Using Levels of lnquiry

Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom 1

in the Classroom
Chapter I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The clet,elrltmertt of mujor concepl,s itt u :;cience clu:;,srurnt is axplorecl lhrough lhe
in.slrucliottul,fi"umeworkof vuryingllte level rl'sluclent iurluiry. An explorotion eq)e-
rience, inlerctct ive elemort:;trutitn, di,;ctlvery erterinertl, uncl uppliccttion chullenge
.\erve os llti,sfrernev,ork.fbr increusing the let,al in
y,ltich
the :;ttrclents usk question,s,
det,ise netlrccls lo uttswer tha,s'e que,stiott,y, uncl tlevelop ut't,\v)ers b lhe question.s'.
In,strttclionetl technolog, tool,s such os clttssrocttn response system,\, Google Docs,
lhe ttse o.[blogs, untl IlebA,r.sign erre inlegrulecl into the inquirt experience to.tltpport
the leurning proce.\.t. 7-hi,s intluiry moclcl shifi,s the locu.s o.[utntrolJi'om rhe teucher
to llte slttclettt, as the stuclentis,/nilicrrity v,ith neyt, concept.t cleepen,s.
Jcfi'cy llylarrtlcr
Glenbrrok South High Scluol, USA
INTRODUCTION
lf you are a teacher olscience. yoLr and youl colleagues rnay have grappled with
the level of inqLrily that you build into youl classroorns. You rnay lrave heald a
colleagtte say, "lf I present an activity with 'cookbook'type clirections. I arl not
l'ostclirtg the inquiry that Idesire irt rny students. On the other hancl, if'I leave all
activity operr-ettcled. try students eithel flounder with a lack of directiolr or heacl
dowll a patlr that does not necessarily leacl to the constl'uctiolt of ideas that ale the
goal of lny instrtrctiolr." You tnay have even hcr'cl these wolds in youl or,vn head.
lX) I : I 0.40 I 819'7 8- | -4666-00(rt-3.ch00 I
tJsing Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
Pelhars yoLr have also wrestled with tlre question, "Shoulcl all laLroratory experi-
ences in rly classroorn be clesigned rvith the sarlr: level of student ilrqtrily'i"'l'llese
two qLrcstions, which arc ccntlal to orr inquiry teaching philosoplry, leacl us to the
purpose of this chapter. Using valyiug levels of inquiry in the classroonr is not only
souncl peclagogv. it is necessaly to help students becorne sciertifically litclatc while
exploring the worlcl irr ways that lesenlblc how scierttists wolk.
ln this chapter we will explore the iclea of Lrsitrg varying levels ol'inqLriry irr a
thoughtl'ul arrd planned nlanncl as we intlocluce students to a sirrgle big iclca tltroLrgh
a week-long sct of irrquiry expelieuces. The use of instructional tccltnology tools
such as classloonr response systeurs. Google Docs, the Lrse of blogs, and WebAs-
sign are integratecl to support tlre learnirrg process. Although thc context ol'rnatry
of the exanrples used is a high school plrysics classroorn, I have seen nrany ol'these
ideas appliecl to biology, physical scie nce, chernistry, arrd eugineering classloonrs at
valious levels. To that end, the clraptel will conclucle with an example fronl another
discipline and a challenge 1'or the reader to considcr what sLch a rnoclel might look
like in his or her own classroour.
WHAT DOES INQUIRY LOOK LIKE?
'fo
begin our level of incuiry discussion, let's evaluate the fanliliarChinese proverb:
I heor...I
Jorgel;
I see...I remember: I do...I undet',slcntd.
Few carr argue against the idea that a stuclent's letention level is a finction of
both the level of student engagenrent and the nunrber ol'learning rnoclalities that ale
preserrt in the learuiug experience (Archer, 20I l). I-lowever, while hands-ort expeli-
ences are valuable, there is a danger in accepting the third statement in the above
rrovelb
unless we clalify what is beirrg clone and how it is being done (Wlreeler,
2000). Understandingmoy corre as a result of cloirrg, but it rnay rrot. Perhaps you
have experienced studeuts cloing sorletlting in the laboratory that lecl Irot to a clar-
ity of undelstandiug, but to frustlation and a sense for sorne students that, "Science
is not rny thing." When nry own stuclents have told rne, "l lealn it bettcl wherr you
just tell us or show us," l kuow that 'doing'cloes not always lead to urtderstartdirtg.
Iu the sanre sense,'cloing'does not uecessalily equal inquiry. As an exarnrle,
consider a class following a presclibed set ol'instructions:
I
2
-)
Deter'rine the nrass of'au enrpty glacluated cylincler'.
Pour 50 rrL of water into thc glacluatecl cylinder'.
Detclnrine the mass of the graclLratcd cylindel with the watcl insidc.
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
4. Subtract the two lnasses to determine the mass of the water alone.
5. Use Density:Mass/Volume to detennine the density of water.
While the procedure described above is hands-on, and while students may be
able to follow this procedure step-by-step with great success, it does not necessarily
lead to an understanding of what density is or why one would need to understand
this concept. Nor does it offer an inquiry-filled experience. As Benchmarks
r
Scienlific Literacy, the landmark publication of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, comrnents, "Hands-on experience is important but does
not guarantee meaningfulness" (1993, p. 319).
lfthe above activity provides an example ofwhat inquiry doesnot look like, then
whatdoes it look like? Table I offers a helpful picture of inquiry through ajuxtapo-
sition of 'cookbook' experiences with that of authentic inquiry-oriented activities.
Consider the great challenge of creating inquiry experiences tlrat exempliff the
qualities described in the right column of Table l. It is a difficult task to develop an
understanding of scientific ideas through experiences that are driven by big ques-
tious, to require students to design tlreir approaches to answer these big questions,
to give students the responsibility of collecting and interpreting their own data, to
allow room for students to make mistakes, and to provide real science opportunities
that closely resemble how scientists work. Nonetheless, this is the goalof the in-
Table L Comparison of
'cookbook'labs
to authentic inquiry experiences. Adapted
from
llenning (2005)
Cookbook Experienccs...
are driven wth step-by-step instructions requiring
nrinimunr intellectual engagement of students there-
by pronroting robotic, rule-conforming behaviors.
conrmonly focus students'activities on veri$ing in-
l'onnation previously comnrunicated in class, thereby
moving from abstract toward concrete.
presunre students will learn the nature ofscientific
inquiry by "experience" or implicitly; students ex-
ecute imposed experimental designs that tell students
which variables to hold constant, which to vary,
which are independent, and which are dependent.
rarely allow students to confront and deal with error,
uucertainty, and nrisconceptions; do not allow stu-
dents to experience blind alleys or dead ends.
employ procedures tlrat are inconsistent with the na-
ture ofscientific endeavor; show the work ofscience
to be an unrealistic linear process.
are driven by questions requiring ongoing intellec-
tual engagement using higher-order thinking skills,
making for independent thought and action.
