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List signup  Private Universe Project in Science    History of A
Private Universe  In 1985, Matthew H. Schneps and Philip M.
Sadler of the Science Education Department at the Harvard-
Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics created A Private Universe,
a video program for science teachers. The program opens with a
segment in which newly minted Harvard graduates, dressed in caps
and gowns, discuss their theories for the causes of the seasons.
The Harvard grads, intelligent and articulate, speak eloquently
about their ideas, which are, for the most part, erroneous.
Through interviews with high school students and teachers, and
scenes of classroom activities, A Private Universe demonstrates
how a student's preconceived ideas and beliefs can pose critical
barriers to learning science, whether the learning environment
is a public school or a