Pre-school children talking about the models they have constructed: An analysis of children constructed models and their presentation

Despite its proven added value, Modeling-based Learning (MbL) in science is not commonly incorporated into early grades. My purpose in this study was to provide detailed descriptions of the implementation of MbL with a group of 18 pre-K children, engaged in the study of solution of substances in water. The findings suggest that participants could successfully engage in authentic MbL activities, being able to develop a number of different models using prior knowledge and experiences, as well as a variety of features of both analogical and mechanistic reasoning. © 2020 International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).