Mr Davis Asks His Third Graders to Conduct Experiments to Examine

question 40

Essay

Mr. Davis asks his third graders to conduct experiments to examine the effects of water, sunlight, and type of soil on growing sunflowers. He tells them, "I want you to find out which of these three things-water, sunlight, and soil-affect how well sunflowers grow. Here are lots of sunflower seeds, lots of paper cups to grow them in, and two different types of soil. You can give your growing plants plenty of sunlight by putting them on the shelf by the window, or you can grow them in a shadier place on the bookshelf behind my desk. And here's a measuring cup you can use to measure the amount of water you give them each day."
Mr. Davis is assuming his third graders can do at least two things that, from Piaget's perspective, they probably cannot do. What two crucial abilities necessary for conducting appropriate experiments do his students probably not yet have? Justify your answer in a short paragraph.

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Definitions:

Lower-Level Needs

Basic physiological and safety needs in Maslow's hierarchy that must be satisfied before higher-level psychological needs.

Motivation

The method that starts, directs, and sustains actions aimed at achieving goals.

Needs-Hierarchy

A theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow, suggesting that people are motivated by five basic categories of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization, in that order.

21st Century

The period extending from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2100, characterized by rapid advancements in technology, globalization, and changing social norms.