1. Implementing Inquiry in Biology Classrooms

2. Our TUHSD Mission
TUHSD is committed to developing the potential of all students, staff, and community.

3. Our TUHSD Vision: Learning today, leading tomorrow.
TUHSD Strategic Areas
College, Career and Life-Ready Students 
Communication and Partnerships 
Creating a Highly Effective Work Force
Review foundational beliefs with all stake holders – recommended slide
Do iT with PRIDE

4. Our TUHSD Vision: Learning today, leading tomorrow.
Foundational Beliefs
All decisions are student centered  
All TUHSD learners are globally prepared and competitive 
Guaranteed and viable curriculum, instruction and assessment   
We are committed to improving the TUHSD community  
Review foundational beliefs with all stake holders – recommended slide
Do iT with PRIDE

5. Our TUHSD Vision: Learning today, leading tomorrow.
Three Interconnected Practices
High functioning PLCs that use data and support student achievement
Guaranteed viable curriculum, instruction and assessment 
Staff and student support and training 
Review foundational beliefs with all stake holders – recommended slide
Do iT with PRIDE

6. Management Instruction
Every classroom has a greeting before students enter the room
Clearly stated rules are posted and followed
Specific plans for technology for learning are communicated and followed
Every student has a caring adult who connects with them each period
Instruction
Lesson plans are prepared for each lesson taught with Elements of Instruction in mind
Each lesson has the State Standards posted and the learning objective communicated
Execution of lesson shows students’ visible authentic engagement in the lesson

7. Introductions John Naylor Brandon VanBibber University High School
Pre-AP Bio, AP Bio, AP Environmental Science
Brandon VanBibber
Pre-AP Bio and Anatomy and Physiology

8. Reflection Take out a piece of paper and answer the following:
What is inquiry based instruction?
How have you conducted inquiry based teaching in the past?
Were these lessons successful?
What measure do you have of their success?

9. Why Inquiry Based Instruction?
Three developments that challenge traditional approaches to learning
The movement from an industrial economy to a knowledge based economy
The rise of new technologies an digital networks
Advances in the learning sciences
See: Friesen, S., & David, S. (2013). Inquiry based learning: a review of the literature. Alberta Ministry of Education.

10. Goal of Inquiry Based Instruction
To create a learning structure in which students are encouraged and enabled to achieve academically.
Long-Term retention of information
Enjoy Learning
Challenging
Create capacity for growth
Prepare students for a changing world

11. What is Inquiry Based Instruction
Characteristics:
Student/Learner centered
Cognitively active. Students learn “by doing”
Discussion, investigation, etc.
Student directed (self-directed) to encourage responsibility and accountability
Founded in constructivism
Students construct their own meaning of reality
Students create their own knowledge
Social
See: Spronken-Smith, Rachel. (2007). Experiencing the process of knowledge creation: the nature and use of inquiry-based learning in higher education.

12. What does this look like in Science Classrooms?

13. There are 4 levels of Inquiry
Confirmation
Students confirm a principle through an activity when answers are known in advance
Structured
Students investigate a teacher-presented question through a prescribed procedure
Guided
Students investigate a teacher-presented question using student designed/selected procedures
Open
Students investigate student formulated questions through student designed procedures

15. What will we be doing today?
Practice inquiry lesson
We will pause momentarily to reflect on teaching practices and think about how we can apply practices in our own classrooms

16. What does this graph tell us?
Red = Maximum model levels of oxygen
Green = Lowest model of predicted oxygen
Question: What occurred to create oxygen in our atmosphere 2.4 billion years ago?

17. Photosynthesis!!!
Q: What are the products of photosynthesis?

18. Reflection
How can we create an experiment to measure the rate of photosynthesis?
What do we want to keep constant?
What variables do we want to isolate?
Today: We are going to explore is carbon dioxide levels effect the rate of photosynthesis.

19. Photosynthesis Lab

21. How can you maximize effectiveness?
Scaffold
Begin at “guided” and move towards “open”
Use formative assessments
Utilize powerful, critical and essential questions
See: Friesen, S., & David, S. (2013). Inquiry based learning: a review of the literature. Alberta Ministry of Education.

22. Closure
What level of inquiry was this lab today? How can you modify this lab to implement other levels of inquiry? Create an alternative experimental design to meet the level of your students.

23. Survey