Force dynamic gestalt of natural phenomena: teaching the concept of energy

Modern cognitive science in general and cognitive linguistics in particular teach us about basic figurative structures of the human mind which are used to conceptualize natural, psychological, and social phenomena and processes. These figures of thought are based on schematic structures that develop early in the life of a child. We have identified a structure, the Force Dynamic Gestalt, which underlies both everyday language and reasoning and the formal science of physics. If teachers learn to make use of these figurative structures, they are in a position to produce well-crafted narratives with which they can confidently teach other- wise complex and formal subjects. We demonstrate how to use the approach for developing the energy concept in primary school. The method lends itself well to a deliberate movement from the affective and qualitative to the logical and quantitative, and to the use of role games, stories, outdoor activities, laboratory work, drawings, writings etc. Linguistic and graphical tools will be described that make this approach not only simple but also natural.