This document outlines the steps of an inquiry-based lesson on acids and bases for students. It describes the teacher and student activities at each phase, including: formulating a research question to guide the investigation; designing procedures to test the question; conducting the investigation and collecting data; drawing conclusions to answer the research question based on observations and a pH scale; and reflecting on learning. The goal is for students to discover through hands-on experimentation that litmus paper can indicate if a substance is an acid or base, and that stronger acids/bases change the paper's color more than weaker ones. The teacher acts as a facilitator while students take the lead in the scientific process.

2. The Core of Inquiry is
spontaneous and self-directed
exploration.

3. STEPS IN THE INQUIRY
METHOD
1. DEFINE THE TOPIC OR INTRODUCE THE
QUESTION.
2. GUIDE STUDENTS PLAN WHERE AND HOW
TO GATHER DATA, INFORMATION.
3. STUDENTS PRESENT FINDINGS THROUGH
GRAPH, CHARTS, POWERPOINT
PRESENTATION, MODELS, AND WRITING.

5. DISADVANTAGES
1.DOESN´T WORK FOR ALL SCIENCE
TOPICS.
REQUIRES MORE PLANNING,
PREPARATION, AND RESPONSIVENESS
FROM THE EDUCATORS.
2. EDUCATORS MUST BE SKILLED IN
HELPING STUDENTS LEARN THE ART OF
ASKING A GOOD QUESTION.

6. DISADVANTAGES
3.REQUIRES MORE CLASS TIME
4. MAY BE LESS ABLE TO MEET
GOALS OF STANDARDIZED TESTING

7. ADVANTAGES
1. INVESTIGATE PROCESSES SUCH AS
INFERRING , HYPOTHESIZING,
MEASURING, PREDICTING, CLASSIFYING,
ANALYZING, AND EXPERIMENTING
FORMULATING CONCLUSIONS AND
GENERALIZATIONS ARE EMPLOYED.
2.STUDENTS ARE TREATED AS
INDEPENDENT LEARNERS.

8. ADVANTAGES
3.CHILDREN ARE HIGHLY MOTIVATED TO
SEARCH, HENCE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IS THE
BEST INDICATOR OF INQUISITIVENESS.
4.ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE CAME FROM THE
GENUINE PRODUCT OF THEIR OWN EFFORTS.
5.FOCUSED QUESTIONS BEFORE, DURING AND
AFTER ARE CRITICAL INGREDIENTS THAT
PROVIDE DIRECTION AND SUSTAIN ACTION.

10. 1. TEACHERS MUST KEEP IN MIND
THAT THEIR ACT OF FACILITATING
SATISFIES INNATE CURIOSITY.
2.CHILDREN LEARN BEST BY
MANIPULATING AND CLOSELY
EXAMINING REAL OBJECTS.

11. 3. IT ALLOWS DEGREE OF
FREEDOM , DEVELOPS INITIATIVE
AND DIVERGENT THINKING.
4. SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY IS
DEVELOPED WHEN LEARNERS
ARE LEFT TO MANAGE ON THEIR
OWN LEARNING.

12. 5. EDUCATORS BELIEVE THAT FACTS AND
CONCEPTS THAT LEARNERS DISCOVER BY
THEMSELVES BECOME STORED AS PART
OF THEIR PERMANENT LEARNING.
6.EXPERIENCING SUCCESS IN INQUIRY-BASED
LESSONS BUILD UP THE LEARNERS’
FEELING OR CONFIDENCE.
7.PARTICIPATION IN INQUIRY ACTIVITIES
STRENGTHENS LEARNERS’ INTELLECTUAL
CAPABILITIES.

14. 1. ARRANGE IDEAL ROOM SETTING.
2. CHOOSE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
THAT ARE EASY TO MANIPULATE.
3. QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
SHOULD ORIGINATE FROM THE
LEARNERS, FOLLOWED BY THE
FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESIS.

15. 4. PROCEDURE SHOULD LIKEWISE BE
PLANNED BY THEM.
5.IT SHOULD BE EVALUATED
IMMEDIATELY.
6.TEACHERS SHOULD BE A FACILITATOR.

