Engaging in Guided Inquiry

For this experience I was to engage in a guided inquiry experiment. I was presented with a question and from the their had to work to answer the question with the tools that I had. In this insistence I did have to find some additional tools to use as well. In this type of inquiry learning students, and myself, have to brain storm ways to solve and answer the question. (Banchi and Bell, 2008)
In this guide inquiry experience related to momentum, I focused on the question, “How does the steepness of a slope and mass affect a collision outcome?” From my science kit tool box I chose the two marbles, one small and one large. I decided to use these tools because the larger marble has more mass than the smaller. I was curious to see what would happen when they colluded in different position, one the at top of the slope and the other at the bottom and vice verses, at different slopes of steepness.
The Experience
I conducted this experience at home where we have mostly wood floors with the exception of the living room where we have carpet. Being that I did this at home, I did not have all the material I would have had if I had conducted it at school in my classroom. There I had a lot of tools to use to create different sized slopes. What I did have though my third grade daughter who worked right along side of me through it all. We found a rolled up yoga mat to use as a slope for the marbles to travel down.
Once we had a our material needed we began working on answering our question. We decided to first try the marbles on slope of zero degrees on the kitchen counter. I decided we would take turns releasing the marble so that the same energy and force was applied to the marble, no matter its mass. On the flat surface with little resistance, the large marble when it was already moving and made impact with the smaller marble which was at rest would send small marble rolling and the large marble tended to slow a little bit. When the opposite marble was set into motion first and colluded with the larger marble the large marble would move but at slower velocity than the smaller marble.
When we moved this experience to a slope we saw much of the same reactions but a much great increase to velocity and distance with larger marble when it was rolled down the slope. It seemed to have very little impact when it came into contact with the small marble at rest. Just for fun we did try the slope portion of the experience on the carpet in the living room to see what would happen, there was definitely a decrease in the distance and velocity of the marbles after impact.
It was a little challenging for us to find the right material to use to create the slope and still do not know if the yoga mat was the best option but it was what we had to work with. Doing this at home showed me that had I been conducting this activity in my classroom I would need material that students would be able to use for a slope better than. I wouldn’t have to give them the slope but could point them to a group resources they could use. I have found this in teaching to be something that has helped me in my classroom. As my daughters have been getting older I am able to practice more of my lessons with their help. I can get a students perspective, whether its my kindergarten or third grade daughter. Using this idea in lesson planning helps to find weakness in the activity and whether or not the students will actually enjoy it. (Woods, 2019)
Taking Guided Inquiry to the Classroom
When it comes to taking this type of inquiry to the classroom it could possibly look different depending on the grade level. I am just a few weeks into the new school year where for the first time I am teaching grade K-8 and this very much different than just teaching one or two grade at the most, at a time. This would be a possible challenge. But I think adapting it the guided inquiry lesson and questions to the different grade levels would not be difficult. It would be a matter of changing of the questions around slightly. An example with my own question I might have to add a little more understanding or guided instruction to the question.
However, I think this is a lot of great value in brining this type of teaching and inquiry learning to the classroom. Students learn through play. (Buxton and Provenzo, 2011). Having a hands on experience with the objects, students would be able to play and learn at the same time. While working this experience myself, my daughter and I had a lot of fun with it. We both learned from the experience. This type of experience would also benefit my kinesthetic learns. Those that are fidgety and need to do hands on experiences in their learning process would greatly benefit from this type of inquiry. (Buxton and Provenzo).
Conclusion
My classroom being a specials class for students is very hands on already and I am excited to take what I have learned in this experience with a better understanding of what my students would be doing. As a teacher, practicing something like this at home helps be to have my own understanding of the guided inquiry experience and know any obstacles my students may face and to better help guide them to success.

References:
Banchi, H., & Bell, R. (2008). The Many Levels of Inquiry. Science & Children, 46(2), 26–29. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=508002133&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Woods, Chris. (Producer) (2019, September 10) The STEM Everyday Podcast [Audio Podcast] Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1111792057

Buxton, Cory A. & Provenzo Jr., Eugene F (2011) Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Page 68.

Matching Donations on my Donor’s Choose Project Today!

Hey all! Today is an exciting day with some exciting news! Today only, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is matching all donations made to my donors choose project for a 3D printer, up to 50%! This is match is only good for today! Donate $10, that becomes $15, $20 becomes $30, $50 becomes $75! This is a generous gift that the Gates Foundation is doing all across the country for Donors Choose projects and a great way to support education today! A 3D printer in my new STEAM classroom to take students to all new levels in learning and discovery!

https://donorschoo.se/e/wNUi1wKL6Y

 

Structured Inquiry Lesson- Science in Everyday Objects

School doesn’t start for a couple weeks but I was able to work in a science lesson with my daughter and a few of her soon to be third grade friends. In this lesson we focused on a structured inquiry lesson where I gave the kids some everyday objects; water bottle, magnets, cylinder tube. The lesson began with me sharing about my tablet. My tablet is something important to me. I use for my job, for taking classes online, reading books and playing games and paying bills. I shared how the tablet was designed and built by engineerings, using technology and can be used for the same areas too. I than began reading the book, “June 29, 1999.” From there, the students had to think and then discuss how the objects I gave them are for used for science and how is science important to the object. I encouraged them to share out, they were a little shy and reserved at first so I changed my questions to guide them a little.

