A fifth-grade class is studying the phases of water. During a two-day lab activity, the students boil water, create ice and interact with liquid water at room temperature. They observe the characteristics of the phases and log their observations into their lab notebooks. The teacher then has them pair up and create a prediction on what would have to occur in order for water to go straight from the frozen phase to the gas phase. Based on Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, at which stage of development are these students most likely working?
