1. Differentiated Inquiry
Brooke Whitworth, Ana Rose Tuszka, Laura Barry, Matthew Verner, Andrew Chase

2. What is inquiry?
The ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on evidence derived from their work.
The activities of students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world.
From the National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996, p. 23)

3. What is an inquiry activity?
There are two primary criteria to consider in determining if an activity supports inquiry learning:
Are the students answering a research question?
Are the students answering the research question through the analysis of data?

4. What makes a good research question?
It can be answered through scientific research
It can be “tested” by experimenting, observing, measuring, or by analyzing data from a scientific model
It builds on what you already know and on what you can find out
It can lead to more questions when answered

5. Are these research questions?
How do hurricanes affect Florida's wildlife?
How does light intensity change with distance?
What does it take to be a good person?
How does the moon change over the course of a month?
Why is quicksand so dangerous?
Y, observational
Y, experimental N

6. Inquiry or Not?
“Do all stars move in the same direction across the sky?” Following a brief discussion, the teacher demonstrates the rising and setting of the stars for several different locations on Earth using Stellarium. She then facilitates a class discussion about the stars’ apparent motion in the sky, based on their simulated observations.

7. Inquiry or Not? Leaf collection: Collect and press 30 different leaves
Mount each leaf on a piece of paper
Complete an identification label for each leaf
Combine the pages into a notebook

8. Confirmatory Structured Guided Open Inquiry
Levels of Inquiry
Confirmatory
Structured
Guided
Open Inquiry

9. How much information is given to the student?
Level of Inquiry
Question?
Methods?
Solution? 1  2 3 4
Confirmation—Students confirm a principle through an activity in which the results are known in advance.

10. How much information is given to the student?
Level of Inquiry
Question?
Methods?
Solution? 1  2 3 4
Structured inquiry—Students investigate a teacher-presented question through a prescribed procedure.

11. How much information is given to the student?
Level of Inquiry
Question?
Methods?
Solution? 1  2 3 4
Guided inquiry—Students investigate a teacher-presented question using student designed/selected procedures.

12. How much information is given to the student?
Level of Inquiry
Question?
Methods?
Solution? 1  2 3 4
Open inquiry—Students investigate topic-related questions that are student formulated through student designed/selected procedures.

13. How much information is given to the student?
Level of Inquiry
Question?
Methods?
Solution? 1
Confirmation  2
Structured Inquiry 3
Guided Inquiry 4
Open Inquiry

14. Level of Inquiry? You Decide!
In this investigation you will confirm that the rate of a chemical reaction increases as the temperature of the reacting materials increases.
You will use effervescent antacid tablets to verify this principle. Using the following procedure, record the results as indicated, and answer the questions at the end of the activity.

15. Level of Inquiry? You Decide!
CONFIRMATORY!!
In this investigation you will confirm that the rate of a chemical reaction increases as the temperature of the reacting materials increases.
You will use effervescent antacid tablets to verify this principle. Using the following procedure, record the results as indicated, and answer the questions at the end of the activity.

16. Level of Inquiry? You Decide!
Design an investigation to explore and research a chemistry topic related to the concepts we have been studying during the current unit on chemical reactions.
Implement your procedure only when it has been approved by your teacher.

17. Level of Inquiry? You Decide!
OPEN!!
Design an investigation to explore and research a chemistry topic related to the concepts we have been studying during the current unit on chemical reactions.
Implement your procedure only when it has been approved by your teacher.

18. Revising Inquiry Levels
Question?
Methods?
Solution?

19. Revising Inquiry Levels
Question
Methods
Solution?
Inquiry Level=___

20. Revising Inquiry Levels
Question
Methods
Solution?
Inquiry Level= 2
(Structured Inquiry)
How could we increase the level of inquiry for this activity?

21. Revising Inquiry Levels
Question
Methods?
Solution?
Level = 3
(Guided Inquiry)

22. Differentiated Inquiry Activity
Pre-assessment
Readiness of process skills
Use levels of inquiry to create scaffolding
Content objectives same for all students
Similar process skills (focus changes)

23. What is differentiation?
Instruction that allows students to work from where they are
Individual, small group, whole group
Based on readiness, interest or learning profile
Process, product, content, learning environment
Working within the “zone of proximal development”
ONE STRATEGY: Tiering
Talk with the person next to you about what you think differentiation (characteristics, examples)

24. What is tiered instruction?
Instruction differentiated based upon readiness
Readiness is assessed beforehand
Best accomplished in 2-4 tiers
Provides different levels of scaffolding so all students reach similar objectives

25. Confirmation Example
Purpose: This experiment will help confirm the idea that salt water raises the boiling point of normal tap water. The lab will also acquaint you with using Vernier temperature probes and Logger Pro software.
Question: What is the relationship between the boiling point of water and the amount of salt dissolved?
Procedure(given)
Materials(given)
Data Table(given)

26. Data Analysis Questions
Graph the data you collected above(graph provided)
Was your hypothesis supported or refuted by the results of the experiment? Explain.
How did your own data compare to the class average? If your results differed, how might that have occurred?
What conclusions can you draw based on the results of the lab?
Why might it be important to look at the class data as a whole?

27. Confirmation Inquiry What’s included?
Research Question with answer
What is the relationship between the boiling point of water and the amount of salt dissolved?
Procedure and Materials
Data Table
Analysis Questions

28. Structured Inquiry What’s included?
Research Question without answer
What is the relationship between the boiling point of water and the amount of salt dissolved?
Students will form hypotheses for experiment
Procedure and Materials
Data Table
Analysis Questions
No answer and students form hypotheses

29. Guided Inquiry What’s included?
Research Question without answer
What is the relationship between the boiling point of water and the amount of compound dissolved?
Students create:
Hypotheses
Step by Step Procedure with necessary materials
Conclusions based on data collection
Added another compound…students now create step by step procedure with materials and formulate conclusions based on the results of the lab.

30. Activity
Please get in groups and complete the questions you are given.

31. Questions?

32. Thank you for attending!