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Objectives:
D. Inductive Activities
1. Allow students to discover a concept through lab activity
2. Discover first, then name and discuss the concept
3. Experience before vocabulary approach
4. Formalized as the Learning Cycle
a. Exploration: engagement to stimulate thinking about a concept
b. Invention: exploration and explanation of relationships and concepts
c. Application: elaboration into everyday life; generalizing knowledge
5. Example: Mixing of colored salt-water solutions (p. 97)
E. Deductive Activities
1. Typical lecture followed by laboratory approach
2. Vocabulary before experience
3. Example: lecture on acids/bases/pH followed by classification lab
F. Gathering Information
1. Scientists spend much time in the library or in discussion as well as
in the lab
2. May be an exploration step in the 5E lesson plan
3. Assigned readings, text, newspaper/magazine, internet searching
4. Can be evaluated with a written report; should require citations
5. Can assign interviews, surveys as a way to gather information from
people
G. Problem Solving
1. Can lead to excellent inquiry skills for students
2. Can simulate what scientist do on a daily basis
3. Situations relevant to students’ live should be used
a. Raise questions
b. Plan procedures
c. Collect information
d. Form conclusions
4. More than solving problems at the end of the chapter
5. Example: Where should a new electric power plant be located?
H. Science Projects
1. True scientific inquiry by students rather than simulation or example
2. May be tied to science fairs or other competitions
3. Incentive for some competitive students or those seeking
recognition for their science abilities
4. Helps identify “gifted” science students
5. Require much time and effort outside of class for students, parents,
and teachers
6. Typical science project types
a. Hobby show-and-tell (display collections, photographs, animals, etc…)
b. Display on natural phenomena (hurricane, lightening, etc…)
c. Model: 3D or working models of technology or natural phenomena
d. Report and poster: literature work and a public report on it
e. Laboratory Exercise: public demonstration of a concept through lab
f. Observational study: bird counting, weather patterns, etc…
g. Experimental study: fertilizer and plant growth, moisture and corrosion
7. Judging should be done in categories
a. Criteria: creativity (20%), procedures (30%), understanding (20%),
display quality (15%), and oral presentation (15%)
b. Realize all students don’t have the same resources ($, parents, time)
IV. Inquiry learning often involves student groups
A. Stimulates and maintains inquiry better than individual work
B. Enhances problem solving and concept development
C. Increases student involvement and helps classroom
management
D. Important aspects of cooperative learning
1. Organize student groups to accomplish learning outcome
a. Make sure group contains students who can do each task
b. Make sure student in a group can work well together
2. Identify topics that will motivate student inquiry
3. Ask groups for preliminary outline: productivity and guidance
4. Monitor the investigations (in class easy, out of class more difficult)
5. Help students with final reports
a. This is where students demonstrate concepts learned
b. Often key step in fully understanding the topic
6. Have students orally report
7. Reward student effort by appropriate evaluation
a. Individual accountability
b. Reward for lengthy or difficult projects
V. Concerns About Inquiry Instruction
A. Science reform calls for change from traditional to inquiry
1. Science teachers need to form personal rationale
2. Appropriate teaching for each group of students