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Qiao
10/29/14
ED111
Interview
#3
Analysis
This
interview
was
conducted
with
a
4th
grader
at
the
Linden
STEAM
Academy.
For
the
purposes
of
this
interview,
his
name
will
be
Sam.
The
question
I
asked
had
to
do
with
a
naturally
occurring
phenomenon
that
happens
during
this
time
of
the
year,
particularly
in
New
England.
I
framed
the
question
by
having
Sam
look
outside
the
window
and
look
at
all
the
different
colored
trees.
I
then
posed
the
question:
why/how
do
leaves
change
colors
from
the
summer
to
the
fall?
For
about
15
minutes,
Sam
and
I
discussed
this
phenomenon.
In
this
transcript,
J
refers
to
me,
the
interviewer,
and
S
refers
to
Sam,
the
interviewee.
I.
J:
How
come
the
leaves
change
colors
on
those
trees?
S:
Oh!
Thats
because
every
season
the
trees
change
the
colors.
Like
when
its
summer
its
green
and
when
its
winterwait
no,
fall,
it
uhhthe
leaves
turn
yellow
and
orange.
And
when
its
winter,
the
leaves
fall
off.
J:
Ok
so
why
does
the
colors
change
between
summer
and
right
now?
Why
do
you
think
they
change?
S:
Maybe
its
like
part
of
the
cycle.
Like
where
like
the
trees
fall
offwhen
the
leaves
fall
off.
Like
the
thing
could
get
water,
like
suck
up
the
water
maybe?
J:
Sorry
could
you
repeat
that
again?
S:
Maybe
like
in
the
winter,
because
maybe
the
waterwait
in
the
fall
maybe
because
the
leaves
are
changing
colors
becauseughhh
J:
Just
give
me
a
best
guess.
I
honestly
dont
know
what
the
real
reason
is
either.
S:
Maybe
its
because
part
of
a
cycle?
Maybe
like
when
the
leaves
fall
off?
Maybe
when
it
rains
sometimes
the
leaves
collect
water
and
the
tree
also
gets
some
water
and
when
the
leaves
fall
off
the
tree
could
survive
with
the
water
inside
of
it.
J:
You
said
something
really
interesting.
You
said
that
something
gets
the
water.
And
the
tree
survives?
Could
you
talk
about
that
a
little
more?
S:
Cuz
the
water
like
sometimes
water
can
help
plants
or
anything
survive.
J:
Water
helps
things
survive.
Ok.
S:
And
like
it
maybe
the
roots
down
below
could
store
the
water,
so
it
could
survive.
And
like
feeding
it
water
at
the
same
time
when
its
about
to
die,
it
needs
water.
There was quite a bit of thought during this process. At the start, Sam seemed
quite
sure
he
had
a
solid
answer.
He
was
quick
to
respond,
but
his
initial
response
simply
restated
the
observations
we
had
made
prior
to
the
question
being
posed.
Similarly,
when
I
asked
him
to
explain
it,
his
first
response
was
very
quick:
Maybe
its
like
part
of
the
cycle.
Whether
or
not
hes
thought
about
it
intently
before,
Sam
seemed
to
understand
that
the
changing
of
colors
of
leaves
seemed
to
occur
in
cycles.
Most
likely,
Sam
has
observed
subconsciously
that
the
leaves
change
colors
and
eventually
fall
off,
but
eventually
come
back
again.
Once Sam began his explanation of the actual why or how, he began bouncing
different
ideas.
He
begins
making
several
unrelated
guesses,
or
it
seems
at
the
time.
Sam
mentions
cycle
again
and
introduces
the
idea
of
the
connection
between
leaves
and
water.
At
this
point
in
the
interview,
I
was
a
little
bit
confused;
I
wasnt
sure
how
they
were
connected.
I
would
later
find
that
all
these
thoughts
would
be
woven
together
in
his
explanation.
II.
J:
Im
also
interested
as
to
why
the
leaves
fall
off
during
the
winter.
Why
do
you
say
that?
S:
Maybe
it
tells
the
tree
its
wintertime
and
when
to
use
the
water?
J:
It
tells
the
tree
when
to
use
the
water.
What
do
you
think
is
happening
when
the
leaves
fall
off?
Could
you
talk
about
that
a
little
more?
S:
Oh
I
dont
know.
Let
me
thinkwait
can
you
say
that
question
again?
J:
So
the
leaves
fall
off
during
the
winter.
How
does
that
tell
youand
you
said
that
when
it
falls
off,
it
tells
the
tree
that
its
the
winterto
let
the
tree
know
to
use
up
the
water.
S:
When
to
use
the
water.
J:
Yeah.
S:
Wait
no
it
does
not
tell
when
to
use
the
water.
The
roots
do,
I
think?
The
leaves
fall
maybe
becauseummm.
Oh
I
think
I
know
why.
Maybe
when
the
snow
melts
into
like
some
kind
of
water,
it
might
not
help
the
tree
survive.
That
water
might
be
different
than
the
water
it
rains
maybe?
J:
So
youre
saying
theres
a
different
kind
of
water
that
rains
during
the---
S:
Like
when
the
snow
melts,
maybe
it
turns
into
a
different
water
the
tree
doesnt
like
and
maybe
the
tree
might
die
because
of
it.
