Ashlee
Forum Replies Created
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My 8th-grade science students use the engineering and design process to develop biodegradable plastics. The students can choose different starches and additives to use while making a plastic. Some years I give the students a specific function for the plastic and other years I tell them to come up with something they would like to create and see if theirs will work for product. They do a stretch and strength test on it. This is in between structured and guided. It is structured because I give them a specific set of procedures for making the plastic (we need safety due to the hot plates, and they can only use so much raw material because of our budget). To make it more open, I should have the students come up with the type of product they want to produce. I am not comfortable however, letting them come up with the correct procedure for heating the materials on the hot plate. :-)
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@Pam I am planning a Science Lit focus class. We are going to read a book called "Who Really Killed Robin?" I love cross-curricular instruction. I will also be adding the inquiry piece to my class. This will be for a 7th grade bunch of students!
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I like how you used "humans" and not just "scientists" in your definition because we are all scientists!
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I like your non-examples. As a teacher, I struggle with inquiry learning because of the chaotic feeling. I often will do smaller inquiry units and then more structured units with my middle school students.
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Inquiry to me is the various ways scientists approach a question. The questions must be opened end and lead to experiments. As a teacher, inquiry learning is a way to spark curiosity for my students and create interest in a topic.
