Science, stories, and sense‐making: A comparison of qualitative data from a wetlands unit

Posner's theory of conceptual change forms the background for this study which focuses upon conceptual ecology, specifically upon the heuristics children appear to employ in sense‐making. The study reports data from a 2‐week wetland unit conducted during a summer camp program. The data consist of tape recordings and drawings made by the children. The analysis focuses upon two children who demonstrate remarkably different sense‐making heuristics: a recognizably scientific one and one that involves the generation of metaphors and personalized stories. The study argues the importance of attending to the heuristics of sense‐making in studies of conceptual ecology and conceptual change.