PHASE 1



INQUIRY STRATEGIES CHECKLIST

Things to think about when planning inquiry….

This material, developed by the CT Center for Science Inquiry Teaching and Learning, is based upon work supported by the Connecticut State Department of Higher Education through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title II, Part A, Subpart 3, Improving Teacher Quality State Grant Funds; CFDA#84.367B

|PHASE 1 |

GENERATING/RAISING QUESTIONS

• Exploration time using given materials

• Record conversations during observation

• K.W.L. what you know? What you want to know? What did you learn?

• Read aloud or buddy reading/shared reading

• Brainstorm as many possible questions (class/small group/individually)

• I notice… I wonder… (teacher may need to model first) – other students may generate a T-chart with “Observations and Questions”

• Class demo

• Start class with a “ Do now” activity based on a scenario or question, this will spark discussions

• Open-ended prompts or provide sentence starters to get investigable questions started

o What do you think will happen if …

o Imagine if ….

o Ask “what if questions” while investigating

• What effect does _________have on _________?

• Variable scan

• Provide a scenario to think about

• Web quest

• Use literature Connection by strand

• FQR – Fact, Question, Response

PURPOSES AND TYPES OF INQUIRY STARTERS

• Students become more familiar with materials after some exploration time – they are then more likely to “get to work”

• Exploration with materials

• Real life situation

• Detailed observations can lead to numerous questions

• Content/unit introduction

• Observational brainstorming

• Types of inquiry starters

o Provide photo/drawing to initiate discussion

o Guided inquiry or “mini” lab first

o Discrepant event demonstration

o Relevant current event to initiate discussion

o Teacher Demonstration

o World web/splash

o Video clips (short)

o Model experiment

o Provide selected materials to “play” with

COLLECTING AND SORTING QUESTIONS

• Write Questions on:

o Note cards

o Sentence Strips – tape on wall on two lines of masking tape

o Scrap paper

o Post-it notes

o Science notebook

o Overhead

o Teacher captures questions for class on chart paper/board

• Highlighter/color coordinate

• Exit slips/entrance slips

• Type into computer, cut and paste

• Students write finalized questions on overhead transparencies

• Students sort questions into different categories

o Tape questions on board as investigable/non-investigable

o On chart paper by topic / content areas

• Smart board-> write questions on it and then work with students to sort them

• Individual/small white boards-able to display/share questions and data

• Teacher models

o I notice… I wonder…

o How to turn questions into investigable questions

• Blackboard/question wall/ easel/ bulletin board for other and/or non-investigable questions

• Weed out duplicate questions and/or questions not aligned to content goals

• Put questions (index cards or post-it notes) in envelopes between classes

• Have students post their question so teacher can easily refer to each group’s question as they are circulating around the classroom

FORMING GROUPS

• By abilities

• By interest

• Teacher pick-“Because I said so…”

• Students pick 3 questions they are interested and write their name on a sticky note –teacher groups (overnight) taking into account student interest

• Form science/inquiry teams/groups to work in

• Random Groups

o Tops and bottoms of containers

o Puzzle pieces

o Content chips (matching)

o Different colored candies

o Animal groups

o Numbered clothes pins

o Use odd/even pairing after 1,2 count off

o Index Cards with student names “Shuffle & Deal”

o Geometric shape match

o Work with someone you have never worked with before

o Names on popsicle sticks

o Computer generated (random sort/class rank)

o Work with friends

• Clock buddies

• Placing books with different titles that cover the same topic on a table –have the student select a book –group students by like topics

• English language learner with native English speakers

|PHASE 2 |

DEVELOPING FAIR TESTS AND PLANS

• Pair share with another group to make sure it can be repeated

• Teacher demonstration of a fair test and/or NOT a fair test to initiate discussion

• Let kids do a "trial run" then discuss

• Peer review

• Exchange and do (follow another kids plan)

• Rubric for expectations of a good plan – generate this with students

• Students use planning template

• Provide a perfect data table but no other information (student develop plan from the data table)

• To practice designing clearly written procedure- have them write clear directions on how to make a PB & J sandwich-teacher has them read plan while teacher follows their plan/directions

• Model how to write a fair test plan with a question no one is investigating

• Have clearly defined independent and dependent variables along with variables held constant

• Variable scan – or T chart

• Question student – “How do you know that only one variable (thing) caused results?”

