Exploring the Story of Curriculum: Examining Artifacts of Intention

Abstract

A Norwegian science teacher begins her eighth grade class by asking students what results they obtained in the laboratory exercise they completed the day before. The exercise involved measuring the temperature of ice as it melted and the temperature of water as it was heated to the boiling point. The teacher asks students for reasons explaining their results.

A student draws a temperature graph on the board. Together the teacher and her students discuss the shape of the graph around the melting and boiling points and possible sources of error. Other students draw similar graphs using their own previously collected data. The teacher concludes this part of the lesson by explaining the relationship between temperature and energy as illustrated in the lab exercise.

The teacher then introduces a related topic — the water cycle. As she talks, she asks students questions about evaporation, water resources, and rain. They respond to her questions. A few students mention other aspects of the water cycle such as climatic changes and the water table. The lecture and discussion occupy the final 20 minutes of class time.

In Japan, a teacher begins his eighth grade science class by reminding students they have just completed lessons on atmospheric pressure. He tells them they will now study something about water and he tells them where this material is found in their textbooks. He continues by writing a question on the blackboard, “Where does the water go after a rainfall?” Students copy the lesson topic and the question into their notebooks. The teacher asks several related questions and then tells students to summarize their ideas in their notebooks.

After a few minutes, the teacher has several students share their ideas with the class. The teacher poses more questions such as “What happens to the water in wet laundry?” The teacher moderates a discussion about this question. In the discussion students bring up the idea of evaporation. The teacher reminds them that they studied the three states of water in science class the year before. He states that today’s topic—relative humidity—is related but not the same. He refers students to a graph of temperature and humidity in their textbook. The teacher discusses the graph with the students.

The teacher then has students use the graph to figure out how much water the air in their classroom could hold at 20°C. Students work on the problem in their notebooks. After students have worked on the problem for a while, the teacher has one student solve the problem on the blackboard. There is some confusion about the proper measurement units so the teacher explains how to go from the measurement units used in the graph to those needed for the classroom.

The teacher poses a similar problem and again has students work in their notebooks. The teacher comments that he would have a student demonstrate how to do the problem but since many were unable to figure it out, he will explain the problem at the blackboard. The end of class is signaled and the teacher tells students to memorize the equation in their textbook.