Fungi cannot take their own food. They feed on ‘other living things (dead or atv). + Bacteria are fungi Bacteria are micro-organisms which ‘an be seen under the microscope ‘Turtles ave amphibians and not ‘= Amphibians howe moist skin whereas reptiles as they spend mast of their | reptiles have dry and scaly skin, (it Metin bn the se. would be good to get students ta | ebserve and use some common | characteristics ofan organism to determine its grouping. stead of {ust using one characteristic. Both reptiles and amphibians can be found ving in the sea. Being able to lve in the seu not aclatinetive feature of | turtles.) + Turtles ate crustaceans beeause they | have sels (Crntacearshave | exoskeletons, not shells} | fe SS Sas ees Sots areheaverthan lquds and |e Mass bameasoreoftheamount of | liquids are heavier than gases. ence, | substance in an objector body. The there isa loss in mass when kee rmass ofa substance does not change changes to water and water wil when it undergoes a change in state become lighter i itturs into 3 gas though it size (volume) may change. [eyetes ‘> Water vapourand water droplets are | © Water can exist in three states. inthe same state of matter both Water vapour is water athe gaseous terms start withthe word *woter” state andis not visible. = The white mist coming out fromthe | + When water vapour fram the bolting spout ofa Kettle wth boiling water fs | water condenses upon contact with ‘ater vapour steam. Cooler surrounding. ai, wa droplets are formed, resulting the vise mis. ‘Acadlemy of Singapore Teachers / Primary Science Chapter Page 1‘Students’ Alternative Conceptions (Primary Science) an |S SaSeaTn sprees anes ‘made from tiny water droplets. '¢ When objects expand, itis the moleeuies that are expanding rather than the space between them, Scientific 7] 2 Goud are made of water droplets (and ie erstals, depending on the temperature). (Help students Understand how changesin states of water take place through the process af condensation and evaporation, and the concept of the water eye] ‘* When an abject s heated, the space | between the atoms/molecoles Increases. The object expands and takes up more space. Systems — | ® Digestion starts from the stomach, | + ton: Bonen slants donot ate ood, ‘© Seed leaves make food forthe seoslng (©) Blectric current is contained in the battery and wil flow in a closed ical, Digestion starts in the mouth. Saliva | contains a type of digestive juice ‘© Allplants can make food. | = Seed leaves stare food forthe seedling. ‘© The battery isan eneray source. When the bulb, battery and wire are property connected, an slectrie ‘eurtent flows through the circuit, Interactions |» Predviors have tobe Bigger than | prey. There are predators who are smaller than their prey but as they learn to adapt, they are able to catch ' prey bigner than them. ‘© Anobject thats not moving has no forces acting on it. ‘© Massand weight are the same thing, + Gravitational farce and gravitational potential energy are the same thing, = Predators feed on prey. The diet of fedators is nat determined by ts sie, ‘An object can be stationary and stl hhave forces acting on it when the net force acting on itis zero. ‘+ Mass isa measure of the amount of | substance in an object or bady. The weight of an object isthe measure of the gravitational force acting omit. ‘© Gravitational foree isthe interaction between an object and the earth. Gravitational potential energy refers tothe energy the abjecthas. In | eee tenes nated whereas energy is the ability to do work ———— ‘Academy af Singapore Teachers / Primary Science Chapter Page2Students! Alternative Conceptions (Primary Science) Annex A i ae Comeeptionet —__ Eheray |» Plants photosynthesize anly andda |» Plants are living things. ey underk ‘not undergo respiration, ‘+ Plants pet food from the sun. \* # Mirrors are transparent. is a source | # of light. ‘© Themoomis alight source as it “gives | « fut” Fight during the night. Pupils perceive that things that are bright or | that glow to be light sources. | = We can see objects inthe dark, . ‘© Ris possibieto see inthe dark once | the eyes are used tothe darkness. | s Heatand temperature are the same. | © © Instead of taking about “gainheat” | ‘and "Tose heat”, pupils talk about “ose coldness" and “gain coldness”. photosynthesis in the presence af light but they undergo respiration all thetime. Plants make food in the presence of Light. [This alternative conception ‘may arise from students lack of ‘understanding of the whole process: ‘of photosynthesis. This may alka arse when learners imeraret images that show the sun shining on a plant suring photosynthesis as the #un ‘ving the plant food. Students might hhave been confused with other facts ‘24. Plants/living things get food Indirectly from the sun] ‘ mintor is usually made of glass that [s coated with a reficetive surface The reflective surface can reflect light but does not produce light. The moon reflects light from the sun, (Which isa source of ight. We can see an abject onty when it refleets light from light source bata ‘our eyes. Hence objects cannot be seen ina cornpletely dark enviranmant without alight source, {Students’ idea of darkness is when the lights are switched off a right They do not realize that there are other sources of light} Pupils can diate in bow ight ‘conditions to it in mare light. However, we cannot seein @ ‘completely dark environment without a souree of light Temperature 2 measure of how hot an object is. Heat i form of ence. Temperavute difference causes heat to law from hotter to colder ‘abjects/regions/places. if objects with different temperatures are ‘Academy of Singapore Teachers / Primary Science Chapter Page 3 | |‘Students’ Alternative Conceptions (Primary Science) because the cold ‘escapes’ from the cold water canoe cae | = heat can travel, cold also.can travel, | hiidacannorinin |e Seeetees nacclawtst aoe | ee team wooden part of the door does nat feel as cold tothe towch, thus it is at a Spartan eject isp wr ih | peteroenncetiee An objectwith higher temperature | + will always have more heat than an object with lower temperature, sno more energy. [Pupissay"| am ‘eed and do not have energy". They link their everyeay language of energy | An object stops moving because it has | . to Science as wel.) ‘Scientific - placed in-contact with ene another, those that are warmer become cooler and those that are eaoler became warmer untill have the ‘same temperature. ‘oth the knob and wooden doar are at the same temperature. The knob feels cooler than the wooden door because metal is able to conduct heat faster away from the skin than wood can. Jackets do not produce heat, When ‘worn, they keep the body warm by reducing the rate floss of heat feors the body. The amount of heat energy depends onthe temperature as well as its mass. stationary object does not have tinetic energy. However, il possible fort to stil possess potential enecay. “Certain scientiic terms stated need not be explicitly explained to students in primary schools, — ‘Academy of Singapore Teachers / Primary Science Chapter Pane