An Approach to the Concept of Energy for Primary School: Disciplinary Framework, Elements of a Didactic Path and Assessment Scale

A didactic approach to and
curricular perspectives of
the construction of the
energy concept in primary
school

Cristina Mariani, Federico Corni
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, I

Hans U. Fuchs
Zurich University of Applied Sciences at Winterthur, CH

In primary school energy is usually studied using an approach
characterized by the introduction of different "forms" of energy:
hydraulic, eolic, heat, light, work, kinetic energy, ...
It looks like energy is a "something" that can transform or change
from one form to another.

Another didactic approach—less common in primary school—uses the
following language: the energy of (in) the battery is transferred to the
bulb“, “energy is transferred from food to muscles”.
Energy is presented as a “special something” that moves from one
carrier to another (water, air, chemicals, electricity, momentum,
entropy...) when an interaction occurs.

Whichever approach teachers use, the risk is to convey the idea that
energy is a material entity rather than a conceptual tool for
interpreting the regularity with which natural phenomena occur.

We have designed an approach for primary school teachers and
children that meets the following requirements:

1. It creates a continuous link between the interpretation of
everyday experience with scientific knowledge;
2. it achieves this continuity coherently by using children’s
reasoning;
3. it provides the basic notions that can be later expanded upon,
avoiding the use of the word «energy»;
4. it promotes the guiding role of the teacher in constructing
meaning.

OUTLINE
1. Disciplinary framework

2. Methodological and didactic framework

3. Energy path for 4-5th grades

1. Discipliary framework

Our approach is based on some simple concepts which are
fundamental in terms of their role in the discipline and
elementary in terms of their affinity with primary images in
the child’s mind derived from early experience.
According to the theory of Force Dynamic Gestalts (FDG)*,
our experiences, as well as natural phenomena, are
conceptualized as having the aspects of quantity or
substance, quality or intensity, and force/power [Fuchs,
2009].
The mind makes sense of experience by projecting the aspects
of this gestalt metaphorically onto phenomena.
Examples from justice:
1)I don’t think there is much justice in the world (justice as a
substance which can be much or little).
2)I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict
justice. (A. Lincoln) (justice has an intensity, it can be light or
strong)
3)The healing power of justice (justice has a force on human
behavior).

1. Discipliary framework

For what concerns the scientific plane:
• Quantity (or substance) refers to the
concept of extensive quantity
• Quality (or intensity) refers to the
concept of intensive quantity
(connected to the concept of
generalized potential)

• Quantity Quality
HEAT
TEMPERATURE
FLUID VOLUME PRESSURE
ELECTRIC CHARGE ELECTRIC
POTENTIAL
MOMENTUM VELOCITY
….
• Force/power is the source of the
scientific notion of energy.

We conjecture that the concept of energy can be constructed
already in early childhood if we

According to this approach, the concept of energy can be built by
analyzing interaction processes starting from the notions of cause-
effect, quantity, and intensity.

Example

In a windmill, the interaction occurs
between the air and the wheel.

Before the interaction, the intensity of
the air is high (fast wind), while after
the interaction its intensity is low (slow
wind).

The wheel is still before the interaction
and in rotary motion after the
interaction (going from low to high
rotational speed).

The energy concept is developed starting from the
identifications of the fall and the rise of the potentials of the
extensive quantities involved in an interaction.

2Q
The pumping of a certain amount of an extensive

∆ϕ
quantity
2
through a rising potential (effect)

occurs at the expense of lowering the potential of an
Q
amount
1
∆ϕ
1

of an another extensive quantity by
(cause).

The next step is to recognize that there is a balanced relation
between the quantitative and qualitative variables of the causes and
the quantitative and qualitative variables of the effects.

Again, the example.
A stronger wind results in a higher rotation speed of the wheel.
The interaction is mediated through the arms of the windmill, so an
increase of the size or of the number of the arms results in an
increase in the quantity of wind involved and a consequent increase
of rotation of the wheel.

The basic concept of energy therefore arises from the
identification of the "proportion" (semi-quantitative in
primary school) between two related processes, i.e.,
between the flow of quantities involved and potential
differences (left: energy released; right: energy used):

Q1 ∆ϕ1 = Q2 ∆ϕ 2
arms

air wheel

SYSTEM

2. Methodological and didactic framework

Educating teachers

It is important to remember that teachers have come up with their
own epistemology and reflect upon the discipline they teach,
primarily on the basis of their professional and cultural experience.

