2. Making Labs more Open-ended

3. Levels of Openness Level 0 = Students make few decisions other than deciding whether they got the "right answers." Level 3 = Students decide what to investigate, how to investigate it, and how to interpret the results they generate. Level 3 activities are what most scientists do

4. Choose a few "cookbook" activities that are designed to teach a concept not a skill (skills are better taught through a more step- by-step approach) Gradual Modification

5. Ask these questions: — Who decides the questions students are to investigate - teacher or student? — Who decides the procedure to follow? — Who decides what to observe and data to collect?

6. Gradual Modification Ask these questions: — Who decides the response to the question(s) investigated? — Who decides how to communicate this?

7. Gradual Modification The response should be “the student" to most questions The goal of inquiry- based instruction is teachers supervising student investigations

8. Scaffolding the Process Idea is to progressively make small changes in the activities Over weeks or months, students move from doing level 0 activities to level 3.

9. Start with modifying who decides how to communicate the information. Scaffolding the Process — Remove cookbook data table — Tell students they need to record relevant data — Have students create their own table and/or graph

10. 1.Some students may record NOTHING. 2.Another group of students will record EVERYTHING — they do not know what data are relevant 3.Another group would record the "expected" data, in a table similar to the “cookbook” table. Scaffolding the Process

11. 4.Some students would record relevant data creatively — in a visually appealing manner that you never would have imagined! Scaffolding the Process 15 2 3 0 3 6 9 12 grasshumuswood chips Fig. 1. Pillbug substrate preferences during June, 2002 at Millikan HS, Long Beach # of pillbugs

12. Results of Omitting Tables 1.Students will present a variety of data display methods. Opportunity discuss and compare display methods to and decide which methods communicate the information most easily 2.Variety and creativity in student work makes grading less tedious 3.Students eventually learn to think about the data they should record and how to record it.

13. Scaffolding Procedures Modify (or omit) many measurements given within directions. Directions might say to put 20 ml of a solution into a test tube. Why not 18?

14. Students May… Learn something about why 20 ml may be optimal. Learn about the need to think ahead and plan, if they run out of materials

15. Make Changes Gradually Leave the data table out for a few activities before starting to modify procedures. You and your students need time to accustom yourselves to new elements of teaching and learning.

16. More Radical Changes Distill commercial activities to a single question that students answer when doing the activity.

17. More Radical Changes Students can simply be given the question they are to investigate. Model an experimental set-up Limit items that can be used Teachers are still in control of the work environment!

18. More Radical Changes Students must decide the procedure quantities of supplies to use what to record how to interpret their data Students need to have relevant background data to do this successfully

19. Students May Struggle Higher expectations are good for teachers AND students. Students will eventually or immediately rise to the challenge. Your goal is to challenge your students in ways that help them think like scientists!

20. Designed by Anne F. Maben UCLA Science & Literacy Coach Fremont HS, LAUSD Based on a paper by Alan Colburn, Assistant Professor Of Science Education, CSU Long Beach CSTA Journal, Fall 1997, pp. 4-6.