Inquiry Based Science: Doing What Scientists Do Science at Stanley

2. Inquiry Based Science:Doing What Scientists DoScience at Stanley

3. What is Inquiry Learning? • According to the National Science Education Standards, inquiry is “the activities used by students to formulate an understanding of the work that scientists do.” • Inquiry based learning • requires the teacher to provide open- ended learning topics • requires thestudents to form hypotheses that will drive their investigations.

4. In Other Words* • Inquiry is learning through processing questions and observations • Can be questions of teacher design • Best questions are generated from the students themselves • In order to generate questions, students need prior knowledge and experiences • New knowledge grows on this foundation * Adapted from Dr. Ralph’s Teaching Inquiry with Toys and Treats Presentation to NSTA conference

5. First Level of Inquiry Learning* • Structured Inquiry • Teachers give students a hands-on problem to investigate, the materials and methods to to the investigation, • DO NOT give them the expected outcome • Studentsneed to collect data, discover a relationship, and generalize answers from the data collected

6. Second Level of Inquiry Learning* • Guided Inquiry • Teachers give students a hands-on problem to investigate, and access to the materials they may need • Studentsneed to develop methods to investigate the question given, collect data, and generalize answers from that data

7. Third Level of Inquiry Learning* • Open Inquiry • Teachers give students an environment suited for asking questions, and/or background knowledge of scientific concepts • Studentsneed to do everything else! • Determine questions they are interested in • Develop methods and procedures to investigate their questions given • Means of collecting data • Decide what the data mean

8. Teachers should not tell students what to learn so they can pass a test, but rather provide opportunities for students to challenge prior knowledge and encourage the development of new knowledge.* School Goal: STUDENTS SHOULD NEVER STOP ASKING “WHY”

9. A disclaimer…

10. The Five E’s of Inquiry* • Engage - motivate students in the topic • Explore - encourage student teams to generate questions • Explain - debrief results • Elaborate - revisit the topic with shared ideas and goals • Evaluate - provide students a means of assessing discoveries

11. Steps of the Scientific Method • Observe • Question • Hypothesize • Experiment and Record Data • Analyze Data • Conclude

12. K - 1 - 2 Starting in K-1-2, we honor children's natural interest and curiosity.

13. We provide opportunities for students to witness the marvels of the world.

14. We take students outdoors.

15. We bring the “outdoors” indoors.

16. We encourage exploration and experimentation.

17. We begin to expose children to the scientific approach to solving problems. We emphasize: Observing

18. Asking Questions

19. Making Predictions

20. Communicating ideas through pictures and writing.

21. 3 - 4 - 5 At the 3-4-5 level, we build upon the K-1-2 experience.

22. We encourage exploration and experimentation through first hand experiences.

23. We challenge students to use the scientific approach to solving problems.

24. At the 3-4-5 stage, as students begin to think more analytically and focus for longer lengths of time, they are able to discuss in greater depth scientific questions, terms, and discoveries.

25. Students at this stage also have a developing ability to record and interpret data.

26. To make connections between information.

27. To change one variable at a time.

28. To design their own experiments.

29. Middle School Goals: • Learning The Scientific Process Through Self-directed Discovery • Exploring Scientific Concepts and Theories Through Experimentation • Enhancing Knowledge of Scientific Concepts Through Class Discussions

30. Hands-on Learning • Labs and Experiments • Student Designed • Activities • Student Designed • Demonstrations • Kinesthetic Exercises

31. Student Designed Experiments • Ask a Question • Identify Variables • Create a Hypothesis • Design a Relevant Experiment • Collect and Interpret Data • Synthesize Knowledge

32. Types of Variables • Independent variable - variable that you control • manipulated variable • the one you mess with • Dependent variable - variable that changes as a result of changes in the independent variable • responding variable • the one you measure • Constant- variable that remains the same throughout the experiment

33. In an experiment, I washed two loads of white undies in cold water, one with a red sock and one without the sock. I wanted to see if it would change the color of my clothes. Variables: Independent presence of red sock Dependent color of undies Constants white undies cold water Washing machine Name that variable!

35. Ask Your Question Identify Your Variables Independent Amount of Alka Seltzer Amount of Water Temperature of Water State of Alka Seltzer Liquid Used Dependent Height of Rocket Time Until “Pop” Constants Design a Hypothesis List Your Materials Plan Your Methods Make a Data Table Perform Experiment Record Your Data Draw Conclusions Design an Experiment Alka Seltzer Rockets

36. Bloom’s Taxonomy: Science’s Natural Progression

37. Why Every Child is a Scientist Children are natural born scientists. To be a scientist, all you have to do is wonder and ask questions. For children, the question “Why?” is a common one. “Why is the sky blue,”“why do birds catch worms,” and “why is the sun hot” are all the dipping toes into the scientific process of inquiry. Children make guesses, the first stirrings of hypotheses, and then experiment to see if they are correct. Venture with me into a child’s mind: What happens when I dump a whole bottle of dish detergent in the sink? Maybe lots of bubbles will come up if I add water. Soon the kitchen is a mass of foam and flood, but boy was it fun to learn the answer to that question! As we grow, that natural curiosity about the world is discouraged in us. We are taught to accept things because “that is the way it is.” But to keep that spirit of curiosity is to be a scientist. “Why” is the most wonderful question in the world. “Why” is the quintessence of being a scientist. “Why” is the joy of being a child.