Daniel Dreyfuss

Dreyfuss' "Science Can Be Puzzling" uses manipulative "puzzles of the week" to simulate the kind of observation, hypothesizing, and testing that are central to scientific problem solving. The students also construct their own optical illusions that are placed around the school. By being encouraged to guess how a puzzle is done, students overcome the characteristic hesitance that so often hampers them in science labs. They learn to persevere in the face of frustration until a problem is solved and develop the skills they need to tackle labs that require repeated attempts to answer questions. In the process, students come to see the natural world as a puzzle that they are invited to solve.