Sensemaking Practices
What are they?
The Sensemaking Practices include the many ways that data can be analyzed and made sense of by students as they develop models and explanations about the natural world.
Each of the modules below focuses on one of the Sensemaking Practices. These modules include agendas as well as other resources (e.g. handouts, videos) needed to conduct the professional development experience. Each module is designed to take approximately 45 minutes.
Each of the modules below focuses on one of the Sensemaking Practices. These modules include agendas as well as other resources (e.g. handouts, videos) needed to conduct the professional development experience. Each module is designed to take approximately 45 minutes.
Sensemaking Practices |
Module |
DescriptionAnalyzing and interpreting data includes making sense of the data produced during investigations. Because patterns are not always obvious, this includes using a range of tools such as tables, graphs and other visualization techniques to make sense of the data.
A scientific explanation is an explanatory account that articulates how or why a natural phenomenon occurs that is supported by evidence and scientific ideas. A model is an abstract representation of phenomena that is a tool used to predict or explain the world. Models can be represented as diagrams, 3-D objects, mathematical representations, analogies or computer simulations. |
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