Inquiry Experiences...
focus students'activities on collecting and interpret-
ing data to discover new concepts, principles, or larvs
thereby moving fronr concrete toward abstract.
require students to create their own controlled ex-
perimental designs; require students to independently
identifo, distinguish, and control pertinent inde-
pendent and dependent variables; promote student
understanding ofthe skills and nature ofscientific
rnqurry.
conrmonly allow for students to leam from their
mistakes and nrissteps; provide tirne and opportunity
for students to make and recover from mistakes.
employ procedures that are much more consistent
wth authentic scientific practice; slrow the work of
science to be recursive and self-correcting.
lJsing Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
cltr i|y exlerierlcc. Whilc this is ccrtrirtly rvhzrt nost ol us wart orr-strrilcrrts'cxtcr.i-
ellces tO be, lltatty tcachcrs still lltd thonrsclvcs carrght botrncirrg lrctrvcor thc
halcls-tlll btrt t'obotic tctclcncics ol'tho'cookbook'stylc lab ancl tlrat o1'orcn-cnclccl
inqtl irytllatralolylcadsstLdcntstocliscovcrthclawsol'scicnccrvithinthctirrclr.anrc
of a school vear [)r..'f1:ts the solLrtion to this dilcrnnla lios in i,ar.y,irrg tlic lcvul o-
sttrclerlt illcltr iry throtrgltottt tltc dcvclopnrcnt ol'a rrrirjol cclnccpt. What right lhis
look like ill
lractice?
l,et's stcr into an irrqtriry clrivon physics classr.clsr- orrc that
of'lers sttclclrt irlqtri|y cxtct'iettccs that grorv thli'ruglrout thc clevclopnrcnt of-ir ra.jor
corlccpt. Let's sec ltow a class's irrttriry exrcricncc Lrrrl-olcls as stuclents irrvcsligatc
thc relatioltship bctrvcetr f'orcc, lllrss, altcl accclcratictrr.
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Orl Mcrnday' studcllts cllter tltc physics classloonr arcl 1ncl a r'oonl l-tll s['a.rtlor.u-
/iorl stations placccl tltt'ottgltottl thc loonl rclaling to thc conccpt of'1'orcc. Sttclcts
lllake their way l'orlt cxh ibit to cxh ibit in th is intclactivc, nr tscrrrn-tyrc cxrcr.iocc.
'l-hey
ellcotttlter a sinl p lc task to
tcrl'onr,
f llorvcci by a thought-provok ig q uestiorr.
ltlr exallrlle, zt ot.tc statiolt. stuclents lllci a ntoturizccl lirlr attachccl to a cart tlraL
will propcl it lorwa|cl whctt thc ln is trr'ncclon. Whcn thcy arrive at this
rartictrlar
statiorr. they lcacl this bricl'task arcl a qrrcsLion:
Trslr: )'ol rtrlicc u.frt utxrrulus ultuchcl lo u
relett,s'ing lha curl, c'ure.fllt, rbscrt,c lhc
tpe of
Qucstion: I(hetr rype of motiou oc'cltr,\ when u,fitrce (tcr,\
o, u, ob.f ecr'?
Explorution is atl illtportartt l'irst step as stLrclents encornle'ncw icleas acl
rhc-
llonclla' Altlrotlgh stttclcttts will bcgin to gencrate l.heil owr scts ol'cucstiorrs l.or
Motrclay's activity, llotice tl'tat lhe leuc'her u.s'kcd rlte iniliul que,stirn uttd lhe teuc,hat.
ulso provicled the spaciJic tct.tk to pafrn.
Ott
'resday,
studcllts participate in a teachcr- lcd. inlt:ruc,lit,c r/cntru,tlrtlirtt in-
volvirrg a piece of eclttiptltcltt ancl a
tlrcnonre
non that thcy lracl all.cacly 'ltlayecl rvith'
thc day bclore.'l-his palticLtlat'clay's
clcnrorrstration will involve the rrse ol'a cart
allcl variotts l.lasses. nlotiolt ancl fbrcc
lrrobcs
conncctecl to a laptor conrputer, acl a
data analysis loolthat allows the class to sce ill leal tinrc glalrhs of'thc car.t's urcltiorr
allcl applicd lrcc pl'o.iectecl fbl'class vicwirrg arrcl cliscrrssion,'l-he clcnlonstr.ation is
desigllecl to give studelts a chanco [o shale their bcliefs conccr.rrirrg Lhc conccpt at
hallcl allcl to adcJress colllnroll nrisconceptit'rls thar stuclcnts nray havc. s prcrar.ccl
tcachcl'lcd clttcstiotts arc posccl to thc class, thc usc ol'a classr.oonl rcsl)onsc systcr
4
cttt'/. Afler ltrrrtirtg ort tlte.fhtr uncl
ntr. I i t n I ltu t re,s' u I t,y.
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
or "clickers" provides an opportunity for stuclents to corle to ternrs with their own
beliefs and possible nr iscouceptions. As strdent responses are collected and analyzed
in the mornent, tlre teaclrer is able to plobe deeper into areas of nrisconceptiorr. As
the teacher and students make obselvations and collect data during the class deurorr-
stration, the teacher is careful to ask questions that not orrly address nrisconceptiorrs
but also cause students to reflect on their own thoLrghts regarding how they could
test their answel's to these questions. For exanrple, the teacher nright draw upon the
previous day's exploration and ask the question, "How car we determine whether
or rrot a constar.t force was acting on the cart?" or'"How can we lreasure the force
provided by the fan while the cart is in nrotion?" Sttdents might frst cliscuss their
answers with a classmate and then respond using the classroorn response system.
Here the teacher has asked lhe rlue.stion.s and, lhrough guided inquiry, has helped
lhe sludenls think through hou, these question,s might be
qnsu,ered.
While Tuesday's experience is critical to the formation and developnrent of new
ideas, two additional instructional technology tools are embedded in the learning
process. A class scribe is assignecl to post his notes from the day's lesson on the
class blog. While such a tool is a great first step in finding out what went on in the
class for a student who was abserrt, it also serves as a way for classmates to reflect
on the day's demonstration through the eyes of a peer and as a powerful review
tool for the student assigned be the scribe for that day. A second instructional tech-
nology tool is the use of WebAssigrr, a homework delivery systenr used by many
rnath and science classes at both the high schooland college level. While only one
student served as a scribe ofthat day's lesson for the class blog, all students are as-
signed a shorl WebAssign assignrnent. This online homework delivery tool allows
for students to receive imnlediate feedback on their responses, provides multiple
atternpts so that this homework becomes a true learning experience, and gives the
teacher feedback before Wednesday's class on how studeuts were able to apply the
ideas developecl from Tuesday's interactive demonstration. Lingering nrisconcep-
tions and undeveloped skills can be addressed at the beginrring of class the next day.
On Wednesday, a specific question, fi'anred in a context relevant for students, is
posed by the teacher. As students nrove to the Iaboratory, they seek to discover an
answer to this question by ( I
)
using equ ipnrent and tools with wh ich they are already
familiar frorn tlle past two days, and (2) consiclering how these tools nright be Lrsecl
in light of the previor.rs day's derronstrations. The qLrestion posed is, "How does
changing the force on the cart and changing the nrass ofthe caft affect its accelera-
tion?" ln this case, the |escher has a.sked lhe que,sliou, bul lhe students devise lheir
own procedttre Io onswer the clueslion. Students will use the car1s, rnotion sellsors
and force probes, and clata analysis prograrl that were used by the teacher in the
denronstration the day befole. To the lab they go!
5
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroont
As tlro weok collcs to a close. thc class encountels thc ncccl tr.t ulrytlt yy\1
they lravo extkt'ul' interttc/etl v,ill't, ancl eliscot'ercd.
'l'hc
stuclents ar.c lhcccl witll
a challcllge, a cottlpetititll' ol A ploLrlcrrr.'['hcy
rnLrst ptrll togctlrcr.what
tcy havc
leal'llcd alrcl apply it ill a new sitratir
rcrlrars create sorretirg!
Strclerts
al'e challerlged
to tlse their teachcr''s car'rs tlrc ob.iccl lo r,vhich fhr.r rrrqr
r,.rl;, thc
f'ot'cc-rnass-acccleratioll
relatiorrshir
that tlroy lravc rliscovcr.ecl. l'hc class clcciclcs
to dctct'lllille thc car's ttlass by ptrslting it with a constant rr.ce ancj rcasrr.irrg
its
accelcratioll'
Thc wcckcrtcl 's assignrncnt rvill be for lab gr.oups to creatc a sirrglc
lab write tlp Ltsittg Google Docs in which cach stuclent,u,,rt
"it-t",.
crcalc colrtert or
llrake a sigllifcant colltribtttion
as spccifccl orr thc lubr.ic
rr.ovicled. I' this wcek,s
firral activity, tlot oltly dicl the
'vttrclanl,v cle,sign tlre axteritrtentul
ttrcthtcl, thet,halJrccl
,frntulale rhe cue,srio, ,o ittvesrigctrr:.
