Scientific Inquiry Journal

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?

Principles and big ideas of science education (Harlen, 2010)

"The goals of science education (is) a progression towards key ideas which together enable understanding of events and phenomena of relevance to students’ lives" (Harlen, 2010, p.2)

We describe these as ‘big ideas’ in science.

"The big ideas taught in science education should reflect big ideas in science, expressed in ways appropriate to learners at various stages in cognitive development" (Harlen, 2010, p.11)

"Identifying big ideas in science is a natural accompaniment to promoting inquiry-based science education" (Harlen, 2010, p. 3).

Keep to ideas that:

apply universally

can be developed through a variety of content, chosen to be relevant, interesting and motivating

can be applied to new content and enable learners to understand situations and events, as yet unknown, that may be encountered in their lives.

(Harlen, 2010, p.16)

Fourteen big ideas in science

Of the fourteen big ideas in science, outlined in 'Principles and big ideas of science education', by Wynne Harlen (2010), I identified two that I would find most difficult to explain to children in the classroom:

1. Changing the movement of an object requires a net force to be acting on it

This would be difficult to explain to children due to the fact that gravity, being "a universal force of attraction between all objects" (Harlen, 2010, p.21), is not something that they can see, or hold.

Evidently, I would be able to demonstrate gravity by dropping a pencil, but for the children to understand the linkage between this and the fact that gravity "keeps all the planets in orbit around the Sun" (Harlen, 2010, p.21), could prove challenging.

2. All material in the Universe is made of very small particles

Similar to the difficulty of explaining gravity without being able to see it, or hold it, atoms (and their make-up) would also be difficult to delineate to children.

To explain to children that they are made up of atoms would be difficult as children see their arms, legs and eyes are part of their bodies but as the teacher, you are trying to expound that within their arms, legs and eyes are atoms.

In addition, attempting to explain the fact that "opposite electric charges of protons and electrons attract each other, keeping atoms together" (Harlen, 2010, p.21), would be challenging.

Field Trip to Dollymount Strand:

Planning & Organising a Field Trip

According to the 'Social, Environmental, and Scientific Teacher Guidelines' (1999), it is important to make a number of considerations when planning and organising a field trip.

The following are four important aspects of planning and organising a field trip:

1. 'Knowing the environment'

It is crucial that the teacher has a thorough understanding of the locations that will be visited and explored.

2. 'Identifying hazards'

Additionally, dangerous areas and potential sources of danger should be identified during preliminary visits and should all be carefully noted.

3. 'Choosing the activities in which pupils will engage'

One of the most important factors in ensuring safe and worthwhile activity in the environment is having a clear understanding of the purpose of the fieldwork. The tasks that the children must complete will be tightly focused, which will demonstrate their sense of purpose.

4. 'Preparing the pupils'

Adequate planning in the classroom before any visit will improve the success of the activities and the safety of the students. Pupils should be introduced to some of the features they will research in this work as well as the ideas and/or techniques they will employ during their fieldwork.

(DES, 1999)

Field Trip to Dollymount Strand:

Curriculum objectives addressed in Dollymount

Making sandcastles:

Beach Biodiversity

Litter Pick/ Waste Game

Strand: Materials

Strand unit: Properties and characteristics of materials

Strand: Living things

Strand unit: Plant and animal life

Strand: Environmental care and awareness

Strand unit: Environmental awareness

Using different materials such as stones, shells, and feathers to create the tallest sandcastle.

Identifying how materials are used.

Deciding which type of sand was better. Wet sand/ dry sand - which sand worked better for construction?

Observe, identify and investigate plants and animals in local environments.

Observe and explore some ways in which plants and animal behaviour is influenced by/ adapted to environmental conditions.

Used simple keys to identify common species of plants and animals.

Identify positive aspects of natural and built environments through observation, discussion and recording.

Identify the interrelationships of the living and non-living elements of local and other environments.

Recognise how the actions of people have an impact on the environment.

(DES, 1999)

Field Trip to Dollymount Strand:

Follow-up work:

The significance of follow-up work:

If the full educational value of this work is to be achieved, a work schedule based on the knowledge acquired and observations made by the students during their outdoor investigations is imperative (DES, 1999)

This work may entail capturing, analyzing, and interpreting the data gathered, as well as presenting the findings using a variety of media (DES, 1999)

The process can be further enhanced by discussing and contrasting the findings of various groups and possibly comparing them with data gathered by groups in previous years (DES, 1999).

