ABSTRACT
A key element of demonstratism is that the cognitive load placed on the students is often quite minimal. In some cases, just experiencing the phenomenon is considered an end in itself, with very little being asked of the student other than making observations. This explains how students can spend an afternoon taking apart and looking through owl pellets and only scratch the surface of big disciplinary ideas in ecology. Science teachers often perform their demonstrations with a degree of showmanship. Done well, these can hook students’ interest and motivate them to want to know the answer to the mystery. But they can also take on the appearance of a magic show, placing the scientific understandings at arm’s length, even while kindling students’ sense of wonder. Many teachers talk about activities as if they were the same as labs, but some of these may lack any connection to scientific practices beyond the topic.