'rir
trre par.kirg rot trroy go!
what has beell descl'ibecf abovc arcl illtrstratccl in'lable 2 is r week sperrt clevel-
opiltg arlcl applying olle big icf ea-nunely
thc lclationship
bctwee rr frcc. ,rass, a'cl
acoelelatioll'
l'his week-long snapshot is rneant to clcnlorstrate lrow var.ious lcvcls
of inquiry can be usecl to clevelop a big ic1ea.
Categorizing
Levels of lnquiry
In theiI article, slrtrctrtring the Level ry' Inquiry in kur clo,s'yrottn.athor.s pay
arcl
Ill'etz illt|odLIcc ftrttt'levels
ol'inqLrily actitics that a stuclent rnay expcr.ie'ce i, a
TLtble 2'
(terviev'of
lhc various ittcLriry ctc/ittitie,s thctl rnuke ut lhe week-l.ttg
developntenl
of'cr nujor crncepl or
,big
icleo,
lig ldca: Urrrlcrstantrirrg
trrc rcrrtiorsrip
bctrvccr [.rcc, rnrss,:rrr acccrc.atiorr
Molrrluy
'lrcsday
'l'ypc
of ,\ctivity
I ixrlor atiorr I i,rpcr icnccs
Irtct activo l)clt0rrstl atiolrs
l)iscovcr y I ;xpcl irtrcrrts
Statiolrs rroLrrtl thc looln that al_
lo*,studcnts to cxllorc tlte lilcc_
Iixartr plc ;\ ctivi t,
r:rass-rccclcration
rclatiorrshit
l)cllolrstratiolrs
utrl olss <lisous_
sion rscd to ad(lrcss rnisconccp-
tions. luiliarizc stu(letts \vitt
nc!v c(luiptnott. urtl lnodcl
cxrcr irncntal dcsign
Arrlication Challcrrgc
Sttrrlcnt-dcsigrrcrl oxpc ttent tlitt
sccks kr discovcr a rclirtionshir
tltrrt crisls hel\\cr.lt lrcc. nlirs..
attd accclcration
Challcrrgc or cot(cst il rvllich stu-
(lcrts
tnUst aprl, thc rclationslrir
tlrat thc, huvc rliscovclctl
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
classroom (2008). Fay and Bretz have numbered these levels from 0 (lowest inquiry)
to 3 (highest inquiry). For fufther description in this chapter, we will use the names
non-inquiry, guided inquiry, bounded inquiry, and open inquiry as adapted from
the original work of Herron (1971) to describe these four levels. Table 3 outlines
this framework.
To illustrate how these levels of inquiry differ, consider tlrat an investigation be
broken into three parts: (l) the problern/question being investigated, (2) the proce-
dure or method used to investigate the problem at hand, and (3) the solution to the
problern or the answer to the question. Fay and Bretz suggest that a student experi-
ence at the lowest level of inquiry (i.e. non-inquiry) is one in which the problem/
question, the procedure/metlrod, and the solution is provided to students. As we
rnove to a level I (guided inquiry) experience, the teacher provides the problem and
the procedure, but the student is left to develop the solution. A level 2 (bounded
inquiry) investigation is one in which the teacher provides the problem, but the
procedure and solution are constructed by the student. The highest level of inquiry,
level3 (open inquiry), is one in which the problem, procedure and solution are all
constructed by the student. In shoft, this framework suggest that the level of in-
quiry is determined by the amount to which the student generates the problem,
procedure, or solution.
While "opeu inquiry" was not part of the student experience in the week-long
physics example described earlier in the chapter, it does have its place in the stu-
dent's learning experience. Some have built this level of inquiry into a science club
activity that occurs outside of a traditional course; other have built this into a course
as either a year-end research investigation or perhaps a semester-long experiment
that occurs concurrently with the 'curriculum.'Nonetheless, there are many skills
that students will develop only as they are allowed to investigate at this highest
level of inquiry. As we add "open inquiry" to the collection of inquiry experiences
Table 3. Levels of inquiry are described by the amount to which the student is given
,,the
responsibility to conslruct the problem/question, lhe procedure/method, and the
solution
Level
0
Type ot lnquiry
Non-inquiry
2
Cuided lnquiry
3
Bounded Inquiry
Problem/Question
Open Inquiry
Provided to student
Provided to studen(
Provided to studenl
Constructed by student
Procedure/Method
Provided to student
Provided to student
Constructed by student
Constructed by student
Provided to student
Solution
Constructed by
student
Constructed by
student
Constructed by
student
Using Levels of tnquiry in the Classroom
all'catly collsiclc'ccJ
ll'cviotrsly,'lirtllc 4 cornccts thc liay arcl Ilr.ctz. lc'cls thr..trglr
3 1o thcsc fivc tylos ol'irrqtriry
lcrlning cxrclicnccs
thrt havc [rcc, [rrilt i'1. thc
c lassr.ool.lr
clcscr.i lrccl a bovc.
Whilc this fianlcu,orli
ntay lrclr Lrs iulclcr.slrlrl ll()r,r,rr,"
rtright clll;
lar ilr'cstigati.r
o. cxrc.icrcc irt. .rc .f'r'.,r- rcvcrs oI irrqrriiy.
wcrr
that thc'c is a'ccossa'y.r'cro'irr
rvrrich thc'ar.ir:cr
irrq'iry rca.rrirg act
.ccttr (2005)' llccall lltc lrt'cc-lrltss-accclcr'rtio,r
rciati,.slrir
that r.r,as clcvclorc
throtrgh class activitics ctrl'itg thc rvccli-lo'g
cxarrrlc abclvc. s 1c *,cck rr-
flcled' thc levcl of itlqttit'y rr'ts t'tiscrl liorrr
-u,triclccl
irquiry t. borrlrlccl irtl.ir.y rs
thc loots Of'coltt'tll
',vrs
shilccl lorlr 1hc tcachcr to thc s1tclcnt. As wc'lrirrg srrg-
gcsls' this nlocleI is bt ilt tlll thc
r'crniso that rhc lcvcr of i,-rquiry calr ariJ sho.lcl
grow with tlte sttrdcllt's tttastcty ol-thc conccrr ur' [rig irlca- Activitics
closigrccl
shotrlcl bc part of tlrc't'aiecu.,,'y
ut'irtrriry'lr'
l.wcr. I"u"l tn highcr. lcvcl. ligrrrc
I illtstratcs
what this lrlight lool< likc irr thc rvcck-lorg
stuclclrt expcr.iercc
clcscribccl
above.
Levels of lnquiry
and Scence
Literacy
llofbrc collsidet'ittg
this lc'cl ol'irrctrir'-v
lialrcwork
ir thc crcvcr.rrrcrrr
.r'a rrirjor.
ccltlcclI lll all acttlalclasst'oollt,
it is irnlrorlant
that wc consiclcr.thc
irrrp.r.rirrcc
ol'
varyirlg the lcvels ol'illqtt iry ill thc broaclcr co,tcxt of'a st.clcrt,s scicrcc cclrcatio,.
