How to Implement Scientific Inquiry in an In-Class Science Lesson
Unit Overview:
Topic(s) Covered:
- What is an "in-class" science lesson?
- How can a standard science lesson become inquiry-based in a K-5 in-class science lesson?
Learning Outcomes:
- You will be able to discuss ways to implement scientific inquiry into a K-5 in-class science lesson.
- You will be able to redesign a science lesson into a scientific inquiry lesson for a K-5 in-class science lesson.
- You will be able to show your understanding through a discussion about ways to change and incorporate scientific inquiry into a K-5 in-class science lesson.
- You will be able to discuss how your learning can apply to your current/future career.
What You Need to Succeed:
- A willingness to engage with content and expand your understanding.
- Familiarity with technology such as Google Jamboard (reflective discussion) and Google Docs (your lesson plan)
What is an "In-Class" Science Lesson?
An in-class science lesson would be defined as a standard class structure where science is taught for 45-60 minutes for multiple times throughout the week by their classroom teacher. When people are thinking of a science lesson, this is typically the format thought of for elementary students. This is more of the traditional format for science lessons. There are many benefits to this. Students can be reminded daily of their science learning, it is simple to make daily observations on experiments, and there are countless opportunities for cross-curricular learning.
One curricular resource that I have found helpful for incorporating scientific inquiry is Amplify Science. The website works to create standards-aligned scientific inquiry lessons for K-8 students. There are literacy connections within the curriculum and they push to have students engaging in the work of "real scientists." The lesson plans are about 45 minutes each and designed to be taught daily, which makes it ideal for the "in-class" science lesson learning environment.
How Can I Adapt a Science Lesson?
The first step in working with a science standard is first understanding what knowledge you want your students to walk away with. It is beneficial to think of it in a way that would make sense to your specific students. In an "in-class" science lesson, you have the benefit of being able to make daily connections between lessons. Students can be consistently reminded of their learning, if time runs out, the lesson can be resumed the following day, and if you see that your students aren't understanding something, you can work to resolve the misconceptions without impacting the lesson/curriculum schedule as much as other learning environments. When adapting a science standard to incorporate the pillars of scientific inquiry, you need to consider including a hands-on aspect, collaborative opportunities, ways for you as the teacher to facilitate, the type of inquiry you want to include, and the amount of student control within the lesson.
Let's say for example we're working with the standard: 4-PS3-1 Energy
Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
How can you simplify the language to match the students? One suggestion is, "I can prove that the speed of an object and it's energy are related." Then you need to figure out the level of inquiry that you want your students to be engaged in. Due to the fact that the learning of the standard could occur over multiple days, there can be multiple types of inquiry involved, both guided and open could be incorporated. For the hands-on aspect, students could be supplied with marbles to create and conduct their experiments. Students could collaborate with their peers in a group for both the driving questions and experiments. Students should be given as much control as possible throughout the course of the lessons. As the teacher, you should support students in their ideas and experiments, not defining what they are going to be figuring out.
Lesson Plan Example:
Day 1
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Driving Question: How do we get things to move?
Next Generation Science Standard: 4-PS3-1: Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
10 minutes: The teacher will open the lesson with a mini-lesson about energy. Students should be encouraged to create their own definitions of energy. Have students where they think energy is, what causes things to have energy etc. Students could be shown something like this graphic, (https://d3tt741pwxqwm0.cloudfront.net/WGBH/conv16/conv16-int-rollercoaster/index.html) which depicts the shift in energy of a roller coaster.
20 minutes: Provide students with supplies such as springs (like ones in pens), gears, wind-up toys that students can take apart, and anything else that works in the same way. Allow students to work with small groups to take apart and interact with the materials. Encourage students to write down any and all of the things that they are observing and learning about these materials.
15 minutes: Have all of the small groups share their learning from this lesson. Create a poster, or something similar, that keeps track of the ideas students are sharing. This should be displayed in the classroom where students can see it. As an exit ticket, have students interview anyone at home about what they know about energy and to bring their learned information into the next class.
Day 2
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Driving Question: Can we change the amount of energy something has?
Next Generation Science Standard: 4-PS3-1: Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
5 minutes: Remind students of their learning from the previous class and point to the poster. Have students share any information that they learned from their interviews.
5 minutes: Have students move into small groups of 4 students, either their choice or teacher choice, and inform them that they are going to be brainstorming ideas for what more they want to learn about energy. Students should be told that they are going to have access to the same materials as the first day, as well as, marbles, tennis balls, and any other supplies that can be found in the classroom.
30 minutes: Inform students that they are going to have access to research materials and that they are going to discuss their wonderings about energy. Have students collaborate with their small groups about their curiosities to come up with one driving question. Additionally, students should design an experiment that they could conduct within the classroom. If possible, give students access to books and computers so they can research their wonderings about energy. If students are struggling to create a question, they can utilize the driving question provided.
5 minutes: Students will wrap up their lesson by summarizing what they have learned, writing out their driving question, and writing out their experiment procedure.
Day 3
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Driving Question: Student-decided driving questions
Next Generation Science Standard: 4-PS3-1: Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
5 minutes: The teacher will inform the students that are going to get to test our and answer their driving questions. Have students get into their groups and get the materials from their supply lists.
35 minutes: Allow students to explore and engage with materials conducting their own tests about energy and speed. The teacher should go around the room and ask students about what they are doing and why. The teacher should be intentional in avoiding any attempts to change students' experiments or inform them if what they are doing is right or wrong.
5 minutes: Have students share out their answered questions and discuss the learning that they have conducted.
Let's Practice!
Now, it's your turn! You will have two choices in how you want to progress through this activity: choosing your own standard and adapting it or you can utilize the standard that I am providing for you. Some helpful reminders:
- Decide early on the level of inquiry you want to rewrite the lesson to have.
- Utilize the inquiry checklist.
- Remember that you are not going to be perfect at creating an inquiry-based lesson, but any steps in that direction are improvements.
Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS): 3-PS2-4 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.
If you would like, you can use the lesson plan template in order to write out your lesson plan. Otherwise, I recommend using a Google Doc in order to write out your lesson plan. Make sure to hit each part of the checklist and ensure that the lesson and language are age/grade appropriate. Do not expect perfection on your first attempt, try your best and use all your resources.
Show Me What You Know:
Reflect on your learning over this unit through a reflective Jamboard. On this Jamboard discuss:
- How you feel your lesson design went
- How your confidence surrounding scientific inquiry is
- Any other questions or comments.
*If you want feedback on your lesson plan, you can share it with me: nabradley000@gmail.com. This is not required, only if you would like to discuss it with me. You can also discuss any concerns or feedback desires in the Jamboard and connect with other learners.*
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
If you want to read more about Amplify Science, feel free to look over their website.
References:
Amplify. (2018a). Amplify science. https://amplify.com/programs/amplify-science/
Amplify. (2018b, September 12). Amplify science - K 5. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_miOZ0sBTI
NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.