Yesterday 6th graders had their double lab period. They were moving through 5 stations. One of the stations was to calculate the length of day when given time of sunrise and sunset. At first there were some language issues. Apparently in Spanish a day (dia) is always 24 hours long. Once we clarified the concept of calculating the hours of daylight I thought we were set. I gave an example. If the sun rises at 6a.m. and sets at 6 p.m., how long was the day? Each team easily got the answer - 12 hours, and away we went rotating through the stations with enough time for about 10 minutes at each station. I'm walking around and checking each group's activity at the first rotation and notice the daylight hour calculating group have 10 hours of daylight when the sun rises at 5 a.m. and sets at 5 p.m. It hits me. They are adding the 2 numbers. I look at the problem sunrises at 4 a.m. and sets at 3 p.m.. Their answer is 7 hours of daylight. I ask them to imagine a clock. (The one in the classroom fell of the wall at the beginning of the year.) I ask them how many hours from 4 a.m. to 12 noon. They can't do it. They are thinking with digital minds and the minute hand sweeping around and moving the hour hand 8 times until it reaches 12 and then 3 more times until 3 p.m. is not making sense. It was the same with every group except for one 6th grader instinctively got it. He is not the brightest and doesn't always pay the best attention, but he is a little older and more mature than the other. Is it a concept that needs a mind that has fully achieved concrete operations?
Anyway, I'm borrowing the manipulative clocks from my wife who teaches 3rd grade and I'll have another go at the concept on Friday.
Today is Parent Conference Day!
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