As tlre tll{'ilnatc goalol'a
scict.lcc cciucation ploglanr
is to pr.oclucc
scic'til.ically
li1-
el'ato yotlrtg
acltlts, it is irllporlant
that lvc rv|cstlc with wllat a scielrtif ically litcr.alc
yol-lllg
aclLrlt looks liko"l'hc pictttrc
ol-wha1 wc
'valr1
tlris crrcrgirrg acirrlt t, bccorrc
will shed light.rl both thc clcptlt ol'crrrtcrt
vcrsts brcairlh of'cortcrt
ciisctrssi.r,
as
r'vellas acldrcss thc ctlcstiotl that wc asl<ccl at tlrc lrcgirrning
of'rhis clrartcr..,Slro.lcl
allactivilics
l'el'lcct tltc sallte lovcl of-strrclcrrl
irrqtriry'/"
ln Ilrc last trvo clccaclcs, o.r
clcsc'iptiolt
tll'a sciclltil'ically
litc.atc slrdcrrt arcl
'cscarch
ir cur.r.ic,lrrrrr
clcsigrr
TLtblc 1' Irtquir'.y leurttiug
uc:riviric,s'ct,s.:'tci.rur
wi/h rrtr: /rtrcc irtquit..\: /aycr,s,t,ttr
I t'
|
) (.\ ( )
f i r t (
|
r t t..t' (.\.
|
) (
t. i (
t t (, (.\
l,r:vcl ol lrrqrrir.,
I
'lvrc
ol lrrqrrir..y
(trirlcrl
lltuirr
Iourrtlctl IrrquirI,
a
Orcn Inttrir r
I :xrlot irtiorr I xpcr crrccs
Intel lrclivc I )elolslr lrlllts
I )iscover_y I :xter irrrclts
,\rrl ictrl iorr {'lttrll.
ru.
\elr-l lt.l l(esr;lelr l,r,,js,,, ( )r!(it_
l:xpcr irrrcl]t
Lr:arnirrg,\cf
ivit.l'
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
Figure I. Incluiry aclittities grow
/rom
o lower level to ct
the developrnent of the concepl
lnquiry Experiences
Used to Develop Big ldea
@
l-t"t*=.ti* I
I
Demonstration
I
@
@
have shifted our focus from breadth to depth ancl fi'onr iustrLrctioual stlategies that
support coverage to those that support inquiry (Nelson, 1999). However, nrany of
us still feel we have a long way to go in bLrilcling inquiry activities that support this
ultirnate goal. Regard less of exactly what you believe a scientifically literate student
looks like, nrost agree that inquiry nrust play a signifcant role in producing young
adults that can study the world around them as scientists do.
Just as inquiry is fundanrental in supporting science literacy skills, varying the
levels of inquiry is essential in the developnrerrt of the continuurn of these skills.
Wenning supports this by suggesting that the level of the science litelacy skillthat
can be addressed will grow as the level of inqu iry-oriented experience grows (2005).
While Table 5 is not rnearrt to be comprehensive, it does illustrate the scientific
literacy skills associated with each type of irrquiry activity outlined in Table 4. As
we seek to develop this scope of literacy skills in stuclents, each level of inquiry is
necessary to acconrplish this task.
Although scientific literacy cloes involve arr understarrding of important corrcepts
such as cell functions, chernical boncling, plate tectonics, and Newton's second law,
scientific literacy is much nrore. lt is also a way of thirrking, of asking questious
and of knowing how to fincl-answers to those questions. Our charge as teachers is
to develop in students these intellectual processes by helping thern to uncover the
ideas ancl principles that govenr this world. For sure, the developnlent of scientifi-
cally literate yourg adults is no snrall task, yet we are able to srppofi the develop-
nlent of science litelacy skills by varying the level of inquiry that we use in the
c lassloorn.
9
higher leteI througltout
tv
t-
t;
t!
l.
lr
l
lr
lo
l<
tg
le
t-
t=
l-
l=
l=
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
Thble 5. ScienliJic lilerttc', skill,s tts,socicttel willt cuch tylte o.f inr1uir.., (tL'tt,ity
lx plorlfiorr
lix pcricrrcc
.
Obscrvirrg
.
lslirrrating
'l)rutlir:iirrg
.
u^lassill,ing
llcsLlts
.
QLrcstiorring
I tcractivc
l)c nr ons tra tion
.
Itlcrrtilyirrg
Vtr itrlcs
' f)csur ibirrg l.eltr-
tiorrships Ilctu,cclt
Vrriablcs
.
IJsirrg
'l
echrrol-
ogy arrd Matlr
Skills Nccessary to
r\dtlrcss
QLrcstiolrs
l)iscovcry
l,)r pcriru cn ts
.
l)csigning alrd
Conductirrg Scicn-
ti lir: lnvcstigutiorrs
'Corrtrollirrg
Vu iatllcs
.
Organizing l)atir
& Constr uctirrg
C rurlrs
.
l:stublishing
lrnpir icll Mode ls
llascrl orr Iivirlclrcc
.
Conrnruniorrting
arrd I)cfndirrg a
Scicntilc rgLr-
rtot[
THE INQUIRY EXPERIENCE IN MY CLASSROOM
While the types of inqtriry activties illustrated in the week-long exalnplc abovc are
llot conl pleletlsive, they do represent learn ing experiences that students can have at
different levels of irrquily. Let's take adeepel look atthesc foul inquiry experienccs
and consider ftlrther why eaoh is an inrportant part of a stude ltt's learning tra.iectory
in the clevelopment o1'a nrajol concept or big idea.
Exploration Experience
ln his article, School.s as Incluiry, Steve Wolk reminds us tht nrost stuclets will
llot grow tlp to be an Einsteill or Thoreau, but tlrey cat (altcl should!) lrave tlre saltrc
awe ald woncler about the worlcl around thenr (Wolk, 2008). The lives and intolcsts
of Einste in and Thoreau may have been vely clif'f'erent, yet the ir questions wcrc not
drivelt by a teacher's requirenrent or by a final cxatn, but by qucstions fi'oul within.
That wottclel'ald passion is what nloved Edison to cl'eate the light bulb, Fleming
to cliscover penicillin, and NASAto send an astronaut to the n.roolr. And tlris sarne
wonder shoulci drive leanlirg in our classroonls.
FIow do we lster this wonder'? We begin by creating an envirour.nent ofrexplora-
tiott wllel'e studellts rc encouraged to experir1crt and ask questions. Stucle nts neccl
tilrle to play. It is this playlirlness that drives thc three year olcl to ask "why," ancl it
is that sante playfrlness that drives the graduate stucleltt to dreanl and cliscove I ncw
'10
Applicatiorr
Clr:rllcngcs
. (cttcratirrg
l)rcrl ictiorrs througlr
l)crluction
.
I ntcr
rolating/
I x(r arolatirrg l orn
I)rtr
.
Dctcr rninilg
lxpcrirncrrtal Corr-
ditiorrs that rvoLlrl
f'rodLrcc Spcci lic
llosu l ts
.
Crcatirrg a
I)rocluct folr
Ncrvly Devclorcd
U nclcr starrd ing
Lorv e l,c.r,cl ol'lrrquir, * Iligh
l,ou'* l)cpth ol'Scicntilic l,itcruc,Skill + llifh
Opcn Irrquirv
' Itlcltti l)'irg l>;-
lcnrs to lrrvcstigatc
'ttal'z1g 5.'.,'-
tilc Argrrrncrrts
.
livrlurtc the Mcr-
its ol'SolLltiolrs to
Corttrlcx lssrrcs
Using Levels of lnguiry in the Classroom
techniques for irradiating cancer cells. While some may argue that spending time
on exploratiorr experiences is not the most efcient use of valuable class time in a
curriculum already burdened with a wide range of important topics and engaging
learning experiences, it is here that students are reminded ofthe importance of won-
dering about the world around them. In this first level of our inquiry model, we find
the teacher ctsks the initial questions and the leacher also provides the specific tasks
lo pedorm, but the students are given lhe opportunity to draw their own conclusions
and perhaps begin to develop their own sets of questions in the process.It is here
that the teacher sets the stage for learning, giving her students a reason to want to
study the world that has intrigued her. And while such exploration activities will
acquaint students with some of the concepts and tools of the big idea that is ahead
of them, perhaps the greatest reason to give time to this structured play is to allow
the observation, to seed student questiorrs over the days to come.
