ESC 300 Introduction to Early Childhood StudiesOhlone CollegeRevised 1/25/07Piagetian TasksConservation of Number, Mass and WeightGeneral InstructionsIn this observation you will be assessing two childrenbetween ages 5 and 10 for three kinds of conservation:number, mass, and weight. Recall that the concept ofconservation involves the understanding that somefeatures of objects remain invariant despite changes inother features. The weight of an object remains thesame regardless of how the shape is changed; thenumber of objects in a row remains the same regardlessof how widely spaced the objects are. Typically,number and mass conservation are learned (ordiscovered) at about age 5 or 6, while conservation ofweight is learned alter; at perhaps age 8 or 9. So if youare able to find a child between 5 and 8 you may findthat he/she can manage the first two conservationtasks but not the last.The assessment can ordinarily be done most easily inthe child’s home although other settings are okay ifthey can be arranged. In any case, you must of courseobtain the parent’s permission, following whateverprocedure your instructor specifics. Present the childwith the three tasks and in the order given here,following instructions precisely.A. Conservation of MassYou will need two equal balls of clay or play dough,each a size that can readily be handled by a child’spalm. Handle them yourself, rounding them into aball, and then hand them to the child, asking:Is there the same amount of clay in each of these balls?Are they the same?If the child agrees that they are the same, proceed. Ifnot, say to the child: make them the same. The childmay want to squish them a little or may actually shiftsome away from one ball to the other. That’s quite allright. When he’s done, ask him again:Is there the same amount of clay in each of these balls?Are they the same?Once he has agreed that they are the same, say to thechild:Now I’m going to squash this on into a pancake.Squash one of the two balls into a pancake and placethe two objects - the remaining ball and the pancake -in front of the child. Read the following questionsexactly as written and record precisely what the childsays:1. Is there the same amount of clay in this one(pointing to the ball) as there is in this one(pointing to the pancake)?2. Depending on the child’s answer to the firstquestion, follow up by asking, Why is there morehere? Or why are they the same?Mold the pancake back into a ball and set the two ballsaside for the moment.B. Conservation of NumberFor this part of the process you will need 14 pennies oridentical buttons. Start with 10 items and place thembetween yourself and the child (preferably on a table,but the floor will do), spaced equally in two rows offive, as follows:X X X X XX X X X XAsk the child:Are there the same number of pennies (buttons) in thisrow as there are in this row, or are there more here(pointing tot he child’s row) or more here (pointing toyour row)?The child may want to move the objects around a bitbefore he agrees the two rows are the same, which isfine. Once the child has agreed they are the same,spread the object in your row so that it is now noticeablylonger that the child’s row but still contains only 5objects, like the following:X X X X XX X X X XNow ask the following questions, and record the child’sexact answer:3. Are there the same number of pennies in this row asthere are in this row, or are there more here, ormore here?4. Depending on the child’s answer to question 3, askeither Why are they the same? Or Why are theydifferent?Now spread out the child’s row and add two objects toeach row, so that your row and the child’s row areagain exactly matched, with seven items equallyspaced in each. Ask question three and four aspreviously listed and record the child’s answerprecisely.Now move the object in your row closer together so thatthe child’s row is now longer. Ask questions three andfour again, and record the answers.C. Conservation of WeightPut away the pennies (or give them to the child), andbring out the two balls of clay again, saying, "Nowwe’re going to play with the clay again. " Hand theballs to the child and ask:Do these two balls weight the same? Do they have thesame amount of weight?If the child agrees that they weight the same, proceed.If not, say make them the same and let him manipulatethe balls till he agrees. Once he has agreed say,Now I am going to make this one into a hot dog.Roll one of the two balls into a hot dog shape. Whenyou have completed the transformation, put the twopieces of clay in front of the child and ask:5. Does this one (pointing to the hot dog) weight thesame as this one (pointing to the ball) or does thisone weigh more, or does this one weigh more?6. Depending on the child’s answer to question five,ask either Why do they weigh the same? Or Whydoes this one weigh more?Record the answers carefully. You MUST record yourobservation in detail describing EXCATELY what youdid and said, and EXACTLY how the child respondedand what they said. Describe all actions a third partyreading your observation can visualize exactly what ishappening. Also use quotes for all conversation. DONOT SUMMARIZE this is an OBSERVATION.This ends the procedure, so you should acknowledge andthank the child. You might also want to play a bitwith the child with some other toy of the child’schoosing, to make sure that the whole process ispleasant to the child.ScoringFor each of the crucial questions decide whether or notthe child “conserved.” To be judged as havingconserved, the child must not only have said the twoobjects or sets are the same after transformation, hemust also give a valid reason, such as the following:You haven’t added any or taken any away so they haveto be the same.OROne is longer but it is also skinnier so