For quite some time, science educators believed that “hands-on” activities were the answer to children’s understanding through their participation in science-related activities. Many teachers believed that students merely engaging in activities and (a) manipulating objects would organize the information to be gained and the knowledge to be understood into concept comprehension. Educators began to notice that the pendulum had swung too far to the “hands-on” component of inquiry as they realized that the knowledge was not (b) inherent in the materials themselves, but in the thought and metacognition about what students had done in the activity. We now know that “hands-on” is a dangerous phrase when speaking about learning science. The (c) missing ingredient is the “minds-on” part of the instructional experience. (d) Uncertainty about the knowledge intended in any activity comes from each student’s re-creation of concepts ― and discussing, thinking, arguing, listening, and evaluating one’s own preconceptions after the activities, under the leadership of a thoughtful teacher, can bring this about. After all, a food fight is a hands-on activity, but about all you would learn was something about the aerodynamics of flying mashed potatoes! Our view of what students need to build their knowledge and theories about the natural world (e) extends far beyond a “hands-on activity.” While it is important for students to use and interact with materials in science class, the learning comes from the sense-making of students’ “hands-on” experiences.

* pendulum: 추(錘) ** metacognition: 초(超)인지

*** aerodynamics: 공기 역학