Therefore, teachers cannot be assumed to come up with the
necessary conceptual change on their own: they need to be trained
and supported in the change of concepts related to energy.

The didactic path for the children must be structured so that it can
serve also as disciplinary and methodological scaffolding for the
teacher.

Methodological and didactic aspects present in the energy
path

2.1 Affective and cognitive involvement. Learning of new
knowledge is promoted if children are directly involved (affectively and
cognitively) in the object of study and if they feel that the newly
acquired knowledge is relevant to their experience.

2.2 Concepts are built on psycho-sensorial experience.
Laboratory work is central, it has to provide practical (hands-on)
activities and opportunities for reflection (minds-on).

2.3 Narrative reasoning. The development of the recognition and of
the correct (metaphoric) use of FDG occurs through the refinement of
language use (oral and written texts, drawings etc.). The account of
the world and how it operates is put in the form of narration.

2.4 Scientific knowledge is mediated. There is a piece of
knowledge to be mediated (i.e. the concept of energy) which, at the
beginning, is known by the teacher only. In order to foster its
emergence and its appropriation by the children, the teacher sets the
tasks proposed by the story path and guides discussions to let the
ideas of the children evolve.

3. The energy path for grades 4 and 5:
integration of disciplinary, methodological and
didactic aspects
A story provides the background to all activities. It is structured
in two parts, with different purposes:
The first part is aimed at
recognizing the relevant
variables of the processes.
It tells about two problematic
situations. In this background,
the tasks and the experimental
activities are inserted.

The aim of the second part of
the story is to guide children
toward the decontextualization
and the generalization of the
concepts.

LESSON 1 (2 hours)

Rupert, the main character, dreams
about decorating his swimming pool
with flowers.

The story presents two problematic
situations:

moving a cart filled moving a cart loaded
2.1 Affective
with pots of flowers to and cognitive involvement the
down by stones with
help of an inflated balloon
the swimming pool
with the help of the
wind;.

LESSON 1 (2 hours)

Worksheet (individual)
In your opinion, will Rupert and
Aielmo be able to move the car full of
geraniums with the help of the wind?
In which case?
Explain your answer.
2.3 Narrative reasoning

Hello! I am Pico.
I invite you to do an experiment to
help Rupert.
First observe the items you find in the
suitcase I sent to your teacher.
Which items could be used to help
Rupert?
How are they made?
Draw them.

2.2 Concepts are built on psycho-

LESSON 2 (2 hours)

In what ways can the wind move the car?
Make several tests with the fan switch in different positions and at
different distances between the hair dryer and the toy car. questions
«artifact»
Make changes one at a time. Children are invited to
Observe if something changes from one test to observe and explore the
another.
Write down what you observed. artifact and its
functioning
Imagine that the hairdryer is turned off.
What does the car experience?
What does the air in the environment experience?
«embodied»
Imagine that the hairdryer is turned on. questions
What does the air feel passing through the hair dryer?
Children are invited
What does the air feel coming out of the hair dryer? imagine to identify
to
What does the air feel when encountering the toy car? themselves with
What does the toy car feel getting hit by the air? objects before, during
and after an
interaction
Concepts are built on psycho-sensorial experie

LESSON 2 (2 hours)


Will our friends be able to
move the car with a
balloon?
How?
Explain your answer (write
and draw)

Find the cars and the balloons in the
suitcase.
Before you use them, answer this
question:
How can you use the balloon to move
the car?

LESSON 3 (2 hours)

How can you use the balloon to move the car?
Make several tests with the car and the balloon.
Make changes one at a time. «artifact» questions
Observe if something changes from one test to another.
Write down what you observed.

LESSON 3 (2 hours)


Imagine that the balloon is inflated and the exit for the air is kept
closed with a finger.
What does are the air in the balloon experience?
«embodied»
Now imagine you remove the finger from the hole.questions
What does the air feel passing through the hole?
What does the air feel outside the balloon?
What does the car feel as it escapes?

Imagine the balloon to be completely deflated.