• Museum walk – look at other student notebooks and use a post-it note to identify one strength and one suggestion for improvement

MANAGING AND ORGANIZING MATERIAL

• Use medium sized buckets or plastic shoe box (one per group) that teacher puts all necessary materials in before testing- students simply grab their bucket and go

• Budget/store concept-materials are expensive and kids get an amount to spend

• Material manager gather for groups with a list created by the group

• Cafeteria style

• Make sure previous class returns materials to correct place (Clean)

• Pre-sort materials ahead of time

• If materials aren't clean or missing they're out of luck

• Buffet table

• Individual jobs clearly defined beforehand / assign student as materials manager

• Buckets, baskets, trays already prepared

• Get to school early!

• Keep things organized from year to year

• Each table has certain materials – class is not dismissed until table has starting amount

• Chair pockets

• Class organized into cooperative groups with assigned roles (supply manager, reporter, captain, recorder, clean up)

• How will you handle students who wish to bring materials from home?

• Review questions that students are going to investigate to make sure you have appropriate materials and quantities

• Keep an ongoing list of materials needed in back of plan book – this will help for ordering for next school year

DATA COLLECTION AND ORGANIZATION

• Tables/charts, Venn Diagram or other graphic organizer

• Graphs – what type is appropriate?

• UNITS!!!!

• Organized list

• Different ways to record data for multiple trials - calculate the average

• Model a table or give them a "fill-in" chart the first few times

• Provide a perfect data table complete with variables-but NO other instructions

• Mini-lesson on data collection

• Model another questions

• Computer generated vs. hand drawn

• Excel spreadsheets (integrate technology objectives)

• Generate a “class data chart” for multiple trials, if students are investigating same question

• List qualitative results

• Pictograph

|PHASE 3 |

COMMUNICATING RESULTS

• Sharing rubric/criteria on the over head (may be generated by class or teacher)

• Teacher develops Power Point – maybe with pictures from experiment – to help synthesize results/ideas

• Teacher and/or students may take notes during presentations to help with final synthesis

• Use cameras/video cameras

• Performance task

• Student Products:

o Poster display

o Brochure/pamphlet

o Lab report

o Power Point – or some other form that integrates technology objectives

o Illustrations of findings

o Oral presentation

o Written refection

o Video presentation

o Skit / role play

• "Round "table discussion( everyone sees everyone else)

• Use one overhead sheet to share data/result

• Labeled diagrams

• Carousel

• Lab report

• Game show “Science Idol” “Wheel of Science”

• Debate results

• Have groups “rehearse” sharing with another group before doing it as a large group

• Share with 2 other groups instead of the whole class – then have these larger groups share overall learning with whole class

ORDER OF GROUPS SHARING

• Related topics go together

• Who finished first? Second? Last?

• Random:

o Counting off

o Pick a card

o Draw straws / draw name out of hat

o Alphabetical by recorders name

o Group numbers on index cards – randomly select

o Pick a number

• Teacher picks order based on certain criteria

• Piggyback topics

• Volunteer / victim

• Longest first

• Increasingly difficulty of concepts / build off one another

QUESTIONS NOT INVESTIGATED

• Those groups that finish early-they are responsible for getting online and finding the answers for the class to share

• Look up answers for research on the internet

• Questions can be used for science fair projects

• Extra credit or enrichment activity / Homework / Select questions from the “Parking Lot”

• Let kids stay after school to work on extra credit

• QFAT – Questions For Another Time

• Literature Inquiry

• May lead to a new inquiry activity

• You may not be able to answer all the questions…

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