Inquiring Minds: How to Unlock Teacher Fears and Let Students Learn and Teach Themselves.
Dawn MonsonNancy BeckmanSouth Hills Middle School – 7th Grade Science
Questions
What are they? How do they look in your class?
What is keeping you from doing them?
What is the big deal about Inquiry Activities????
Pros and Cons
ProsFind misconceptions
Find level of understanding
Applies knowledge so student can use it
Develops problem solving skills
ConsTime!!
Scary!!
Can they do it?
What if they do it wrong?
Is it worth
it?
Inquiry Activities
Our definition: Students’ are given a problem and using their knowledge and skill base, they solve the problem using the scientific method.
Open-inquiry/Problem Solving Lesson/ Critical Thinking
Safe Environment to Fail, Fail, Learn and Succeed.
The fact is there are a range of levels of inquiry activities. A Hierarchy of Inquiry.
Fear FactorLevel 0: Not Inquiry= no fear, easy, fast, done correctly the first time, sometimes necessary to teach skills of science
Level 1: Introductory Inquiry = little to no fear, students are given a problem but there is only one way to solve it, like training wheels – sometimes necessary
Level 2: Partial Inquiry = minimal fear, students are given a problem and there are 3-4 different ways to solve the problem
Level 3: Complete Inquiry = Paralyzing fear, students are given a problem and there are an infinite number of ways to solve it
Level 0: Not Inquiry
Rainbow Lab
Metal Block Lab
What labs/activities do you do that fit in this level?
Level 1: Introductory Inquiry
Skull Lab
Cell Detective
Nuts and Bolts of Matter
Scientific Method Test
Level 1: Introductory Inquiry
What labs/activities do you do that fit in this level?
Level 2: Partial Inquiry
Flip your lid
Changing the rate of Diffusion
Classification Mad Scientist Lab
Level 2: Partial Inquiry
What labs/activities do you do that fit in this level?
Level 3: Complete Inquiry
Changing the rate of Osmosis (beginning)
Weird Places Project (beginning)
Changing density of Bread (beginning)
Does the wind exist?
Earth Density Mad Scientist Lab
Density of a Gas Lab (advanced)
Ironically
Easier and better
ConsTime!!
Scary!!
Can they do it?
What if they do it wrong?
Your students can do more than you think they can, just give them the chance.
What Inquiry activities do you have?
What topics do you have a hard time making inquiry?
Where to get our labs/activities:
http://msbeckman7thgradescience.wikispaces.com
http://dawnmonson.wikispaces.com
Under the “USTA Inquiry Labs” tab