How might our physical classroom environment foster such curiosity? Set foot
in research laboratories around the country and you will know that you are in a
research facility and not a classroom. Of course the purpose of these facilities is
quite different from that of the science classroom. Or is it? Both seek to uncover
lrow nature works, both seek to train individuals in learning how to use the tools
of science to understand how the world works, and both do so in a collaborative
way that involves understanding and then communicating ideas. While we should
not necessarily rid our classrooms of demo tables and marker boards, our class-
rooms could look more like inquiry factories than they often do. V/e could replace
desks with tables which foster collaboration and allow for short investigations, we
could allow for flexible spaces that encourage inquiry learning centers to be set up
throughout the entire classroom, and we can build in technology in ways that allow
students to reach for the computer, a microscope, or a probe in the way that they are
accustomed to reaching for a pencil and a notebook. The flexibility of the inquiry
classroom creates an environment that looks more like a laboratory at a research
facility than a lecture hall at the local college.
I nteractive Demonstration
Teachers can take advantage ofthe questions generated by students in addition to
the questions tlrat they have already begun to explore as they frame the next level
of inquiry, the interactive demonstration. This next inquiry stage centers around a
set of carefully planned demonstrations in which the teacher prepares her students
with skills, strategies, and teclrniques that will help them as they understand both
tlre concept at hand as well as develop an inquiry framework for its study. Here
the teacher has asked the questions and, through guided inquiry, has helped the
students think through how these queslions might be answered. The interactive
11
Using Levets of lnquiry in the Classroottt
dctllollsl'atiol is r.r,hcrc thc
(cachcr'r
lso inlxrdrrccs stuclcnls to tcchrriclrrcs srrclr as
horv to ttsc a
lticcc
ol'cc1Lt irtncnl or a sofn,arc
lllogr'ur
llrcy lvill cr.rcotrrtcr. lrtcr.ir
tltc tvccl, httw to coltttrrl variablcs in an cxrclinrcnt, horv to clcciclc tlro ncccssur.,r,
lltltltbcl'of'clata
toirtts
to collcct. hor'r,to bcst collcct this clata ancl ol'garrizc it. anci
how ttl ittlcr'.rrcl the Itsnlls of-rl inrr'slir,1iort I il,:r-'1hc ntrstcl'rvlto lclllors; Icr.
yoLllg aplretlticc ilt tltc tcchnicttcs of'(hc tr'rrlc, hclc is rvhc'c thc tcachcl'corchcs
alrcl gLt idcs her sttlclctlts irt thc alt ancl scicncc of'hol crali.
'l'hcsc
clcnronstr.rtions
arc illtot'activc, howcvor'. l'hr: cfl'cctivc tcchcr sccks to unclclstancl thc nriscon-
cclltiotls ttl'hel'sttlclcltts thlorrgh thc usc of-a classloor.r lcsl)or'sc systcnr ancl tscs
cttestiolliltg stlatcgics to hclt thcnr rcflcct on tlteir orvlt ll.liscoltcclttiotrs in liglrt of'
thc clellloltstratior. It is also intclactivc in thc lrot that cvcn noviccs can lcar.n lonl
caoh othet'. Coltltcctiltg thc culiosity ancl conunt'rn cx'lclicncc of'thc cxploration
activity with thc tools ancl aprroach that will bc nccclccl lry stuclcnts as they scek to
cJiscovcr rt: laliortships ancl nrrkc conncctiorrs in thc cliscovcry cxrerinrcnts, is rvhrt
the interactive dcruonstratioll is lncant to do.
Discovery Experiments
llavillg develoltcd a sct of'cucsliorrs cillrcl frrnr thc intcr'rclivc clcnorrstr.a(io or
f'onl thc explot'aliotts at thc bcgirrning ol'thc rvcck, it is hclo that thc tcachcr bcsis
to say to hcl' sttlclcltts, "Now it is yoru'trrnl." Whcthcr thc class gcncl'utcs a sc1 of'
cttestiotls to invcstigatc ot'thc tcacltcr'
rrov
iclcs thc q ucstion. thc te achc'llow ass l cs
a coach illg rolc, as stuclcltts a t'o givcrr tlrc lcsrorrs iltility to clcsign tlrc i. orvlt rtr clhgcls
to irlvestigatc thc tLrcslion at ltancl. Many c1 iscovcry expcrirrrcnt cucsLions thal a
tcachcl r'vill pose can be oxrrcssocl in thc frnr. "l lorv clocs afl'cct_
_'?"
At this levol of irrquiry. lha lcuc'her tttu.t y: rt,s'kul lhc quc,s'litr, bLtl lha ;ludcttt,s.
dcvi,e lhcir ot't,tt
troc'edurc,:'
lo utts'tver lhc quc,sliou.
"l
Iorv ntany clata poilrts rvill
we collect'/ I low will wc control our valiablcs? I Iorv will wc organiz-c otrr clata allci
t'cstl lts?" tlc llow tltc cLtcstiorrs tlrrt stuclcltts ntrrst ask allcl answcr lbl.tltclnsclycs.
'l'he
sk ills that wcre nlocle lccl lr' stuclcnts cltrirrg thc irrt<ract ivc clcrnonstr.at ioirs ha vc
tlow bccotlrc tlte t'csltctnsibility ol-tlrc stuclcrrts us tlrcy lnaltc rlccisions abotrt h<trv
tlrey will ccltldLlcl att invcstigation. lt is hcrc that sttrclcnts bc-{in 1o'clcl scicncc'i
ways that rescltrble how sciclttists r,volli.
As sLtltlcltts cxplorc, intcract tl,ith. urcl cliscovcl icleas in thc olassloonr, thcy ncccl
tO usc the tools ol'soicntists. .lus1 ovor a clccaclc ago. thc Anrcricar Associatiorr lbr-
the Advaltcctreltt of Scicncc. thc National Scicncc'leachcls Association. arrcl thc
Natiollal Acaclcnry ol'scienoos.jointly rcaflilnrccl their bclicl'that. "tlll'cotivc ccl-
catiolt lr sciettcc lilclacy lcclrrilcs thrt stuclonts bc activcly involvccl in cxrlorinu
tlatLtrc ill ways that l'csclttblc horv scicntists wol'k" ( 1999,
t.
l). Oltc srrch t<tol uscrl
by scicrrtists is tho labolatoly.iotrrnal. Sroncl any turrotrrrtof'tinlc irr lcsca'ch lrcilitics
12
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
and laboratories around the r,vorld and you will fincl scientists keeping a recorcl of
their work in a laboratory joulnal. While sonle corrtinue to use paper cotnposition
books, nrany otlrers have tlansitionecl to online.jourrraling tools. There r'e nlany
exanrples of what these.iouruals nright look like and how tlrey rnight be used at
sciencenotebooks.org. Regarcl less of tlre type ol'-journal used, this irlportant tool
is a sinrple way to enrbark on a.iourrrey of inquiry as scientists do. The-jounral is a
tool that allows stuclents to clecicle how to organize data, present results, ancl how
to write about their process.
While Wheeler; executive director of the National Science Teachers Associa-
tiou, suggests that good teaclrels provide envirorrmerrts that foster wonder, he also
suggests, "Cood teachers work with children to 'rlake sense'of what they find and
construct argurnerlts that seenr corrvincing to otlrers" (2000, p, | 6). Beyond the sec-
tions of prescribed lab report forrlats, we rreecl to provide students with a franrework
in which they write conclusions and nrake clainrs based on evidence. A simple but
helpful literacy strategy taken fronr tlre work of Cerrtury is one which plovides such
a frarnework for helping students nlake eviclence-based argunrerrts (2002). While
nrany teachers have used this frarnework as a folnrat with which students can write
couclusions for their laboratory write-ups, this tool is powerful in providing a stnrc-
ture with which evidence-based explanations can also be made in class cliscussion
or any scientific writing. Sinrply put, the strategy asks stuclents to nrake a clairl,
provide evidence to support their claim, and then to offer reasorting as to why this
evidence (ancl othel ideas that have been learned) supports the claim that is begirr
made. Figule 2 outlines each of these pafts of an eviclencecl-based argunrent.
In this claim-evidence-reason frarrewolk, students consider how the data they
have collected addresses the question they seek to arrswer. Whether it be writing a
laboratory conclusion for a cliscovery experirnent that has been assigned or making
scientific argunrer'ts in class discussiorrs, this franrework guides students to nrake
evidence-based argurnents as they think, write, arrcl speak about what they have
learned.
Application Challenge
Whereas the discovery experinrent seeks to urlcover a relationship that exists, the
application challenge seeks to apply this relationship in a new situation. l-ike the
d iscovery experirnerrt, the app lication challenge is an irrqu iry experience in wh ich
leocher n?oy pre.\eul the rueslion or chollenge, but leove.s the process and solution
lo lhe studenl.r. Consider challenges suclr as laurrching a projectile to hit a target, or
identifyirrg an rnknowrr substance frorn a set of rnany possibilities, ordesigning and
building the nlost efiicient calorinleter'. Strclents have now had the opportunity to
13
lJsing Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
liigttt'c 2.
'l'hc
cluint, evirlcnc'c, und rcusortittlJ ,\'/ulctLtctrl,\ ,\'arrc os tlte..fizrttrctvork
fi
tr nt u k i n g c v i d c tt c e - b t t,s c rl u r gu r n e rr l,s'
Make a claim related to the question or problem
.
cl inr s i:errri ci understanding cr belief a;crri ;
p rErc:ritr.r esuiis an irtrs:gal(:ft. ::- ai;c:l ,--:hr la:,
.
f i ii\.'siigatlc,r ha: lncle-'eir11li il Je,trlrt y;r laLl:, ::l-'l
tite lain'cl i :-iatd s a cause nl effect.
Provide evidence for the claim
.
a\,/ialetr can be data, observations, research ci :it.s
o\:rhr
!:csslble. i:r;l;,raij:is ehc|liil itr multiple pieces c: tlata
s e'i cl l'c ,
.
J l r',.rs l;e in t e rp ret ed, t Lr sir'lr illv
.ps
,:e cl.
Provide reasonins that links the evidence to the claim
.
ieesr:'rirrq
.e
llri
ies re;atirig accepted u n derstandin g5 ;it !,Jla
ic;'.,h'.
Tc:r
;re rarnir'rg lirr n':l:,-
.Rsriq in\,be tirlrrgirl cf as .: bridge totrec:i.'ig rlCeriie tc
a tlan:
cliscovor the re lationslrips that r:xist and the techniqLres that can be Lrsecl; row tlley
must be applied throLtgh a challenge .
BRINGING LEVELS OF INQUIRY TO YOUR CLASSROOM
'l'he
plactice ol'dcvcloping varying levels ol'inqu iry activ ities is the resu lt o f'thought-
frl plaltning.'While we want our students to constluct thcir own undcrstancling of
nlajot coltccpls n out course, no ore can Lndolcstirnatc the role olthe teachcr in
setting the stago for sucll lcarning to occur'.'l'he
lthysics
teachcr does not cxl)oct
Iter stuclcltts to uncover 400 yeals of'physics in two satesters without carofrlly
cleteltrining where thc class ne<:ds to larrd, how she will know that they allivod,
atlcl what activities will get thern therc. Nol should you. So whcre cloe s onc begirr in
creating such activities that support varying levels of irrquily'/ As nrany cr-rriculunl
clesign experts suggest, we begirr with big icleas.
14
Using
Levets of tnquiry in the Classroom
Designing
Activities
around Big ldeas
Many
,hands-on,
activities fall short of inquiry because they do not seek to explore
loiL
"ur,Cwolk,
200g). Ilaving students create a diorama of the solar system might
Ul-'unr-on,
but it falls short of inquiry questions such as, "\ilhat should our space
irorru'',
explore next?,, or,,could life exist outside of our planet?" we sould not
staft
with the activities themselves;
we should start by asking the question' "vy'ltat
big ideas are wofth understanding?"
GrantWigginsalldJayMcTlre,autlrorsofUnderstandingbyDesign,have
helped
rnany teaclrers build curriculum throughthis "backward
design" model'
one of the fundamental beliefs of this model is that depth of understanding
is more
enduring
than breadtlr of understanding
(2006)' Wlrile the battle of 'coverage'
is a
rnajor challenge for many teaclrers at the high school and college level, the battle of
'pJtpourri
u.titi"r' is tlre dernise of some elementary
and mi
"urri.rlu.
Tomlinson and McTighe rernind us that engaging act
as long as the activities are prrrposefully focused on clear and im
p. 28)lRather
than leaving the outcomes of learning to a series
ihu,
"onl"
as a result of a collectiou of interestig
activities rela
and rather than atternpting to cover the breadth of concepts th
exemplary curriculum, bickwards design begi's with a set of essential
questions
tied t Ui! ideas and builds a curriculum and instructional
plan around them' This
upproacliis corsistent with the recommendations
of the American Academy for
the Advancernent
of Science's
project
2061 publication, Science
for
all Americans,
whichstates,"OnefundamentalpremiseofProject206listhattheschoolsdonot
need to be asked to teach more and more content, but rather to focus on what is
essential to science riteracy and to teacrr it more effectively"
(1990, p. xvi).
Toillustratehowtheselevelsofinquirycanbeappliedtoanactualclassrootn,
consider a physical science teacher who is seekirrg to develop the concept of den-
sity in the context of why things sink or float. "what determines
whether or not an
object will float?" is the Lssentlal question driving his work. In order to address this
question, lre sets out to build an exploration
experience, an interactive demonstra-
tion, a discovery experiment, attd an application
challenge. Eachactivity enhances a
student's ability to address this essential question at a deeper level' Table 6 illustrates
how this physical science teacher built such activities'
Doeseveryessentialquestiotrrequiresuclrastructuredinquiryframeworkof
activities?
probably
'ot.
owever, by building a framework such as this, students
will not only grow in their understanding
of the big ideas as they tackle the essen-
tial questions, they will grow in their ability to approach problerns as scientists
through the inquirY
Process.
15
'l
t t h I c . )c.s' c' r i
I
t I i r t tr r tf t r c / i t; i I i a,s
e,s,s' <t tt I i t t I q tr e,s I i t t n
llig ltlcrr;
I'lssr:rr ti:r I
l't'pc 0l l ilqiltr-\,,,\ofiritv
l)rrsi(.\, is lr <rr:rrrf irv tlirr (lc(crrri.cs
r'llcthcr.