16. 4. PROCEDURE SHOULD LIKEWISE BE
PLANNED BY THEM.
5. IT SHOULD BE EVALUATED
IMMEDIATELY.
6. TEACHER SHOULD BE A FACILITATOR .

17. Sample Lesson of Inquiry
Method

18. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
FORMULATION OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION
TEACHER ACTIVITY
TEACHER BEGINS A GROUP DISCUSSION AND SCAFFOLDS
STUDENTS TO CONSIDER WHAT RESEARCH QUESTION WILL DRIVE
THE INVESTIGATIONS. THE TEACHER PUTS THE POSSIBLE
QUESTIONS ON THE BOARD AND REFINES THE QUESTIONS WITH
THE HELP OF THE STUDENTS. THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS SHOULD
RESEMBLE THE FOLLOWING:
1. HOW CAN WE TEST A SUBSTANCE TO SEE IF IT IS AN ACID OR A BASE?
2. HOW DO WE KNOW IF SOME SUBSTANCES ARE STRONGER ACIDS
OR BASES?

19. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
FORMULATION OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION
STUDENT ACTIVITY
STUDENTS PUT UP THEIR HANDS AND WHEN INSTRUCTED TO BY
THE TEACHER, GIVE THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT RESEARCH QUESTIONS
WILL REVOLVE AROUND THIS INVESTIGATION. THE STUDENTS USE
THEIR PRIOR LEARNING FROM THE PREVIOUS LESSON TO HELP
THEM ESTABLISH A RESEARCH QUESTION.
STUDENTS TAKE NOTE OF THE ACCEPTED RESEARCH
QUESTIONS IN THEIR LAB COPIES.

20. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
DESIGNING INVESTIGATION
TEACHER ACTIVITY
THE TEACHER SHOWS THE STUDENTS A NUMBER OF PIECES OF
APPARATUS AND SUBSTANCES (THESE INCLUDE EQUIPMENT THAT
CAN BE USED IN THE INVESTIGATIONS AND SOME “RED
HERRINGS”)THE TEACHER CIRCULATES AS THE STUDENTS ARE
DESIGNING THEIR INVESTIGATION
THE TEACHER THEN USING THE STUDENTS’ SUGGESTIONS WRITES
THE INVESTIGATIONS ON AN ACETATE SHOWN USING AN
OVERHEAD PROJECTOR. THE TEACHER CONFIRMS THE PROCEDURE
THAT WILL BE USED
THE TEACHER ASKS STUDENTS TO PUT ON THEIR LAB GOGGLES,
COATS AND GLOVES AND ADVISES STUDENTS TO BE CAREFUL AS
SOME OF THE SUBSTANCES CAN BE DANGEROUS.

21. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
DESIGNING INVESTIGATION
STUDENT ACTIVITY
STUDENTS LOOK AT THE APPARATUS AVAILABLE FOR THE
INVESTIGATION AND IN PAIRS WORK ON PROCEDURE TO TEST OUT
THE RESEARCH QUESTION. THEY PUT THIS SAMPLE PROCEDURE IN
THEIR LAB COPIES.
STUDENTS DISCUSS WITH THE TEACHER WHY THEY HAVE DECIDED
TO DO THE INVESTIGATION IN THE WAY THEY DID.
STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE DESIGN OF THE PROCEDURE AS
THE TEACHER PUTS IT ON THE OVERHEAD PROJECTOR.
THE STUDENTS PUT ON THE REQUIRED SAFETY GEAR AND LISTEN
TO THE TEACHER’S SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.

22. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
CONDUCTING INVESTIGATION
TEACHER ACTIVITY
THE TEACHER CIRCULATES AS THE STUDENTS CARRY OUT THE
INVESTIGATION AND PROBES THEIR THINKING AS THEY ARE
DOING THIS.
STUDENT ACTIVITY
STUDENTS CARRY OUT THE PROCEDURE IN THEIR PAIRS.
STUDENTS FIRST TEST A NUMBER OF SUBSTANCES WITH RED
PAPER AND THEN A NUMBER OF SUBSTANCES WITH BLUE PAPER.
STUDENTS THEN TEST THE SAME SUBSTANCES WITH THE WHITE
PAPER.

23. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
COLLECTING DATA
TEACHER ACTIVITY
AS THE STUDENTS COLLECT THE DATA THE TEACHER DISCUSSES
THE DATA WITH STUDENTS.
STUDENT ACTIVITY
STUDENTS MAKE OBSERVATIONS AND CHOSE THEIR OWN WAY OF
REPRESENTING THE DATA (I.E ON A TABLE OR PICTORIALLY). THE
MAIN OBSERVATIONS STUDENTS SHOULD NOT IS THAT RED PAPER
STAYS RED IN ACID AND TURNS BLUE IN A BASE AND VICE VERSA
WITH BLUE PAPER (BLUE PAPER TURNS RED IN ACID AND STAYS
BLUE IN A BASE). THEY SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT THE WHITE
PAPER TURNS A VARIETY OF COLOURS DEPENDING ON WHAT
SUBSTANCE IT IS PUT INTO.

24. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
DRAWING CONCLUSION
TEACHER ACTIVITY
THE TEACHER REVISITS THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND ASKS
STUDENTS TO USE THEIR DATA IN GROUPS TO ANSWER THESE
QUESTIONS.
THE TEACHER LEADS A DISCUSSION ON THE CONCLUSIONS. THE
TEACHER INFORMS THE STUDENTS THAT THE PAPER USED TO TEST
FOR AN ACID OR BASE IS LITMUS PAPER AND IS AN EXAMPLE OF
AN INDICATOR.
TEACHER ASKS THE STUDENTS TO DEFINE WHAT AN INDICATOR IS
BASED ON WHAT THEY HAVE OBSERVED.

25. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
DRAWING CONCLUSION
TEACHER ACTIVITY
THE TEACHER NOW LEADS A DISCUSSION ON WHAT THE
STUDENTS OBSERVED WHEN THEY USED THE OTHER PAPER. THE
TEACHER ASKS STUDENTS WHY THEY THINK THE PAPER CHANGES
DIFFERENT COLOURS IN DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES.
THE TEACHER NOW PUTS UP A POWERPOINT SLIDE OF A PH SCALE
AND ASKS STUDENTS TO NOW DRAW CONCLUSIONS USING THIS
SCALE.
THE TEACHER ASKS RANDOM STUDENTS TO SAY ONE NEW THING
THEY HAD LEARNED TODAY.

26. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
DRAWING CONCLUSION
TEACHER ACTIVITY
THE TEACHER THEN COLLECTS THE STUDENTS WORK AND WILL
OFFER THEM FEEDBACK IN THE NEXT LESSON.
THE TEACHER ENDS THE LESSON BY ASKING STUDENTS WHETHER
THEY THINK WATER IS AN ACID OR A BASE, THE TEACHER ADVISES
THAT THIS WILL BE COVERED IN THE NEXT LESSON.

27. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
DRAWING CONCLUSION
STUDENT ACTIVITY
STUDENTS DRAW CONCLUSIONS WHICH SHOULD REFLECT THE
FOLLOWING:
• RED OR BLUE PAPER CAN BE USED TO TEST WHETHER A
SUBSTANCE IS AN ACID OR A BASE AND IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN
INDICATOR
• THE WHITE PAPER TURNS DIFFERENT COLOURS WHEN
DROPPED IN DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES.

28. TOPIC: ACIDS AND BASES
DRAWING CONCLUSION
STUDENT ACTIVITY
STUDENTS LOOK AT THE SCALE AND SHOULD COME TO THE
CONCLUSION THAT A STRONG ACID IS A DIFFERENT COLOUR TO A
WEAK ACID AND A STRONG BASE IS A DIFFERENT COLOUR TO A
WEAK BASE.
THE STUDENTS TAKE NOTE OF THESE CONCLUSIONS .
STUDENTS ANSWER QUESTIONS WHEN ASKED BY THE TEACHER.

29. END
BRYAN KEVIN B. BOHOL
BIO SCIE 2P