The Whats, Whys and Hows of…. SCIENCE TRENDS The Whats, Whys and Hows of…. Science as Inquiry Presented by: Tammy Scheidt February 16, 2012 Science is fun and children find joy in messing about with new experiences in their natural world.

A little about inquiry science What is it? Science is both a body of knowledge and a way of knowing Scientific inquiry is the basis for scientific evidence It involves: *Asking questions *Gathering and observing data *Using data as evidence *Forming theories & explanations

Examples of inquiry Science What does it involve? Students should: Ask questions about objects, organisms, & events Plan and conduct investigations Use appropriate tools to gather data Use evidence and knowledge to develop explanations Communicate investigations and data and Explain to others Teachers should: Teach science concepts and inquiry together Use the 5-E model: Engage, explore, explain, elaborate & evaluate Teach with resources such as Annenberg videos Help students ‘ask, find, and seek’ answers to questions Scaffold by giving support for students learning, accessing prior knowledge, and promoting transfer

In the Classroom Why do it? Classroom observations: Grade 1 Teacher Quote: “ Science is a process and students need to participate and explore. It helps build an overall understanding of how different parts of our world work. Mrs. S In the Workshop 1 Annenberg Video: Learning Science Through Inquiry , Hubert Dyasi notes that one thing that’s happening in the national science education standards is that science as inquiry is part of the content. It’s not just learning subject matter. Why do it? Because it’s important to understand the origins and where knowledge comes from. Children need to learn to question evidence to decide if knowledge is factual Classroom observations: Grade 3

Science in the Classroom K-5 McGraw-Hill Science Curriculum K-5 McGraw-Hill Science Lesson Plans K-5 District Science Brochure

Science in the Library Books are a wonderful teaching resource. There are endless lesson plan ideas for every grade level. These are a few lesson themes…. Colors Solids Liquids Matter Gasses Bubbles Planets Magnets Animals Weather Sounds Nutrition

Science Books and Sites Two current science books that I found in the public library are: Curious Critters by photographer and writer David FitzSimmons. This is a new children’s picture book featuring macro photographs. The book uses photography to teach kids about nature and shows a variety of North American animals’ colors, textures, and shapes. The case of the Soda Explosion by Darlene R. Stille. This book is a collection of science mysteries. McGraw-Hill is the science curriculum for the district I observed. Below is a website with teaching resources for science: McGraw-Hill. Teaching Today. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/what-is-inquiry-in-science

GOOD SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION Question Investigate How to be a lifelong observer….. Use all appropriate senses Measure by comparing & matching Ask questions Make changes and observations Communicate and report How? Observe Explore Wonder Experiment

REFERENCES Information for this PowerPoint was taken from: Regular classroom: Bennett, A. T., & Kessler, M. S. (1998). Sunlight, skyscrapers, and soda pop. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Bennett, A.T., & Kessler, M.S. (1998). Apples, bubbles, and crystals. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Online: Annenberg Videos. Learning Science Through Inquiry. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.learner.org/workshops/inquiry/videos.html McGraw Hill. Teaching Today. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/what-is-inquiry-in-science Library: Stille, D. R. (2012). The case of the soda explosion and other true science mysteries for you to solve. Bloomington, MN: Capstone Press. FitzSimmons, D. (2011). Curious Critters. :Wild Irish Publishing EDUC337 Textbook Bass, J., Contant, T., & Carin, A. (2009).Teaching Science as Inquiry (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall