Welcome to Island Ecology for

Educators!

“If we are going to save the environment, then we must save an endangered indicator species:

the child in nature.” ~ Richard Louv

Science Inquiry Lessons

How Do You Plan for the How Do You Plan for the Inquiry-Based Lessons for the classroom Inquiry-Based Lessons for the classroom

and beyond?and beyond?

Inquiry Lessons

• Key question: “What do I expect learners to understand and be able to do?”

• Identify central concept and lesson objective

• Doing focuses on developing and using essential science skills and attitudes

• Building the lessons begins with identifying the concept, skills and attitudes

Standards and Learning Objectives

• State and national standards in science reveal the essential concepts, skills and attitudes

• See links in syllabus.

Planning for Inquiry

• Learning Cycle Approach:

–Engagement–Exploration–Explanation–Expansion–Evaluation

ENGAGE

Raise questions and elicit responses from students to give you an idea of what

they already know

• How can I involve children in thinking like scientists?

• What types of engaging questions can be used to convey a sense of need, urgency and direction for the inquiry?

• How might children’s literature or other lessons motivate the need for or support an inquiry?

Essential Questions for Engagement

EXPLORE

Opportunities for students to work without direct instruction from the teacher; Students test predictions and try

alternatives

• What do you want children to learn? (concept)

• What main concept will be explored and later understood?

• What activities must children do to acquire the necessary information?

• How will I stimulate the learners to remain engaged in the processes of inquiry?

Essential Questions forExploration

Essential Questions forExploration

EXPLAIN

Encourage students to explain concepts in their own words;

Students should use observations and recordings in their explanations;

Ask for evidence and clarification of explanations

• What information must the students provide?

• How will I help my learners to review or summarize their findings?

• What type of “sentence starter” could I use to help my learners to write an operational definition for the concept?

• Why is the concept important?

Essential Questions forExplanation

Essential Questions forExplanation

ELABORATE/EXTEND

Apply concepts in new (but similar) situations;

Remind students of alternative explanations and to consider existing

data and evidence as they explore new situations

• How can the new concept be connected to prior lessons?

• How can I encourage my learners to use the concept in a new situation?, in ways that are important to them?

• What new experiences and concepts will learners need to help them expand on the lesson’s concept?

Essential Questions for

ExtendEssential Questions for

Extend

EVALUATE

Can take place throughout the lesson; Observe students’ knowledge and skills

application to new concepts and a change in thinking;

Ask open-ended questions and look for answers that use observation, evidence,

and previously accepted explanations

• What key questions can encourage deeper exploration?

• What questions and types of evaluation tasks can be used to help the learners connect the concept to others?

• How can I help learners to develop and strengthen essential science attitudes?

• Where can I best fit the processes of evaluation throughout the lesson in order to gauge the progress of my learners?

Essential Questions for

EvaluationEssential Questions for

Evaluation

Expansion phase:Teacher guides student

interactions in order to applyconcept and expand on

ideas and uses of science

Evaluation phase:

Can be formalor informalthroughout

cycle

Handouts…

Writing Objectives

• Students will be able to…..• KEY: are the objectives measurable?• For guidelines on writing objectives:http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/LP/LP_resources/lesson_objectives.htm

Examples of science lessons in the 5 E format below and on

sample Island Ecology Webpages:

http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/fellows/ullrich/webquest/ScienceLesson.html