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?

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)