Concepts are built on psycho-sensorial experie

LESSON 4 (2 hours)
Discussion lead by the teacher
Starting from the list of the answers given by the children, the teacher
helps to find shared expressions and to give specific names to the
quantities.

2.4 Scientific knowledge is
mediated

LESSON 4 (2 hours)
Starting from the list of the answers given by the children, the teacher
helps to find shared expressions and to give specific names to the
quantities.

BEFORE DURING AFTER
THE INTERACTION
EXPERIME SUBJEC
NT T WHAT
QUALITY CHANGES QUALITY
THE QUALITY
Car & AIR fast resistance slow
hair dryer
experimen CAR still push moving
ts SYSTEM
Car & compress
AIR expansion free
Balloon ed
experimen
t CAR still push moving

2.5 The world is interpreted by
projecting aspects of the FDG onto
experience.

LESSON 5 (2 hours)

The story continues with the characters taking a trip to the mountains.
It offers different contexts in which extensive quantities and their
different qualities (potentials) can be recognized.

LESSON 5 (2 hours)
The slides of the story are projected again without the characters’
dialogues and the teacher discusses with the children to compile a
summarizing interpretative table.
Situation in the What we
High quality Low quality
story talk about

Stream water fast slow

Lake water high low

Sandwich food highly nutritious little nutritious

Windmill wind fast slow

Storm electricity high potential Low potential

Walkie talkie batteries charged discharged

Rotary saw rotation fast slow

Sky light bright dim

2.4 Scientific knowledge is

LESSON 6 (2 hours)

e children work in groups (4 in total) to analyze the functioning of four toys:

Windmill with a led light
Dynamo torch

Dynamo torch

Putt-putt boat
Frog with photovoltaic panel

LESSON 6 (2 hours)

Worksheet (in groups)
Before using the toy, answer the following questions:
How is the toy made?
What parts is it composed of?

Draw it precisely. 2.2 Conceptsare
How do you have to operate it to make it function?
built on psycho-
Then play with the toy.
sensorial
experience
Assign to each member of the group the role of:
•journalist (who describes the functioning of the toy)
•technician (who describes the composition of the toy)
•scientist (who explains the functioning of the toy)
•engineer (who improves the functioning of the toy)

The groups, in turns, act in relation do the assigned toy.


Crucial point:
how to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of the course
compared to the conceptual construction.

Two linguistic scales have been created in order to build a
qualitative and quantitative tool for language analyses
suitable to link the linguistic change to conceptual evolution.

The vertical scale (VS)

The horizontal scale (HS)

The vertical scale (VS) from 0 to 5 shows a gradation of
increasing quality in the language used to express the
identification of variables in accordance with the conceptual
framework adopted. In this analysis, we consider that the
language reaches a higher level if terms denote variables
and the specification of relationships

both entities are related only to verbs of motion (the wind moves
the blades);
the cause of the process is attributed to an external factor (the
switch on)
Level 1: agonist and antagonist with verbs of implicit idea of a
force
(the hairdryer makes the air move; the windmill is driven by the
wind)
Level 2:implicit modulation of the agonist and of the antagonist
(you could move it by using the force of Rupert and Aielmo; you
can load one
vessel at a time).
Level 3: use of verbs that focus on the opposing entity in the
process
(one thing that resists is the weight of the pots; the car resists).
Level 4: explicit modulation of the agonist and of the antagonist
(by changing position there is less air and then the toy car goes
slower; if you
have weak water, a dam that is not very resistant is enough).
Level 5: level 4 + the identification of the potential difference
(Teacher: So if it blocks, what does it do? Child 1: It makes
resistance, the water
loses its speed, its impetuosity because the water slams;

The horizontal scale (HS) measures the richness of a
description or the number of elements identified in a
cause-effect interaction

The horizontal scale (HS) measures the richness of a
description or the number of elements identified in a
cause-effect interaction

Level 1s is attributed to sentences with no explicit reference to
the chain and
no information on the device.

Level 2s corresponds to a series of at least 3 identified cause-
effect relationships
(hairdryer-air-toy car-motion; electricity-fan-air)
and some elements or objects that are related to the device
(the current, the fan of the hairdryer, the numerous wheels of
the gear, ...)

