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