Scientific Inquiry and Wetlands

Fourth graders getting muddy!

(Group 1)

Ana McEnulty – 4th grade teacher

Randall Ulrich – corporate trainer

Carl Thelen – liberal arts college instructional tech guy 

Brian Reeves – wearer of many hats 

Agenda

• Scientific Inquiry Explained

• Technology Tools

• The Lesson

• Annotated Bibliography

• References

Scientific Inquiry as an Instructional Method

What is scientific inquiry? 

• Inquiry-based pedagogy. . . takes a constructivist approach that engages students in the investigative nature of science (Haury, 1993) through explorations of the natural or material world. The explorations lead students to ask questions, make discoveries, seek explanations, and test findings as they look for answers and develop new understanding (National Science Foundation, 2000).  (In The Encyclopedia of Educational Technology, Hoffman, B. (Ed.). (2009).) 

• A cycle that students follow:o  Ask questionso  Make discoverieso  Seek explanationso  Test findings 

• The 5E Instructional Modelo Engage - evoke curiosity.  Through questions, demos, simulations, or videos. o Explore - explore ideas, questions, possibilities.  Collect data, "get hands muddy." o Explain - data analysis, connections.  Students articulate findings.  Teacher provides formal

explanation. o Elaborate - knowledge extension.  Discussions; research.  Application of knowledge. o Evaluate - teacher provides formal summative evaluation.  "The test."   What have students

learned/accomplished?

Scientific Inquiry - The Process

Hoffman, B. (Ed.). (2009).  The Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.  San Diego State University, Department of Educational Technology.  Retrieved April 7, 2009 from department website:  http://edweb.sdsu.edu/eet

Scientific Inquiry Explained

Discovery Education Quick video clip summarizing Scientific Inquiry.  http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=5B8E9CBD-B818-4F08-9C27-972554ED6E1D&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US# 2:02

Technology Tools

Google Docs

• Google Doc Basics (PDF)Work on documents together in real time

• Video Getting Started

Discovery Education

• Quick Start Overview (PDF)

• 50 Ways to use Discovery Education streaming (PDF)

• Taskstream

Lesson Plan: Exploring Ecosystems    

Grade Level: 4th CA Content Standard: Students know ecosystems can be characterized by their

living and nonliving components  

Pupose: This lesson incorporates the strategies of Scientific Inquiry-based

learning in order to help 4th grade students explore the concept of ecosystems. The lesson involves introductory activities to help the students assess what they already know and what they want to learn, an exploration of a wetland ecosystem, and follow up reading and activities to support what the students discovered. Students' understanding is assessed through their field observations and graphic organizers, using Inspiration.

Scientific Inquiry: Getting Students Involved in Learning about Ecosystems

 4 Essential Components:

1. Accessing Students' Prior Knowledge and Experiences Nature Walk Video Advance Organizers Discovery Education Video (link)

  2. Student-Centered Learning

Essential Question + Student Questions   3. Making Observations through Exploration

Field Exploration Virtual Exploration (Internet/Library Searches)

  4. Social Learning & Assessing Learning

Group Collaboration Graphic Organizers

Lesson Plan: Exploring Ecosystems 

Scientific Inquiry Doesn't Have to Be Complicated, But it Does Require Planning and Patience

  “Is it easier and faster to hand...students prescripted data

sheets or checklists and ask them to fill in the blanks?  Absolutely.  Allowing for learner-centered, inquiry-based investigations requires the...teacher to have tolerance for a certain level of chaos” (pp. 34-35).

  “Education theory tells us students learn best when we

capture their interest.  Learners will be more engaged in collecting the data if they help design the questions for their own inquiry” (p. 35).

Virginia D. Bourdeau, “Scientific Inquiry 'R' Us”

Annotated Bibliography

Bourdeau, V. D. (2002). Scientific inquiry 'R' us. Legacy, 13(1), 33-35. This article discusses informal learning and informal interpretative programs in relation to scientific inquiry and its benefits as a teaching tool.  Two separate inquiry-based lessons are presented in this article, one for investigating wetlands, and one for investigating density.  Students learn to formulate questions, collect relevant data, share their information, do further research if necessary, and finally present their results through reports, charts or graphs, or through presentations.

Folsom, J., Hunt, C., Cavicchio, M., Schoenemann, A., & D'Amato, M. (2007). How do you know that?: Guiding early elementary students to develop evidence-based explanations about animals. Science and Children, 44(5), 20-25. This article discusses introduction of scientific inquiry-based learning for a kindergarten class.  The lesson was set up as an observation of small animals, with students recording their observations, formulating questions about the animals, and conducting investigations about the animals’ environment, behaviors, and feeding habits.

