Scientific Inquiry Journal

Scientific Inquiry Journal

Purposeful Inquiry

Science teaching and learning can be enhanced through purposeful inquiry

Lines of inquiry:
1. What is Science?
2. The role of Inquiry.
3. Our own views about science teaching and learning.

'COVID-19 has meant that elementary students will need to be more scientifically literate than any previous generation' (Hoisington, 2020)

In Hoisington (2020) article, she identified four key components in supporting teachers to promote their students' emerging science literacy:

1.Make the storyline explicit - address a big science idea, and a set of investigations to encourage a deeper understanding of that idea.

2. Provide opportunities to "mess around" - students should familiarise themselves with exploration tools & try out different ways of exploring.

3. Focus on teaching students how to think and not what to think.

4. Embrace students' misconceptions.

What is Science?

From my reading of, 'What is Science?', this definition made the most sense to me:

"Science is storytelling. This is evident in the way we use our primary scientific instrument, the eye. The eye searches for shapes. It searches for a beginning, a middle, and an end." (Polanyi J. C.)

Why did this definition resonate with me?

It is important to 'make connections to one's own thinking' (Wong & Morris, 2010)

I tried to make connections to my own thinking by trying to answer these questions posed to me following my reading of Nature of Science Unit Project Zero (2010):

Q1: Do I notice how I learn about science?

I did not notice before but I soon realised that I am a visual learner when it comes to science education. I learn best through observation. I ask questions about what I have observed through my eyes.

Q2: Think about how you thought about the world around you as a young child, and about studying science in your science classes over the years...

My Mum would bring me on walks in the buggy as a child. On the walks, I would ask, 'what is that?'. She would have said, 'that's a bird', or 'that's a tree', but that did not satisfy me. I wanted to know what kind of bird it was or what type of tree.

The Role of Inquiry

What is the role of inquiry?

"Today scientific inquiry underpins the development of vastly more powerful new technologies and addresses more pressing social problems, e. g., finding clean renewable energy sources" (Duschl & Grandy, 2008)

Tic - Tac - Toe

Diamond ranking: it involves critiquing.

Diamond Ranking

I filled this tic-tac-toe box with words and ideas connected to scientific inquiry. Through the use of these ideas in the classroom, I will be able to engage myself and my students in full inquiry.

"Full inquiry promotes the meaningful learning of difficult scientific concepts, the development of scientific thinking and reasoning, and the development of social skills concerning the communication and representation of scientific ideas and information" (Duschl & Grandy, 2008)

Collaboratively in groups in our lecture, we ranked these ideas in a diamond formation.

BioBlitz

What is a BioBlitz?

In order to conduct a 'BioBlitz', you must understand biodiversity.

A collaborative race to discover as many types of wildlife as possible, within a set location, over a defined time period.

"Biodiversity is interconnected in a web of life... (it) is the variety of life around us. It includes the variety of genes, which are tiny structures inside every living cell that makes each species and individual unique." (IBOY, 2002)

"Scientists work in collaboration, are open to ideas of others, and communicate extensively with colleagues" (Wong & Morris, 2010)

Our findings:

We used this key to help us to identify what we found during our BioBlitz.

We found what we believe is a maple leaf. An alder leaf was also present in our findings box.

We also found what we think is a European larch.

Habits of mind (for science inquiry)

Considering the attributes necessary to be a scientist, I believe the most important attributes (or habits of mind) are:

Contribute positively to the group and inspire teamwork.

Step back and look at the whole picture.

SeaWeed Investigation

I drew my seaweed and recorded what I saw...

This investigation made me think about:

The different ways seaweed looks, its different colours and its characteristics.

Can we eat seaweed? Does it have any nutritional benefits?

This investigation made me wonder...

"I see lots of different scraggly bits with little ends on some of them that look like fishes' tails"

What beach this seaweed came from, has it always been on this beach? Has it travelled, in any way, from one beach to another?

How is seaweed made?

What factors affect its growth/ production?