1. SAINT LUCIE WEST K-8 SCHOOL
INQUIRY-BASED
SCIENCE
IN THE
CLASSROOM
DEBRA QUINTERO
ARMADA MASTER TEACHER 2004
SAINT LUCIE WEST K-8 SCHOOL
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL

2. Involve me and I understand.” -Old Proverb
“Tell me and I forget,
Show me and I remember,
Involve me and I understand.”
-Old Proverb
Inquiry teaching allows students’ questions and curiosities to drive the curriculum.
Students are actively seeking solutions, designing investigations, and asking questions.
Inquiry is not so much seeking the right answer, but rather seeking the appropriate resolution to questions and issues.

3. Working with the ARMADA Project
Building an armada of scientists, teachers, and students sailing toward a common vision ...

4. 3 Different Forms of Inquiry:
STRUCTURED
INQUIRY
The teacher gives
the students a problem to solve and gives them
what method to use. She does not tell them the
desired outcome.
GUIDED
INQUIRY
The teacher provides the students only with the materials and the problem they have to solve.
Students have to develop their own methods.
OPEN
INQUIRY
The students formulate their own problem to investigate and then determine the method to solve it.

5. 4 Traits of Inquiry: Develops habits
CONNECTING
Develops habits
of mind such as curiosity & the linking of their observations to previous understandings.
DESIGNING
Develops habits of mind such as consistency & attention to detail.
INVESTIGATING
Develops habits of mind such as recognizing results & the value of data.
CONSTRUCTING MEANING
Develops habits of mind such as critical thinking & communication.

6. The success of your inquiry classroom comes from a shift in your role from the “sage on the stage” to the “guide on the side.”
The process of inquiring begins with gathering information & data through the human senses- seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, & smelling.

7. Additional Resources For more information on the ARMADA Project visit:
For more information on Inquiry science visit:
www. thesciencecenter.org/