Chapter 4 Reflection (BH)

As inquirers, learners assume major responsibility for constructing their own knowledge and understanding. Teachers share in and facilitate this process, guiding children as they ask questions, conduct investigations, and use observational evidence and scientific knowledge to develop explanations and answer their questions. Models of instruction involves some arrangement of phases steps, actions, or decision points for teaching and learning. One of the earliest models of inquiry instruction in science was called the learning cycle. This was developed in the 1960s by a man name Robert Karplus. The learning cycle consists of three phases of instruction which is discovery, concept invention, and concept application. A more recent model is the 5-E model. We started to touch base in class what they were but I was not sure exactly what it was. This chapter gave me more insight on it. The 5-e model has five phases which consist of engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. The book then explains what each one is but I also found something interesting about the 5-e model. It also facilitates the implementation of the research based factors that influence learning with understanding which includes accessing prior knowledge(happens at the engage phase), scaffolding(happens at every phase), building learning communities(happens when preparing for lessons and throughout the phases), transfer(happens at the elaborate phase), and continual assessment(happens at every phase). I never knew that it also implements research based factors. I liked how in this chapter it explains the battery and bulb circuit activity with the 5-e model. I think i liked it because we just did it. Then to end the chapter it talked about guided discovery, textbooks, and direct instruction approaches to teaching science.

I found this chapter interesting because I really did not know much about the 5-e model. I was glad it showed us earlier on since we have to implement them in our thematic unit. It was very helpful. I believe that also after reading this chapter, my science teachers back in the day seemed to only use the textbook approach. I remember always reading from the book and doing the questions at the end of each chapter. I always thought that was how science was. I definitely like reading all the different activities that can be easily implemented in lessons.