Mentioned in the prior reading, inquiry methods parallel what real scientists do when they do science. This chapter explains what steps students of science specifically use to mimic this process of learning, i.e., observing, classifying, inferring, etc. These specific operations are easy to follow and anyone can engage in the procedures. They are systematic and clinical but at the same time your own input and observations are needed to complete the process.
You can take this methodical approach and apply it to all aspects of life. If you need to work out a problem in another facet of school, often it helps to look at it from a “scientific” point of view, or in other words, to be objective. Throughout childhood and adulthood, sometimes compartmentalizing or classifying complicated issues helps you to understand them more deeply. Systematically looking at a complex problem can assist in flushing out the “grey” areas and finding what is at the heart of a matter.
Additionally, collecting, organizing, recording, and reporting data is a great way to incorporate technology and the use of the computers in the classroom. Creating bar charts and graphs in an Excel program is an easy and fun activity for students (if you have the computers available.) The abundance of activities in elementary science is overwhelming and make it hard to choose just one to present. They seem not only enjoyable and entertaining but that also are a means to an end, a path to the “big idea” and a way to meet the prescribed standards and goals.
Nice reflection on the process skills of science. Indeed, these provide students with the opportunities to learn how to think! Refer back to these as you create your lesson plans.
ReplyDeleteThe second part of the chapter is important too. Refer back to the three types of inquiries mentioned. These will serve as a good reference point as you begin to envision your own science unit.