Clarà, M., & Mauri, T. (2011). The micro-genetic development of concepts: the introduction of the construct of practical concept in CHAT. ISCAR. Rome, 5-10 September.

1. The micro-genetic development of concepts: the introduction of practical concept in CHAT Marc Clarà Teresa Mauri

11. Situation A set of circumstances Circumstance : anything in the environment which constrains the relation subject-environment in practical relation Practical relation : the coexistence of two or more circumstances which constrain the same relation subject-environment which in a micro-genetic domain constitute a whole with a meaning as expression of one or more systems of activity which exist in a historical-genetic domain

12. Small bead in the water Spontaneous concept Titanic sinks in the water Spontaneous concept Scientific concept: Principle of Arquimedes few boats on the ship high number of passengers closest ship without telegraph Extremely low temperature of water practical relation Specific situation on the night of April 14th, 1912 Situational representation: Practical concept

13. Practical concept: Morphology Spontaneous concept: the referent is a specific object of reality Scientific concept: the referent is a set of representations Practical concept: the referent is a specific situation The three components of the dialectic unit (system of generality) which explains the conceptual development Specific genesis of practical concepts: At the same time toward the system of generality (relations with other concepts) and toward the specific reality (practical relations between circumstances)

20. First external development S: So, I thought, with the chocolate, what did it happen? Where did it go? Which path you think it did? Chocolate and then, to give them a draw, and they see which path the chocolate did. Draw Of course, here it lacks... because when you told me four sessions I had to make it shorter I think that here there is time enough for adding the thing of the animals first Animals

21. Second external development T : you would make them to draw (...) let’s see, how would you introduce it? Now I will give you a chocolate? no Draw and chocolate S : No, first we would talk about the animals they know, and say: they breath, they eat... and then to say: if the animals eat we also eat (...) Animals and chocolate T : yes, but because we also eat I give you a chocolate? no S : no, no, no, not in this way T : It would be: I would like that we think together about how eating works, and I will give you a chocolate... S : yes, that’s true

22. Third external development T : Probably they will say that blood move inside veins, and others will say that goes freely inside the body. So how could we know this? Let’s see, is there any parte of our body where veins are visible? or where it is visible how the blood stay inside our body? (...) From talk about blood to look at our body S : yes T : let’s take it again?... they will say either freely or in veins, and then what? S : this... T : don’t be nervious, quiet. They will say freely or in veins. Imagine that one child says freely and another in veins, how do we go ahead? how do we go ahead?... Let’s see if our body can tell us somthing, let’s look at our hands, let’s see, what do we see? S : yes

23. First internal development S : ...if they say cells I’ll take it and i’ll say look, they are interested in, or something, but if they don’t say it, I’ll not say it, because perhaps they are not.. What pupils say Student questions Contents T : no, you must ask in order to obligate, to see if they say it, and if they don’t say it then nothing, we will realize S : of course, but... perhaps one says “and this energy where comes from”, and I see that everybody... and then it is the moment, isn’t it?

24. Second internal development S : I didn’t expect that they say so many things, because they said an idea, and then more and more, and I didn’t expect so much, and in a moment I became nervious and I thought “what do I do, what do I do now?” (...) I didn’t know how to go ahead What the pupils say The contents What the student asks