Hannah's Prior Knowledge About Chemicals: A Case Study of One Fourth‐Grade Child

Abstract

Chemical principles are taught in elementary education across much of the United States because the National Science Education Standards include concepts about the nature of matter, states of matter, and changes in matter among other science concepts within the first to fifth grade levels. “Chemicals” is a word related to the nature of matter that is used not only in formal instruction, but also in everyday conversations. Children's prior knowledge about chemicals gained from everyday experiences will influence how they learn about chemical principles. The research described herein reveals insights into one child's conceptual structure related to the word “chemical,” which includes how she uses the word both inside and outside of school. Hannah was purposefully chosen for this case study because she exemplified “children's science.” Her understanding of chemicals as cleaners, in foods, and used for a purpose were primarily gained from everyday experiences. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to both future research and elementary science education.