Inquiry: A Child’s Discovery of the WorldBy: Shannon RamseyEDUC 337/Dr. CadySouthwestern College Professional Studies

Ideas and resources for implementationTeaching Science as Inquiry

What is Inquiry?Teaching science as inquiry is the idea that students can explore, discover, question, and problem solve the amazing phenomenon's of the world with teacher guidance, support, and resources.

Making Inquiry Happen!• Providing students with the chance to explore a

phenomenon hands on.• Important: Teaching procedures and expectations

• Giving students an opportunity to pose questions about it.

• Providing students with all the appropriate materials, resources, and safety equipment necessary.• Important: Keep safety poster so children can see always

• Allowing time for discoveries, theories, and hypotheses.• Note: Lessons and activities may take several weeks

• Guiding and correcting any misconceptions students may have.• Note: Ask critical thinking questions to help fix their

misconceptions• Letting their ideas, wonderings, and findings lead the

lessons and experiments.• Teacher role: Teaching the 5-E model for lessons (Engage,

Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluation)

Classroom, Teacher, and StudentScience Resources

Classroom Resource• McGraw-Hill (2000) is a

classroom science textbook• There are newer editions. (This just

happens to be what the school I observed at uses.)

• Grade: 2• Contains 6 units and 12

chapters• The curriculum includes science

magazines, problems and puzzles, skill builders, and handbooks.

• Observation Finding• Teacher B that I observed had a

very powerful insight into inquiry for me. “I have found that if you give them something to explore without telling them anything about it, they can figure it out. But if you tell them how something works they forget.”

Teacher Resources• Science curriculums

• Macmillan/McGraw-Hill• RealScience-4-Kids

• Websites• Great resources for introducing science

ideas, concepts, and phenomenon• http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=41

• Earth, Space, Life, and Physical science videos• www.brainpopjr.com

• Grade K-2 short videos on all types of concepts that are covered by standards

• www.brainpop.com• Grade 3-5 short videos on all types of concepts that

are covered by standards• www.discoveryeducation.com

• Videos on science topics, concepts, and can be used for all grade levels.

• Books• More Picture Perfect

Science Lessons• By: Karen Ansberry and Emily

Morgan• Uses: Teach science as

inquiry by using children’s books

• Doing Good Science in Middle School• By: Jorgenson, Cleveland,

and Vanosdall• Uses: Practical guide to

inquiry based instruction and 5E model

• Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science• By: Page Keeley and Rand

Harrington• Uses: Professional

Development for Assessment Ideas

• More book resources at: www.nsta.org

Science Resources for Students• Time Magazine for Kids• Time magazine for kids provides

up-to-date current events from science to social studies for children.

• Magic School Bus videos• The Magic School Bus videos are

a collection of “field trips” that the students in the video embark on to learn about many concepts of science!

• How to Help the Earth by the Lorax• By: Tish Rabe • How to Help the Earth by the Lorax is

a new early reader book that discusses the ways in which we can all help make/keep the Earth a clean place to live.

• Energy Island: How one Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed the World • By: Allan Drummond• Energy Island is a story

about how a Denmark community used natural resources to change their world.

• National Geographic Kids Almanac 2011• National Geographic Kids

Almanac 2011 has information about the important events and things that were significant in 2011.

Conclusion• When given the opportunity to experiment,

explore, and discover science, students can build their scientific knowledge, skills, and concepts of the world.

• Teaching science as a cooperative learning community increases students’ learning and creates a positive environment in the classroom.

ReferencesAnnenberg Workshop Videos. Retrieved from: http://www.learner.org/workshops/inquiry/videos.html# Bass, J., Contant, T., & Carin, A. (2009).Teaching Science as Inquiry (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Drummond, A. (2011). Energy Island: How one Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed the World. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Levit, J. (2012, January 6). Time Magazine for Kids: Mystery Solved?. Time For Kids. New York City, NY: Time.

Moyer, R., Daniel, L., Hackett, J., Baptiste, P., (2000). Science. (Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies.

National Geographic. (2010, May 25). National Geographic Kids Almanac 2011. National Geographic. Washington D.C.,: National Geographic Society.

Rabe, T. (2012). How to help the earth by the Lorax. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books.

Note: A Special thanks to Teacher B, whom I observed for a science lesson.