The Keys to Teaching Inquiry

INQUIRY- question based lesson

• ability to ask questions and find methods of finding the answers
• ex-webquest, QR codes
• start with the questions then give task of what to find out

"Discover learning" moves away from questions and moves towards discovering instead
Socrates taught his students to always ask questions and that there are no ending to questions


What is in the bag?

• Give the bag 5 seconds to see what is in the bag
• dog toy
• baby rattle

Now we have to categorize the answers in the bag:

• squeaky objects 
• soft objects 
• rattle objects
• toys 

What is a hypothesis?

• Tentative explanation of what the problem might be

Devise a method to obtain information of what would be in the bag to see if your hypothesis is supported:

• Weigh it
• Open it

Test each method and you will have 2 predictions of what to expect:

• Correct hypothesis
• Wrong hypothesis
• Then restate the hypothesis
• If the hypothesis is supported and you did such and such method then what would you predict would happen? (if then statement)

Implement the method and it will not PROVE but SUPPORT the hypothesis
A well-started hypothesis often can generate more than ONE TEST
The more test results that match the prediction the GREATER the SUPPORT for the HYPOTHESIS
HYPOTHESIS is NOT a guess but a tentative explantation
If the hypothesis is VAILD  then such and such should happen or be observed as a result of some actions due to the hypothesis.
Why this activity?

• To engage in inquiry
• Hands on activity
• Different process on how to teach

Principle concept:
Scientific knowledge is fundamentally uncertain
1. Science is uncertain because it is a human activity
2. Science explanations seem less certain when they are based on indirect information
3. Scientific uncertainty can be reduced through collaboration
 4. Scientific argumentation is based on justified evidence


STEPS OF INQUIRY
1. Formulate a question/problem
2. Make predictions (expected results if hypothesis is correct, expected results if hypothesis is wrong)
3. Design steps to investigate the problem to generate data that will allow you to evaluate the hypothesis. test the hypothesis
4. Draw a conclusion and communicate the results

INQUIRY NEVER ENDS IT IS AN ENDLESS PROCESS OR A CYCLE