It is also important to 'evaluate the learning experience' (DES, 1999)

An examination of how the children approach exploring and learning about their surroundings will reveal a lot about their conceptual knowledge, skill level, and attitude (DES, 1999).

Children's interactions and outdoor pursuits are just as insightful as doing follow-up work (DES, 1999).

Field Trip to Dollymount Strand:

Personal follow-up:

Using external resources:

'My Seashore Guide Workbook'

What opportunities for “incidental” science inquiry did you observe?

What did you like best about this resource?

Place to sketch - focus on texture, appearance

Prompts

What would you change?

I observed some strange birds - what are these birds?

I found that starlings are happy to be in human company.

Checking the tide times and an investigation into tide times and the impact they may have on an investigation would be interesting.

Kitesurfers: how do they travel in the opposite direction to the wind?

Add extra space for facts

You cannot draw high tides/ low tides

What would you add?

A key

Section to add your own investigation

How would you use this resources with young children?

I can use it in groups/ pairs

Playful Science - Children as Scientists and Inquirers

Bouncy Ball Investigation

I wonder why, at Wimbledon, they keep the tennis balls in the fridge before games?

What investigation could we design to explore this?

We could put one ball in the fridge, and the other out of the fridge. Bounce both balls in the air and see which ball bounces higher.

What will be our starter question?

Does a colder ball bounce higher/ lower than a ball at room temperature?

Reporting back:

What will we measure?

The height of the ball.

What are our predictions?

I found out that the ball that was in the fridge does not bounce higher than the ball outside of the fridge. It was less bouncy.

The ball in the freezer will bounce less high than the ball that is kept out of the fridge.

Why is this?

Interesting fact:

Fridges have been deployed at the side of courts to maintain the consistency of bounce in every ball while they're waiting to be used.

Hot temperatures increase the pressure inside the balls, which makes them bounce higher, and cold temperatures decrease the pressure, making them less bouncy.

Playful Science - Children as Scientists and Inquirers

The best scientific investigations, according to Thornton (2010), are those that are fostered through activities that capture and build on children's interests.

Beau Lotto TED talk

The most interesting pieces from the Ted Talk are as follows:

Teachers can use children's interests as a springboard for introducing and incorporating science concepts and skills by employing play or playful approaches (Doherty & McCullagh, 2017).

"If we ever want to do anything different we have to step into uncertainty"

"Science offers us the opportunity to step on uncertainty through the process of play"

It is clear that children think scientifically long before they enter a classroom because they are naturally curious and look for problems to solve (Doherty & McCullagh, 2017).

"Play is one of the only human endeavours where uncertainty is actually celebrated; it makes play fun"

"True science education should be about giving people a voice and enabling them to express that voice"

The difficulty for teachers in primary settings is to maintain this enthusiasm for science and technology and to use pedagogies that make science engaging and approachable while upholding scientific rigour and process (Doherty & McCullagh, 2017).

"Science is a way of being and experiments are play"

"A small question can lead into a big discovery"

"Anyone has the potential to discover something new"

The Big Ideas from the Ted Talk:

Is there a possible link between humans and other animals?

It is suggested that playing facilitates the scientific process, particularly scientific questioning, and that playing leads to the advancement of scientific knowledge (Doherty & McCullagh, 2017)

If humans and bees might solve complex problems in the same way?

Can bees also adapt themselves to previously new situations using previously learned rules and conditions?

(Lotto & O'Toole, 2012)

The Marshmellow Investigation

The Woodlouse Investigation

Below, is the tallest free-standing structure we created with the resources we were provided with.

The drawing of the woodlouse below was done prior to observing the woodlouse in the glass jar.

Ours was 17cm. It was tall but not the tallest compared to other groups.

'Working Scientifically' skills used developed during the investigation:

After observing the real-life woodlouse I realised that the woodlouse had way fewer legs than what I originally envisioned.

Asking questions.

Making predictions.

Observing and measuring.

Recording data.

Interpreting and communicating results.

To extend the investigation, we could examine the woodlouse with a magnifying glass or under a microscope.

The same scientific skills were developed during this investigation.

References:

Doherty, A., & McCullagh, J. (2017). Playful Approaches to Science and Technology.

Duschl, R. A., & Grandy, R. E. (2008). Reconsidering the character and role of inquiry in school science: Framing the debates. In Teaching scientific inquiry (pp. 1-37). Brill.

Harlen, W. (2010). Principles and big ideas of science education. Association for science education.

Hoisington, C. (2020). A Scientific Age. Educational leadership, 78(3).

Lotto, B., & O'Toole, A. (2012). Science is for everyone, kids included.