Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards A Guide for Teaching and Learning (2000) / Chapter Skim
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2 Inquiry in the National Science Education Standards
2 Inquiry in the National Science Education Standards
Pages 12-37
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From page 13... ...
Mrs. Graham's fifth Because of the importance of grade students used their observainquiry, the content standards describ- tions and the information they gathing what all students need to know ered about plants to recognize the and be able to do include standards on factors affecting the growth of trees in science as inquiry.
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From page 14... ...
A description of a is already known in light of experi- set of elements or features essential to mental evidence; using tools to inquiry-oriented teaching and learning gather, analyze, and interpret data; sets the stage for a discussion of proposing answers, explanations, instructional models that can help and predictions; and communicat teachers structure activities to foster ing the results. Inquiry requires identification of assumptions, use student inquiry.
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From page 15... ...
recom mended that science teachers look first to the laboratory and use these experiences to lead rather than follow the classroom phase of School classroom 1906 science teaching. That is, students should work in the laboratory before teaching science was becoming being introduced to the formal explaincreasingly evident.
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From page 16... ...
Students could ask ques- Sputnik satellite in 1957 further tions, gather evidence, and propose spurred the development of these scientific explanations based on their materials, many of which were sup own investigations. ported by the National Science Foun Schwab proposed an additional dation and other federal agencies and approach, which he referred to as an private foundations.
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From page 17... ...
and other "hands-on" experiences, Some teachers, however, were using more opportunities to pursue their the new curriculum materials, such as own questions, and more focus on those from the Biological Sciences understanding larger scientific con- Curriculum Study (BSCS) , Science cepts rather than disconnected facts.
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From page 18... ...
scientific knowledge as they use scientific reasoning and critical INQUIRY IN THE CONTENT thinking to develop their understand STANDARDS ing of science. The basis for moving away from the The content standards for Science traditional process approach is to as Inquiry include both abilities and encourage students to participate in understandings of inquiry (Tables 2-1, the evaluation of scientific knowledge.
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From page 19... ...
In turn, students should be 4 students "use data to construct a able to assess both the strengths and reasonable explanation," while 5-8 weaknesses of their claims. The students "recognize and analyze development and evolution of knowl- alternative explanations and proceedge claims, and reflection upon those dures," and 9-12 students analyze claims, underlie the inquiry abilities "alternative models" as well.
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From page 20... ...
Technology used to gather data enhances accuracy and allows scientists to analyze and quantify results of investigations. Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and use scientific principles, models, and theories.
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From page 21... ...
," while based' science program," "focus and students in grades 5-8 know that support inquiries," and "encourage "scientific explanations emphasize and model the skills of scientific evidence, have logically consistent inquiry." arguments, and use scientific prin- Because the teaching standards are ciples, models, and theories." Stu- so broad, it is helpful for our purposes I N Q U I R Y I N T H E N AT I O N A L S C I E N C E E D U C AT I O N S TA N D A R D S 21
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From page 22... ...
TEACHING STANDARD C: Teachers of science engage in ongoing assessment of their teaching and of student learning. In doing this, teachers Use multiple methods and systematically gather data about student understanding and ability.
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From page 23... ...
Engage students in designing the learning environment. TEACHING STANDARD E: Teachers of science develop communities of science learners that reflect the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry and the attitudes and social values conducive to science learning.
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From page 24... ...
Scientifically the instructional materials, the Web, oriented questions center on objects, some other source, or some combina organisms, and events in the natural tion. The teacher plays a critical role world; they connect to the science in guiding the identification of ques concepts described in the content tions, particularly when they come standards.
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From page 25... ...
Learners give priority to evidence, which allows them to develop and evaluate explanations that address scientifically oriented questions. Learners formulate explanations from evidence to address scientifically oriented questions.
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From page 26... ...
Learners formulate explanations control conditions to obtain their from evidence to address scientifically evidence; in other instances they oriented questions. Although similar to cannot control the conditions or the previous feature, this aspect of control would distort the phenomena, inquiry emphasizes the path from so they gather data over a wide range evidence to explanation rather than of naturally occurring conditions and the criteria for and characteristics of over a long enough period of time so the evidence.
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From page 27... ...
As a result, students can resolve Alternative explanations may be contradictions and solidify an empirireviewed as students engage in cally based argument. dialogues, compare results, or check their results with those proposed by Taken as a whole, these essential the teacher or instructional materials.
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From page 28... ...
However, in some inquiries either "full" or "partial." These labels students pose the initial question; in refer to the proportion of a sequence others students choose alternatives or of learning experiences that is inquiry based. For example, when a teacher or textbook does not engage students with a question but begins by assign ing an experiment, an essential element of inquiry is missing and the inquiry is partial.
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From page 29... ...
Learner engages in Learner poses a question Learner selects among Learner sharpens or Learner engages in scientifically oriented questions, poses clarifies question question provided by questions new questions provided by teacher, teacher, materials, or materials, or other source other source 2. Learner gives priority Learner determines what Learner directed to Learner given data and Learner given data to evidence in constitutes evidence and collect certain data asked to analyze and told how to responding to collects it analyze questions 3.
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From page 30... ...
(Note the inquiry can best focus learning on the emphasis on series of lessons or development of particular science learning experiences, rather than concepts. More open inquiry will single lessons, illustrating that inquir afford the best opportunities for ies require time to unfold and for 30 I N Q U I R Y A N D T H E N AT I O N A L S C I E N C E E D U C AT I O N S TA N D A R D S
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From page 31... ...
A high school tested by scientific investigations. She biology teacher is planning student helped them learn the importance of learning activities for a unit on biologiexamining alternative explanations cal evolution.
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From page 32... ...
historical development of these and modification in the account of a scientific ideas, the teacher decides to scientific discovery. Based on read take advantage of the opportunity to ings about past and current investiga develop students' understanding of tions of evolution on the Galapagos how scientific inquiry works.
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From page 33... ...
Following the readings inquiry learning experiences would and discussion of the questions, the help students understand density teacher would have student groups well enough to be successful? One prepare oral reports on the topic "The teaching strategy would be a series Role of Inquiry in Science." of laboratory activities framed by This learning activity does not questions requiring the gathering contain all of the essential features of and use of evidence to develop classroom inquiry, but many features explanations about mass and volume are present.
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From page 34... ...
A number of different instructional Piaget's work was the basis for the models have been developed that can learning cycle, an instructional model, help teachers organize and sequence proposed by Atkin and Karplus (1962) inquiry-oriented learning experiences and used in the SCIS elementary for their students.
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From page 35... ...
Phase 5: Students, with their teachers, review and assess what they have learned and how they have learned it. seek to engage students in important prescriptive devices -- rather than as scientific questions, give students general guides for designing instrucopportunities to explore and create tion that help learning to unfold their own explanations, provide through inquiry, which must always scientific explanations and help be adapted to the needs of particular students connect these to their own learners, the specific learning goals, ideas, and create opportunities for and the context for learning.
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From page 36... ...
Myth 2: True inquiry occurs only Myth 4: Student engagement in when students generate and pursue hands-on activities guarantees that their own questions. For students to inquiry teaching and learning are develop the ability to ask questions, occurring.
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From page 37... ...
Scientific illustrate how elementary, middle, and knowledge remains important. The high school teachers design different abilities and understandings outlined kinds of inquiries to achieve diff¡erent in the Standards extend beyond the learning outcomes.
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