Inquiry Based

Science:Doing What

Scientists Do

Science at Stanley

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 the students to form

hypotheses that will drive their investigations.

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

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

– Students need to collect data, discover a relationship, and generalize answers from the data collected

Second Level of Inquiry Learning*

• Guided Inquiry– Teachers give students a hands-on

problem to investigate, and access to the materials they may need

– Students need to develop methods to investigate the question given, collect data, and generalize answers from that data

Third Level of Inquiry Learning*

• Open Inquiry– Teachers give students an

environment suited for asking questions, and/or background knowledge of scientific concepts

– Students need 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

School Goal:

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.*

STUDENTS SHOULD NEVER STOP

ASKING “WHY”

A disclaimer…

The Five E’s of Inquiry*

Engage - motivate students in the topicExplore - encourage student teams to

generate questionsExplain - debrief resultsElaborate - revisit the topic with shared

ideas and goalsEvaluate - provide students a means of

assessing discoveries

Steps of the Steps of the Scientific MethodScientific Method

ObserveQuestionHypothesizeExperiment

and Record Data

Analyze DataConclude

K - 1 - 2Starting in K-1-2, we honor children's

natural interest and curiosity.

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

We take students outdoors.

We bring the “outdoors” indoors.

We encourage exploration and experimentation.

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

Observing

Asking Questions

Making Predictions

Communicating ideas through pictures and writing.

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

We encourage exploration and experimentation through first hand experiences.

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

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.

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

To make connections between information.

To change one variable at a time.

To design their own experiments.

Middle School Goals:1. Learning The Scientific

Process Through Self-directed Discovery

2. Exploring Scientific Concepts and Theories Through Experimentation

3. Enhancing Knowledge of Scientific Concepts Through Class Discussions

Hands-on Learning

• Labs and Experiments– Student Designed

• Activities– Student Designed

• Demonstrations• Kinesthetic

Exercises

Student Designed Experiments• Ask a Question• Identify Variables• Create a Hypothesis• Design a Relevant

Experiment• Collect and Interpret

Data• Synthesize

Knowledge

Types of VariablesTypes 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

Name that variable!• 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

Design an Experiment

• 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

Alka Seltzer Rockets

Bloom’s Taxonomy:Science’s Natural Progression

Why Every Child is a ScientistChildren 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.