Level 3s is characterized by a series of at least 4 cause-effect
relationships and by the
evaluation of how physical characteristics (size, weight,
material, type of
surface, ...) of the structural device can influence the process

Vertical scale
Horizontal scale
Type of question and (% of cases)
Lesson Activity
discussion
0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

Discussion: which game will you
choose to represent the story 53 29 18 x
situation?
I
(pre- test)
Before doing the experiment
Artifact 54 28 16 x
(hairdryer-car)

I Artifact Doing the experiment (hairdryer-
8 68 24 x
car)

Embodied Doing the experiment (hairdryer-
90* x
car)

Artifact 45 55 x
(car with balloon)
II-III
Doing the experiment (car with
Artifact 15 30 20 30 5 x
balloon)

Embodied 90* x
balloon)

Describe as a journalist 50 50 x
IV Mime game
Explain as a scientist 90 10 x

How do we make it work? 50 50 x

How can it work better? 75 25 x
Doing the experiment
V (wind mill, dynamo torch, pot-
Describe and interpret process pot boat, solar panel frog)
in the story (part 2) 75 25 x

Describe and interpret sand
mill game 75 25 x

Vertical scale
Horizontal scale
Type of question and (% of cases)
Lesson Activity
discussion
0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

situation?
I
(pre- test)
Artifact 54 28 16 x
(hairdryer-car)

8 68 24 x
car)

90* x
car)

Artifact 45 55 x
(car with balloon)
II-III
Artifact 15 30 20 30 5 x
balloon)

Embodied The data show that:
balloon)
90* x
children’s language in pre-test ranges
IV
Describe as a journalist
from levels 0 to 2 on the VS
Mime game
50 50 x

Explain as a scientist and 90 10 x

How do we make it work?
It is at level 50 50 on the HS
1s- 2s x


mill game 75 25 x

compared to the pre-test, “artifact”
questions led to questionincrease in the
Type of
an and Vertical scale
(% of cases)
Horizontal scale
elaborateness of answers lying between
Lesson
discussion Activity
0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s
level 2s and 3s on the HS.
With“artifact” questions referred whichwhileyou
Discussion: to game will
doing the experiment, we notice an
I
situation?
evolution in language (VS) (24% and 30%
(pre- test)

of answers are atArtifact 4 in Before (hairdryer-car) II
level thedoing the experiment
I and 54 28 16 x
lesson, respectively);
8 68 24 x
car)

90* x
car)

Artifact 45 55 x
(car with balloon)
II-III
Artifact 15 30 20 30 5 x
balloon)

Embodied 90* x
balloon)

IV Mime game



mill game 75 25 x

Verical scale
the “embodied” Type of question and facilitated an
questions (% of cases)
Horizontal scale
Lesson Activity
increase in level on the vertical scale (II
discussion
0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

and III lessons)
situation?
I
(pre- test)
Artifact 54 28 16 x
(hairdryer-car)

8 68 24 x
car)

90* x
car)

Artifact 45 55 x
(car with balloon)
II-III
Artifact 15 30 20 30 5 x
balloon)

Embodied 90* x
balloon)

IV Mime game



mill game 75 25 x

Language level evolution Cognitive tool
Type of question and (% of cases) evolution
Lesson Activity
discussion
0 1 2 3 4 5 1s 2s 3s

situation?
I
(pre- test)
Artifact 54 28 16 x
(hairdryer-car)

8 68 24 x
car)
Level 4 is maintained in the final experiment (hairdryer-
Embodied Doing the
90* x
car)
discussion (taken as the final assessment)
where children have observed, described
Artifact
(car with balloon)
45 55 x

and interpreted a game without the experiment (car with
II-III
Doing
the help
Artifact 15 30 20 30 5
of leading questions. In the dialogues of balloon) x

the last two lessons, level 5 wasthe experiment (car with
Embodied
Doing reached
balloon)
90* x
only if children were prompted by the
Describe as a journalist
teacher with specific questions. Mime game
IV
50 50 x




mill game 75 25 x

An Approach to the Concept of Energy for Primary School: Disciplinary Framework, Elements of a Didactic Path and Assessment Scale

An Approach to the Concept of Energy for Primary School: Disciplinary Framework, Elements of a Didactic Path and Assessment Scale

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