Ms. Killian and her fourth graders have been growing sunflowers under various conditions-they have grown sunflowers in different kinds of soil, with different amounts of water, and in varying degrees of sunlight. Below are four statements that Ms. Killian makes related to the sunflowers. Which one is most consistent with the idea of a cognitive apprenticeship?
A) "Who can tell me what photosynthesis is?"
B) "How many of you have grown sunflowers at home? How many of you have moms or dads who are gardeners?"
C) "This sunflower is taller than that sunflower over there. Let's consider what the growing conditions for the two flowers have been and try to figure out what might have led to the difference we see."
D) "Elaine, please give each plant the same amount of water today that you gave it yesterday. Also, be sure that you keep each plant in the same location, so that the amount of sunlight it gets stays the same."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement that is most consistent with the idea of a cognitive apprenticeship is C because it prompts the students to use their critical thinking skills to analyze the differences in the growth of the two sunflowers based on their varying conditions. This encourages them to ask questions, make observations, and draw conclusions, which are all important aspects of cognitive apprenticeship. Option A is a simple recall question not related to apprenticeship. Option B is eliciting the information from learners not pertains to cognitive skill building. D is a procedural instruction to be followed like an algorithm not consistent with cognitive apprenticeship.

Ms Killian and Her Fourth Graders Have Been Growing Sunflowers