After
a
little
bit
of
conversation
about
our
observations
of
the
trees
being
different
colors,
we
began
talking
about
the
end
result
of
all
the
leaves
changing
color:
they
fall
off
in
the
winter.
Here,
Sam
brings
back
one
of
his
ideas
from
earlier.
He
continues
to
expand
his
explanation
of
water
being
an
important
factor
in
the
change
of
the
leaves.
From
Section
I,
Sam
understands
the
importance
of
water
for
the
survival
of
plants
and
trees.
From
that
logical
standpoint,
it
must
therefore
be
the
lack
of
water
that
causes
these
leaves
to
fall
off.
Sam
hints
at
the
fact
that
there
is
some
storing
mechanism
that
trees
have
involving
the
roots
(and
perhaps
leaves
as
well).
Trees
need
to
be
able
to
have
enough
water
to
survive
the
winter
and
the
leaves
play
a
role
in
that
somehow.
Towards the middle of this section, Sam gets one of those light bulb
III.
J:
Does
the
tree
actually
die?
S:
No.
Not
unless
someone
cuts
it.
J:
If
no
one
cuts
it,
what
happens
to
the
tree?
S:
It
survives.
J:
Okay.
You
used
die
earlier.
Did
you
want
to
change
it
to
another
word?
S:
Like
maybeughit
cant
grow
leaves
anymore?
Cuz
that
water
could
affect
when
the
leaves
grow.
J:
Lets
say
it
snows
during
the
winter
and
all
the
leaves
fall
off.
You
said
that
right?
S:
Yeah
J:
What
happens
when
its
spring
again?
S:
The
leaves
grow
back?
J:
Why
do
the
leaves
grow
back
then?
You
just
said---
S:
Ohhh.
J:
You
just
said
the
tree
dies.
S:
Maybe
the
tree
could
likecould
never
grow
stuff
again?
J:
So
if
the
tree
gets
some
of
the
water
from
the
snow,
all
the
leaves
fall
off,
and
during
the
spring,
no
leaves
could
grow
back?
S:
Yeah
J:
Is
it
going
to
snow
this
winter?
S:
Yeah
J:
Probably,
right?
So
whats
going
to
happen
to
those
trees
outside?
Are
those
trees
not
going
to
grow
back
anymore?
Are
there
going
to
be
no
leaves
when
you
come
back
in
the
fall?
S:
They
will,
if
no
snow
gets
onto
the
leaves
maybe?
J:
What
if
it
does
snow?
Can
the
leaves
grow
back?
S:
I
dont
know.
J:
Whats
your
best
guess?
S:
Wait,
after
fall,
the
leaves
fall
off.
So
the
snow
cant
get
to
the
leaves.
But
if
it
snows
early,
the
leaves
die
off
maybe?
Admittedly,
this
section
is
a
little
interviewer
directed,
but
I
wanted
to
challenge
his
usage
of
the
word
die.
It
was
a
new
word
choice
in
the
scope
of
our
conversation;
I
had
only
asked
him
what
causes
the
leaves
to
change
color
and
fall
off.
I
wanted
to
see
what
his
definition
of
die
meant,
because
I
thought
it
was
an
important
part
of
the
cycle
he
mentioned
twice
earlier.
If
the
trees
truly
died
in
the
traditional
sense,
it
would
seemingly
end
any
cycle
talk.
Sam
didnt
seem
to
know
either,
as
he
guessed
it
cant
grow
leaves
anymore
because
the
water
from
the
snow
would
affect
the
growth
of
the
leaves.
However, after I ask about the status of the leaves in the spring, Sam
probably
realizes
that
leaves
eventually
grow
after
the
winter
is
over.
This
idea
would
counter
his
snow
water
theory.
Almost
immediately
after
stating
that
leaves
grow
back
in
the
spring,
he
also
acknowledges
that
trees
could
probably
never
grow
stuff
again
because
of
the
snow
water.
There
seemed
to
be
some
gap
there:
both
statements
cant
be
true.
I was definitely a little aggressive in the interviewing process a little here, not
really
with
the
intention
of
poking
holes
at
his
explanation,
but
rather
wanted
him
to
consider
what
happens
to
trees
in
the
seasons
after
winter.
Ultimately,
Sam
comes
up
with
a
rather
brilliant
hypothesis:
if
the
leaves
pre-emptively
fall
off,
the
deadly
snow
water
is
unable
to
affect
the
tree;
if
there
are
no
leaves
for
the
snow
to
get
onto,
then
the
snow
water
cant
affect
the
trees.
Because
of
this,
if
it
does
snow
earlier
than
expected,
trees
will
die
because
they
arent
prepared
for
the
early
snowfall.
Sam
abandons
his
earlier
idea
that
it
was
primarily
the
roots
that
absorbs
the
water
and
now
seems
to
shift
that
function
onto
the
leaves.
In
this
hypothesis,
trees
are
armed
with
a
natural
defense
mechanism
that
prevents
its
leaves
from
absorbing
any
of
the
snow
water.
IV.
J:
So
right
now
these
leaves
are
perfectly
fine.
But
once
it
snows,
these
leaves
are
going
to
fall
off?
What
happens
when
it
stops
snowing
and
it
just
rains
normally
again?
S:
Ummm
J:
Like
during
the
spring,
it
rains
a
lot,
right?
S:
Yeah