GENERATING RELATIONSHIP HYPOTHESES:  A DEVICE

        The device below  is a version of the "Master Conceptual Framework" displayed earlier.  It allows individual elements of that framework to be juxtaposed in myriad ways to facilitate speculation about their possible relationship.
        For example: In a window on the left of the device may appear the concept "climate."  In an opposite window on the right of the device may appear the concept "physiological characteristics."  The hypotheses-generating question becomes, "Are climate and physiological characteristics related?"
        Clicking on the "UP" and "DOWN" bars causes the concepts in the windows to change.  "Climate" may be left in place, and "physiological characteristics" replaced with "art" or "patterns for play" to trigger speculation about possible relationships.
        Or "physiological characteristics" may be left in place and "climate" replaced with concepts such as "tools" or "waste," again to trigger the generating of hypotheses about possible relationships.
        There are about 55 concepts in each of the two windows.  About 1,500 combinations are therefore possible.  Some of these relationships will be simple and obvious, even silly.  Some will be so complex, subtle, or indirect it will seem that they couldn't possibly relate.
        If the terms appearing in the two windows were drawn from the vertical columns #5 and beyond on the Master Conceptual Framework (e.g. "rainfall" instead of "climate," or "childhood games" instead of "patterns for play,"), the lower levels of abstraction would make the task of generating hypotheses about possible relationships much easier.  It would also, expand the number of potential relationships to near infinity.

        I'm only trying to make a point.  The device will serve its purpose if it:    

• Suggests relationships  that demand the use of complex thought processes
• Helps students see that relationship exploration is the basic learning task
• Displays the holistic, systemic nature of knowledge
• Dispels the simplistic notion of "covering the content"
• Reinforces our "natural" way of segmenting and organizing knowledge
• (The device below was created by John Snyder, a Nevada "Teacher of the Year" jsnyder@atech.org )