From there the students were to come up with an experiment using the everyday objects based on questions they had come up with. My daughter using a magnet asked, “how many object can one magnet pick up?” While trying out her questions she said, “its like the magnet isn’t following gravity any more” as she picked it with other metal objects off the table.

It was really interesting watching their minds work and and then to vocalize out their thoughts and findings. When my daughter used the word gravity I was happy to hear her use a scientific world and principle like that to describe what was happening here. Taking the steps through the structure inquiry lesson allowed the students to think deeply about the objects presented before them and how they are used for science. Giving students time to think and then the safe space to talk openly about their science thinking allows them to experience discovery and use words like “gravity.”

 

What Happens When Icebergs Melt

(Excerpt from a Writing Assignment)

What Happens When Polar Ice Caps Melt?

When polar ice caps melt we experience what happened to my glass of water when the ice cubes melted. Ice bergs, like the ice cubes, do not have an effect on the water level because the floating icebergs displace the same amount of water as that was from the melting icebergs becoming water. There will be little to no change with melting icebergs when it comes to sea levels. 

The issue though will be melting ice and snow in polar regions, that are currently on land in places like Greenland and Antartica. This water and ice will be added to the oceans on earth causing sea level rises. Much of this is frozen water is fresh water, which would mix with the salt water in the seas. (ASAPsciecne, 2016). Mixing of the salt water would disrupt ocean life messing with the balance of salt water and could dramatically change ocean jet streams changing climates over the planet. (ASAPScience).  Also, melting in the polar regions would increase the sea levels for coastal lands. A rise of less than one meter is estimated to cause one trillion dollars in damage and at 10 meters it could permanently displace 10% of the worlds population. (ASAPScience).

STEM Lesson Focuses on Diverse Learners

One of my favorite television shows is the Big Bang Theory. In my favorite episode, titled, The Contractual Obligation Implementation, Sheldon (played by Jim Parsons) and Leonard Hofstadter (played by Johnny Galecki) (IMDB, 2013) are tasked by the university they work for “to find a way to encourage more women to pursue a career in the sciences”.(Big Bang Theory, 2013.) In the early stages of how to plan for the initiative to reach more women to science they talk about different equitable approaches, many of which were addressing women at the college level. Sheldon then chimes in and says, “all their approaches are too. (They) need to design an outreach program to target girls at the middle school level and set them on an academic track towards the hard sciences.” (Big Bang Theory, 2013)

For the next generation of STEM and science professions to succeed students need early intervention and science programing. In the science academic teaching, reaching students in the early grades of elementary and middle school are then more likely to be interested and pressure a career in science later. (Berwick, 2019). By the time students are in entering college it is typically too late to interest one in the field of science.

In my lesson to address diverse learners, I wanted to introduce 6th grade students to careers in science. This lesson was targeted at all students, of all gender identities and diverse backgrounds. The lesson was broken down into five parts: engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate. In my lesson, students were engaged by reviewing pictures they had previously drew imagining what a scientist look like. Through explore, students would look at the careers of many scientists, famous or not, who came from many different diverse backgrounds. In explain, we would meet with a scientist where students would interview them to learn more about the work they do and the path they took to get there. In the elaboration section students would create question and time with the scientist to learn more. The lesson would conclude with the evaluate portion where students evaluate themselves and what different areas they could find an interest in science through a career evaluation.

I have used 5E lesson templates before, early in my teaching career and in my masters program in education. I think this type of lesson plan is great for someone just beginning their career in education. This format helps an educator include all five areas in their lessons, standard, any modifications needed for students. This template helps teachers know the material needed for students and the teacher, technology and classroom materials and goals for students. This style is also very useful in science education. To be realistic though, this lesson plan template is too extensive for a teacher to use on a daily basis. As I have grown in my craft many of the steps included in this template are incorporated into my planning but I do not have the time as an educator regularly to complete this time of template. I use the web based lesson planning software, Planbook. My lessons incorporate many of the sections included in template. In my lessons I am able to click on the standards I am teaching in the lesson and it keeps track of my standards and number of times taught throughout the year through a pre-genrated database. I also include objectives, “student will” and “teacher will” statements, technology and materials needs, overview of the lesson and any additional material need to be included in the lesson.

 

-IMDB. (2013.) Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2708314/

-Lorre, Chuck & Prady, Bill. Cendrowski, Mark. (2013.) The Contractual Obligation Implementation [The Big Bang Theory]

-Berwick, Carly. (2019, March 12) Keeping Girls in STEM: 3 Barriers, 3 Solutions. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/keeping-girls-stem-3-barriers-3-solutions

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