This document provides information and guidance about teaching science using an inquiry-based approach. It begins by highlighting the importance of inquiry for engaging students in science and lists some benefits of using inquiry-based methods. It then provides an example of what an inquiry lesson might look like in an elementary classroom and describes how students generate and test hypotheses. The document also outlines the 5E model for lesson planning and includes an example of how it can be applied. It encourages self-study of inquiry approaches and shares a survey opportunity related to the content discussed.

1. WELCOME!
Please take and complete a survey form while you are waiting to begin.
There is a pile for the finished forms at my end of the table.
Please return them there before you leave.

2. THE CASE FOR INQUIRY
Adding Inquiry to Our Science Classrooms

3. TAKEN FROM FACEBOOK: WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS?.
.
“IT’S SUICIDAL TO CREATE A SOCIETY THAT DEPENDS ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN WHICH
NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.” –CARL SAGAN

4. OUR STUDENTS NEED INQUIRY!.
..
• In 4th grade, 66% of girls and 68% of boys think science is “cool.”
• By the 8th grade, twice as many boys as girls say they’d like to pursue a
career in science (American College of Education, 2013).
• Students are becoming less and less engaged in the science classroom as
they age.
• Research has shown that students gain more engagement when they are
cooperating with others and using scientific processes and tools (Farris-Berg,
2007).
• How do we give students the opportunity to work together and use scientific
processes and tools? Inquiry!
• It’s no wonder that CSUSA has a non-negotiable goal that 100% of science
classrooms will teach using inquiry.

5. WHAT DOES INQUIRY LOOK LIKE IN ACTION?
• Resource: “Inquiry in the Science Classroom” (Olson & Loucks-Horsley, 2000).
• How does Mrs. Graham’s class have choice in the way they learn?
• How do they generate and test their hypotheses?
• Do the students all learn content they will need to meet the standards?
• Does it matter that the timing is different from the teacher’s original plan?
• How brave do you think the teacher will need to be to let go of the reins and
step back into the role of facilitator?
• YES, students will need the teacher to start the year by showing the right
methods and modeling inquiry processes.
• YES, some lessons will still need to be teacher-centered instead of student-
centered.

6. SO, HOW DO I PLAN AN INQUIRY LESSON?
Use the 5Es* Method!
1. Engage: Introduce the topic in a manner that hooks the students.
2. Explore: Give the students time to explore materials that they will be
using, then work through your specific activity.
3. Explain: You or them? They should be able to reason how and why
their activity fits with their topic with modeling and practice.
4. Elaborate: Dig a little deeper! Journal, use scientific argument, or
research to learn more about the topic. This is their time to ask more
questions, and possibly even tweak the activity to learn more!
5. Evaluate: Students can evaluate their learning, and you can
evaluate to address misconceptions as well.
*Source: Enhancing Education, 2012

7. SAMPLE EXPLORE
SEGMENT
Primary Grades

8. SAMPLE INQUIRY LESSON– WEIGHING AIR: A GAS HAS MASS
When scientists want to learn more about an object, they observe using their five
senses. Sometimes, what we want to observe is invisible, so we need to make it
visible. This investigation will help us to know if air has any mass, which we can find
out by looking for its weight.
References
Hus, V. & Abersek, M. (2011). Questioning as a mediation tool for cognitive development in
early science teaching. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 10(1), 6-16.
Margolis, H., & McCabe, P. P. (2004). Self-Efficacy: A key to improving the motivation of
struggling learners. Clearing House, 77(6), 241-249.
National Research Council. (2007). Naïve biology. In R. A. Duschl, H. A. Schweingruber,
& A. W. Shouse, (Eds.), Taking science to school: Learning and teaching science in grades K-8 (pp. 66-69)
Washington, D.C.: The National Academies.
National Research Council. (2008). The properties of air. In S. Michaels, A. W. Shouse, & H. A.
Schweingruber (Eds.), Ready, set, science! Putting research to work in K-8 classrooms (pp. 72-75).
Washington, D.C.: The National Academies.
O'Shaughnessy, T. (2014). Cool Careers in environmental science. Retrieved from
https://srselearning.com/elearning/?mode=reader&ctype=book&cid=7
What do you know
about air? Find a
shoulder partner and
Time, Pair, Share. Now it’s time to get working!
Procedure:
1. Tape the empty balloons to the meter stick.
2. Try to balance the meter stick on your finger. Does it
balance?
3. Take one balloon off of the stick. Blow up the balloon
and tie it off.
4. Attach the filled balloon back to the meter stick.
5. Try to balance the meter stick again. What happened
this time?
6. Discuss with your partner: Why do you think the stick
wouldn’t balance?
7. Record in your science journal: Draw a diagram to
show what happened and write to explain.
Materials:
• Two balloons
• One meter stick
• Two 1.5 inch pieces of tape
• Science journals
Hot Scientist:
Inez Fung is a Climate
Scientist. She studies
patterns in the weather,
which involves the
changes in the air
around us. How might
knowing if air has mass
help
her in her work?

9. SAMPLE LESSON: PRIMARY GRADES
• In what ways did you need to work together with your partner?
• What scientific arguments (explaining how you came to a conclusion) did
you experience? Did your partner disagree? If so, how did you come to a
similar conclusion?
• Why would using the journal to make a diagram of the experiment help
students to reflect? Do you see merit in diagramming vs simply labeling a
diagram?
• What skills will your students need to be able to complete the lesson?

10. SELF-STUDY: DIG DEEPER INTO THE 5ES
• Resource: “Tread Lightly: The Truth about Science Friction” (Chessin, 2009).
• How does Ms. Chessin use the 5Es to help her students dig deeper and ask
their own questions about polar bears’ feet?
• What scientific (NOS) skills are the students using?
• Is the scientific content (declarative knowledge) taught together, or
separately from the scientific processes (procedural knowledge)?
• How do you think this is benefitting the student?
• Are the students self-directed or teacher-directed? Sometimes teachers may
use either method depending on the standard and activity.
• At what age do you think students would be able to complete an activity
like this? Why?

11. SURVEY OPPORTUNITY
•There will be a survey link of how well this PLC
worked e-mailed to you this afternoon.
•The first grade to complete the survey wins
FREE PANERA BAGEL BREAKFAST for Monday.
•PLEASE be sure you tell me your grade level so
that you’re counted!

12. REFERENCES
• American College of Education. (2013). Part 1- Sally Ride: The importance of science education.
Retrieved from: https://cluster19-
files.instructure.com/courses/1230860/files/47130347/course%20files/course-content/module-
content/video-files/scripts/sci5613-m1p1-script.pdf?
• Chessin, D. (2009). Tread lightly: The truth about science friction. Science Scope, National Science
Teachers Association, 92(2), 24-30.
• Enhancing Education. (2012). The 5 E's. Retrieved from:
http://enhancinged.wgbh.org/research/eeeee.html
• Farris-Berg, K. (2008). Inspiring the next generation of innovators: Students, parents and educators speak
up about science education, national findings on science education from Speak Up 2007. Reported and
contributed by Project Tomorrow and PASCO Scientific. Retrieved from:
http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/Inspiring_the_next_generation_of_innovators.pdf
• Olson, S., & Loucks-Horsley, S. (Eds.). (2000). Inquiry in the science classroom. In Inquiry and the National
Science Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. Washington, D.C.: Board on Science Education.