Annotated Bibliography

Nelson, B. C., & Ketelhut, D. J. (2007). Scientific inquiry in educational multi-user virtual environments. Educational Psychology Review, 19(3), 265-283. The paper is a review of research into the problems of implementing authentic scientific inquiry curricula using Multi-user Virtual Environments.  The systems included text-based, 2-dimensional, and 3-dimensional MUVEs.  Girls were as engaged as boys in the MUVES, and there was higher engagement in the 3-dimensional MUVES.  Several of the projects involved students investigating outbreaks of disease in their virtual worlds, and others treated pollution, and teaching Scientific Inquiry itself to teachers.  Overall, it seemed that many classrooms are still not inquiry-based, even when trying to use the technique to teach science in MUVEs, and MUVEs themselves do not appear to be more effective teaching tools than traditional ones.

Peters, E. (2008). Assessing scientific inquiry. Science Scope, 31(5), 27-33. This article discusses strategies for teachers to provide scientific inquiry-based learning, while at the same time providing useful assessments of students’ learning.  Through open-ended questions, having students provide feedback, and allowing students to show what they know or have learned through the use of presentations, teachers can more effectively assess whether or not meaningful learning has occurred for the students. The article also discusses assessing the value of scientific inquiry as a teaching tool by introducing the criteria for properly assessing inquiry:  ways of knowing in science; processes of science; and science content.  The article provides additional overview as to how teachers can effectively aid their students in their pursuits.  They do this through:  providing students with mechanisms for showing what they know; building multiple types of assessments into the inquiry; and planning multiple instance of providing feedback.

Annotated BibliographyReid-Griffin, A., & Carter, G. (2008, June).  Uncovering the potential: The role of technologies on science learning of middle school students.  International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 6(2), 329-350. This article examines the use of technology and data-gathering tools as aids to scientific inquiry-based learning.  Middle school students participated in a project and utilized data-collection tools such as a graphing calculator, temperature probes, and motion detectors.  The students were then arranged into groups and were allowed to explore their projects and collect and share data.   Through the use of three phases, teacher-directed (instructing students in the use of the technology or tools), teacher-student directed (guided examples in the use of data collection with the tools), and student-directed (release of control to students in order to have them perform inquiries on their own), students were able to achieve higher learning as a result of the technology or tools as research aids when engaging in scientific inquiry based learning.  Rop, C. J. (2008, April).  Cricket behavior: Observing insects to learn about science & scientific inquiry.  American Biology Teacher, 70(4), 235-240. This article examines a scientific study done within the confines of a classroom.  The author designed a class to study wetlands and animal behavior, but without actually going into the field.  Instead, the outdoor environment was brought into the classroom. The students studied the movements, mating habits, “singing”, and other behaviors of crickets.  The lesson was designed to not only study animal behavior, but to engage in scientific inquiry as the process of learning.  The author actively sought to engage his students in scientific inquiry through designing experiments, and the use of observation, recording data, group effort and collaboration, and presenting data and findings. 

ReferencesBourdeau, V. D. (2002). Scientific inquiry 'R' us. Legacy, 13(1), 33-35. Folsom, J., Hunt, C., Cavicchio, M., Schoenemann, A., & D'Amato, M. (2007). How do you know that?: Guiding early elementary students to develop evidence-based explanations about animals. Science and Children, 44(5), 20-25. Hackett, J. K., et al. (2008).  California Science.  New York: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. Hoffman, B. (Ed.). (2009).  The Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.  San Diego State University, Department of Educational Technology.  Retrieved April 7, 2009 from department website:  http://edweb.sdsu.edu/eet Joyce, B., Weil, M., & Calhoun, E.  (2009). Models of teaching (8th ed.).  Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Nelson, B. C., & Ketelhut, D. J. (2007). Scientific inquiry in educational multi-user virtual environments. Educational Psychology Review, 19(3), 265-283. Peters, E. (2008). Assessing scientific inquiry. Science Scope, 31(5), 27-33.

Reid-Griffin, A., & Carter, G. (2008, June).  Uncovering the potential: The role of technologies on science learning of middle school students.  International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 6(2), 329-350.

Rop, C. J. (2008, April).  Cricket behavior: Observing insects to learn about science & scientific inquiry.  American Biology Teacher, 70(4), 235-240. Science is elementary: What is science? Scientific Inquiry. CLEARVUE & SVE (2001). Retrieved April 4, 2009, from Discovery Education website: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com

Wetlands. Discovery Channel School (2005). Retrieved April 20, 2009, from Discovery Education website: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com

Questions?