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Children's Ideas About Mountains
Below are common ideas children in grades K-6 have about this topic,
compiled from research on children's ideas about science (see the
Session 1 Children's Ideas Bibliography).
Consider what evidence might refute this idea, and why a child would
be
likely to believe this?
1. Earth was once flat, and water from rain or streams
eroded the surface into valleys, leaving the high ground as mountains.
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Many children know that the erosive power of water can
carve deep canyons into land. One such example is the
Grand Canyon, but almost every community has an example
of erosion by water that leaves higher ground in its
wake. Children may therefore reason that all mountains
were carved out of a once-flat Earth. Most mountains
are formed through the action of plate tectonics, especially
where plates collide. In this session, the collision
of continents riding on top of plates was featured as
an example. Hide
Response
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2. All mountains are formed by molten rock from a volcanic
eruption.
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The image of lava erupting from a volcano and creating
new land is common in print and film media. Children
often think that all mountains and volcanoes are closely
linked, and often believe that all mountains can become
volcanoes. While volcanoes are examples of mountains
and mountain building is often associated with volcanic
activity, most mountains are not themselves volcanoes
and never were. Most mountains are the result of the
uplift of land associated with the collision of tectonic
plates. Hide
Response
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Bibliography:
Baxter, J. Learning Science in the Schools: Research Reforming
Practice, edited by In Duit and Glynn. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates: 1999.
Broadstock, M.J. “Children’s Understanding
of Earth Systems Phenomena in Taiwan.” The Third International
Seminar on Misconceptions and Educational Strategies on Science
and Mathematics,
Misconceptions Trust, Ithaca, NY: 1993.
Happs, J. “Mountains.” Science
Education Research Unit Paper 202. University of Waikato, New
Zealand, 1982.
Smith, M., Southard, J. and Mably, C. “Investigating
Earth Systems: Our Dynamic Planet.” Teacher's Edition. Armonk,
NY: It's About Time, 2002.
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