The PRACCIS project has developed a variety of scaffolds that we have found work well in science classes. These pages present several of these scaffolds.
A core group of PRACCIS scaffolds are epistemic scaffolds that support students’ work to evaluate epistemic products including models, evidence, and arguments. We have also developed several approaches to helping students work with alternative scientific models and to determine which model is best supported by the evidence. Finally, we have deployed general scaffolds to support motivation, comprehension, and collaboration.
Epistemic Scaffolds
Epistemic scaffolds support students’ thinking about epistemic products including models, evidence, and arguments.
Working with Scientific Models
PRACCIS has developed several approaches to help students think about how different models relate to bodies of evidence.
General Scaffolds
PRACCIS has also used several general scaffolds to promote motivation, reading comprehension, and collaboration.