Qrrcstion: \l/htrl tlcf cl.ltrincs u hcthcl.ol. nol llt
I ixrlor rrtrol
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroon.t
lutill ttt t/i./laratrt laycl.s'o/ intltrir,.t ,\ul)l)ot./ utl
I nter rctivc I )crrrotst atirilt
I)iscovcry I :rrcr irncnL
Scvcritl lrrilti-invcstgitions arc streitrl irrotlrrl
briltl irlcls rvillr rvlrrl rrrir:.ht cirusc sirrliinl trrrtl
ccrl ol rlclsitv
rrl icatiorr ('hullclgc
Building Actual lnquiry Activities
As a l'illal step ill af)l)lyitlg this inqtriry
l)ra(lignr
to an actral classr.oonl. oonsdor
ollco agaill the
llhysical
scicttoc toachcr r,vho is sccking to holt his stLclc1s (lcr.-
stallcl thc oollcollt ol'clclrsity sLr'r'ourclirg tlrc csscnlial cltcstion, "Whirt clctcnrincs
whetltcr'ol rrot arl ob.icct will llot'/" What nright thcsc acttral activilics loli likc,/
'l'hc
teachcr scts orrl to tlcvclor thc acttral irrcuily activity lrr.croh of'thc lr.irr-
c1 tr ily lcvcls closclibccl.
llxrlortiolt I'xtcl'ieltccs. As hc scol(s to cngagc his stuclcnts in trnclcr.stacl ig
why sonlc ob.iccts silllts allcl othols lloat, thc
rhysical
sciclrcc tcachcr.cr.catcs a scr.ios
of'tasks ald corroslxlrrclirtg cttcstions cl ircctl-y rclalccl to wlral hc wurts strclcnls to
know, ttlltlct'stallcl. arlcl bc ablc to ilo. Ilc bt ilcls a sct of'nrini-invcstigations llrrt ar.c
placccl a11)Llll(l thc Ioonr thr1 rvill allor'r, llis sltrclcnls to cxplor.c this big iclcr.'lirblc 7
stllll Illal'iz.cs thc ta sls alltl clLtcstions that stuclcn ts rv ill cncou n tcl at frrrr.o f'tlrc stat ions.
lror this
llarl.ictrlal
irctivity. thc lcaclrcls has plintccl ancl
xrstcd
thcso lasl,.s acl
clttestiolts at cach slatiolt. Ile aslis sttrclcrrls to lccolcl thcil rcsronscs rs lab gr.or.rl)s
irr a Googlo l)ocs lirrlll that hc can vicrv pliur to thc rrcxt clay's class to scc rvhrl
sttclcllts r've|c tltirlltirtg ancl to scc if'thoy alc irlrcacly llniliar. r,r,itlr thc conccpl ef'
clcns it,.
I lt tcrtctivc l)clltollstralion. W h ile rcljrrst ing h is lcsson
rlans
basccl on thc stLclcr t
I'csllollscs. lltc tcachcr tscs thc roxt (lay's
intclactivc rlclltolstration to clcvclot a
rosoll fbl'thc oollcc[)t of'clorrsity ancl tltinlatcly thc clcvclt)[)ntor]t of'a r-L lc as te 11,lry
stllllc ob.iccts [ltla1 u'hilc othct's sinlt. []sing a classnronr lcs[)orso systcr arrcl o1 hcr-
ways to activcly cllgagc sttclcllts.'lltrlc t illrrslr'atcs an ovcrvicw ol'his lcsse plas
16
Srccilic,\ctivitv
A llltclllctivc elitss tliscttssiort ccnlcrccl ilountl rvlttl tlelcl nrirrcs rvllctltel llt
rtlliccL I'ill sillli rll llrrltl tcstrltirtt.r in irr Lrrrlerstlrtlingol tlrc inrrortrrccol'tc
concclt ol'tlcrrsitv
r)r'no( in olljccl u,ill lkraf
ohjcct u'ill llout?
A strde't-tlcsignctl irrvcstiql(i.rr ir r'hicir stu(lcrts irs\rer.lle rIlcsti()r_
''whirt
l)crccrtirsc.l ir icc c.trc is srllrrcgcrl rvhcrr loirtirrg irr rvirtcr,/"
r\ clirss chirllcrrgc to rl)l)ly thc tlcrrsitl, rcllrtirrnslril kr tlctcr rnirrc thc tlcrrsity of
a lrunrn beirrg irntl llttl ort il'lrulluts rlrtrrritlly silrk o loirl
lell) slu(lctts
[() tlc coD-
lJsing Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
tabte 7. De.scriptiou oJ',sctnrple explorotiott tctsks uncl cluestiorts useel lo uclclress the
concep I s of den,s i I y and,s in kin g(l ou I i rt g
Station l\{aterirls Studcnts n'ill fnd
:t thc Stnti<1il
A brlancc; trvo picccs of nrctal
ol idcntical nrass--onc a cube
and onc boat-shared; a snrall
aquariurn liIlcd \\'itl \\,atcr
2
A halancc: trvo balls ol'sinrilar
diarnotcr-onc solid stccl and
onc rvood that lloats; a rulcr;
a srnall aqLrariLrnl lillcd u,ith
\\,alcr
Expk-rration Ex pcricnccs
3
A Cartcsian ilivcr-a cappcd
trvo liter pop bottlc fllcd rvith
rvatcr rvith an cye droppcrs
rvhosc dcnsity is.just lcss tharr
that ol'\vrtcr
"You noticc t\vo picccs of'ntctal
tht havc idcntical nlasscs l)lacc
hoth ol'thcrrr irr s'ate r."
lhsk
l)ing pong ball and stccl ball
of'sinlilar dianrctcrl a rlish
llled rvith
rca
gravcl to a
depth grcatcr than that ol'thc
balls'diarncter
"Yor notice trvo balls (one nrctal
and onc rvootl) of idcntical dianl-
ctcr. l)lrcc both of'thcnl irr rvatcr "
4
"lclorc you is a devicc called a
Cartcsian diver. Wtlout tipping
thc bottle ursi<lc dorvrt. sce il'you
can nrakc thc c1,c drorrcr touoh thc
bottonl olthe bottlc "
Discovery Experiment. A qLrestioll is rlow posecl by the physical science
teacher that will require his students to design a method for frrding the clensity of
ice and to detellrine the percentage of ice that is subnrerged when tlte ice floats in
water. Here students will discover that folfloating objects, the percetttage of an
object that is subrrerged in water is equal to the density of that object. Students are
given the question, but it is their.iob to design the method as tley seek an answer.
Table 9 illLstrates the questiott posed by the teacher.
Application Challcnge. While some applcation challenges are done indiviclu-
ally or by snrall lab groups, the physical science teachers decides that this particL-
lar challenge is posed as a class challenge. The stLldents are asked to apply the
concepts they have stuclied durirrg the past days by working as a class to arrswer a
question posed by a student earlier in the week, "Do humarrs naturally float or sink?"
The class will spend one clay designiug their method to test this out ar.d one day to
actually collect clata for a student ill their class! Table l0 sunrnrarizes the class
generated question tltey are seeking to answer.
17
"WhY do
)/otl
strl)pose
one floats and onc
sinks?"
Qucstion
"You noticc a ping pong ball and
a rnetal ball olcqual size l)ut both
balls on thc surlicc ofthc
lca
gravcl. Casc /: Shakc thc dish back
and tbrth f'or scvcral sccontls and
obscrvc Cc.r 2: Norv puslt both
balls to thc bott()nr ol'thc colrlailtcrs
and shakc back and l'orth I'or scveral
scconds ancl obscrve."
"What do you observe
and rvhy do you surposc
this occLrs?"
"l-lorv can you cortrol
rvhether or not thc dver
is at thc top ol'thc bottle
or thc bottonr?"
"ls therc a gcncral rule
that can hc usecl to
cxrlain
,6
obscrvation
f'or hoth cases I artd 2?"
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
'lLtble
8. De,s'criplion o.f sutttple intcruc'live denttt,s'lruliott uctivlic,\', t1ue.slion,s, uttcl
engugctnent ttoll; tt,sccl to ucldrel;s the concepts ry' dens'ity trnrl s'inking/flouliug
Iu tcrrctivc I)ciltlrrst'utirr
l)iscrssiorr and tlcvcloptncnl
ol'coocl)t of'dcrrsity f ronr
ycstor (ly's r cslx)nsos
r\ctivity
s a class, dctcrrrirrc tlrc
rltsity ol rvater lly
rlottirr.r
its
ntass art<l voltrnlc
l)crronstr rtc horv to lin(l tlc
volLrrnc of ir r cgrrlarly shirrotl
ob.iccts
Qucstiorrs to Posc [Jsirrg
Clnssroonr llcsponsc Svstrlt
StLrdcnt grorrrs arc caclr as-
sigrrcd an ob.jcct (sonte silrk alrrl
sorrrc loat) alrd alc asketl kt
tlctcr rninc thc nrass ard volLlnl
ol'thcir ob.jcct anrl to plot its
nlttss an<l volrrnc coclr rlirrrlcs
on thc rvatcr graplr
' Itottt 1'51c1^t's exlora-
tiotts. r,hat clctcrlnircs if'an
objcct *,ill sirrk or lloat'l
.
Wh, <lo you sutroso all
tlcsc ponts lrll orr a lirrc'J
.
Wlrt tlo
1,ou
supposc thc
slorc ol'this linc rclcsclts'/
'Ihble
9. Descriptiort oJ'.sunttle discovery experntent que,\tion Lt.\e(l to ttcltlres:; the
cot?capt,\ of den,s'ity antl sinking(looIing
.
What do otr.jccts thirt lll
atrovc tlrc 'rvatcr lilrc'havc ilr
conilolt'?
.
What gclrcral rulc oorltl rvc
tpl)l), thlt rvoLlltl tl:tclnlinc il'r
ob.jcct sirrks or loats'J
I ntrractivc/lng.rging Sturlcrr ts
.
Stu(lcrts rcsrontl usirrg'clickcrs
.
StLr(lcnts rcsrontl using'clickcs
.
Stu(lcrts
llot
tlrc tlatil orr thcir
o*,rr graplrs, rvhilc thc (lati is
l)lottc(l
Lrsing a grarhirrg
lrograrrr
orr ttc
Sriu lt)oir (l
Qucstion l'osctl
Could such atl inqLriry l'anrework as thc ore dcscribecl above bc rscd in yoLrr
classloor? Would this Inodel provicle an opportunity lbr yollr studcnts to glow irr
their ability to participatc itt clee
rcr
irrcLrily as theil' unclerstanding ol"a giverr totic
grows? I have fotlnd this structure ol'irrquily to bc helpful irr rny own classroonl,
as it has allowed my students to gt'ow irr the "cloing" of scie nce as lhcy grow in thc
iclcas of thc cliscipline.
Thble 10. )escription rf',sanple ctpplicution chullenge det,akped by thc clct,\,\ to
o(ldress t he concepts o/' clen.sil-y crrttl s inking(loot itlg
.
StLrrlcrrts llrd lnass anrl volLntc
t'l'obiccls artl thcn
Phrt
tlre tlltlr
lloillt
orr thc gruplr
.
Stu(lcnts rcspurrtl usirrg'cliokcrs'
"What
l)crccntrgc of'an icc cutrc is sUtrnrcrgcd rvhcrr t lloats it \vtcl'J"
l)iscovcr, lxpcri nrcnt
r\trlication Challcrrgc
Clrss
(crcratctl
Qucstion
18
tJsing Levels of lnquiry in the Classroom
FINAL THOUGHTS
Although the trajectory of inquiry illustrated above-that is, moving from low
inquiry to high inquiry as a concept is being developed-is one of many possible
trajectories, it has been chosen as a fi'anrework that affords students the opportunity
to grow in the scientific inquiry process as their level of conceptual understanding
and comfoft with the scientific tools deepens. Such a hierarchical inquiry paradigm
rnodels Bloom's taxonony, supports a big idea focus, provides teachers a helpful
framework upon which inquiry activities can be built, and most importantly, works
for students.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to tlrank my wife and children for supporting me in countless hours of
teaching arrd writing about the learning of science. I thank physics teachers Scott
Welty and John Miller for mentoring me in inquiry teaching, Lois
rWolfson
and John
Lewis for editing and proof reading this chapter, and to all rny colleagues at Glen-
brook South High Sclrool for clrallenging me to be a better teacher and instructional
leader. And as Isaac Newton once said, "It was God's glory to conceal and man's
duty to discover the order and regularity of the world," I want to thank my God for
the opportunity to ask questions of, explore, and discover the world around us that
is capable of being understood.
REFERENCES
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1990). Science
for
all
Antericans. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Arnerican Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993). Benchmarks
for
science literacy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Arclrer, A.L., &. Hughes, C. A. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and eficient
teaching. New York, NY: Guilford Publications.
Century, J. R., Flynn, J., Makang, D. S., Pasquate, M., Robblee, K., Winokur, J.,
& Worth, K. (2002). Supporting the science-literacy connection. In Bybee, R. V/.
(Ed.), Learning Science and the Science of Learning. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.
Fay, M. 8, &Bretz, S. L. (2008). Structuring levels of inquiry in your classroom.
Science Tacher (Normal, Ill.), 75(5), 3842.
19
Using Levels of lnquiry in the Classroont
Ilct't'on, M. l). (1971).'l'hc rturc ol'scicntilc incuir',y.
'l'1rc
St:hool ll.cviatr,79(2.).
ll l 212. cloi: 10.l0t(r/44296u
Nclson,
(i.
D. (1999). Scicncc litcrac, ll'all ilt thc 2l'' octtuly. tltlAS litlttc'utitn.
lctricved l'orn httr://,uv'"vw.pxr.jccl20(r I .olg/rtrblicirtions/articlcs/a't iclcs/ascrl.lrtnr.
'lbrrlinstlr,
C., & Mc'l'iglrc. .l. (2006). ltrlcgrtrliug tli,l/i'r'ctttiuterl ittstt'ttc'tiott <l un-
da r'l; I u n rl i n g lt.y c r,r'
t,,.
A lcxa ltcl ria, VA : A S(' t).
Wctrttittg, C. J. (2005). Levcls of intuily: lliclachies of'pcclagogical practiccs and
irrcuiry processcs. .Iottrnul rl l)h.1t,5'i-',5'luc'hcr litlut:cutirtt Online,2(3).3 Il.
Whceler'. Ci. F. (2000).'l'hc llrlcc frcos ol'inruily. ln Minstlcll. J.. & van 7,cc.l:..
ll. (Ecls.), Intlur'.\, inlo Itrquir.t [,currtirtgtuttl
'luchittg
itt,S<'icnc'e. NewY<trli, NY:
AAAS PLrblication.
Wolk. S. (2008). School as incuiry. l)hi l)cltu Kuttutt,90(2). ll5-122.
KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
Arrlicntion Chnllcngc: rr activity irr rvhich strclcnts arc askecl to alrrly a rc-
lationship that they ltavc lealncd to acconrplish r ncw clrallcnge or crcatc a urricuc
solution to a ploblern.
Cookllook: Plcscrilrtivc oxclciscs ploviclccl by thc tcaohcl that lccuirc nrininral
intcllcctual errgagcntcrrt olt thc palt ol'the stuc'lcltt.
l)iscovcry [xpcrirncn t: A stuclcnt-clcsigrrcd arrcl conclLrcted cxrcrirlcllt irr wh ich
thcy discover a rclationship that cxists bctwcon two ot' ulorc variablcs.
Bxplorntiort Exrclicncc: typc ol'iltrocltrctoly activity in which thc tcachcr
provides the task to pcllrnr ancl thc cLrestion to consiclcr whilc clrcouraging thc stt-
clcltt coltstrLrot possible arswors to [hc cucstion ancl to clovclop clucstions ol-his ovvlt.
lntuiry:'l'he pt'occss olasking clucstiorrs abou( natLrre ancl seekiltg answcls to
thosc c1 ucstion s tlr lough sc ieltti lc i nvcsti gat ion.
lrttcractivc Dcrttortstratiorr: A tcachcr-lccl clcnronstraLion ancl clisctrssion in
which tlte iltsLructor nlodels thc incltr ily proocss 1'or sttrclcnts while recuiring stuclcnt
palticipatiou.
WcbAssign: Alt online honrcrvorl< clclivery systenr available lrr Lrsc in nlath
arrcl scicnce classloonrs.
20