Inquiry Unpacked

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Inquiry Unpacked
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Write yourself a few notes.

• If you walked into a science classroom where a
  great learning experience was occurring, what
  would you see?

Best Practice Tips Get your audience involved
using their experiences. Provide written and oral
directions.
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Inquiry Unpacked

• What does inquiry look like in a science methods
  class?
• Why would you do inquiry?
• Whats so hard about inquiry-oriented teaching?
• Where do we go from here to emphasize learning
  science through inquiry in our methods classes?

Best Practice Tips Provide a roadmap to show
where you are going revisit.
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Review the science class cases.
Best Practice Tips Involve the audience, build
ownership of content.
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Discussion Questions

1. What are the steps in each?
2. How long does each take?
3. Which are teacher-centered, student-centered,
   hands-on, and inquiry?
4. Which is consistent with the nature of science?
5. Which is teaching for understanding?
6. Which would be the most fun for a student?
7. Which class do you want your student teachers to
   teach?

Best Practice Tips Guide individual discussion
to keep audience on topic.
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Lets imagine some science methods classes.
Celestial College Betelgeuse College Arcturus College

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Lets imagine some science methods classes.
Celestial College Betelgeuse College Arcturus College
The professor tells students about how to implement and manage hands-on activities and helps them find books containing activities and worksheets. Students are assigned to select and photocopy for their personal files their favorite activities and safety rules so that they will have a library of starting materials for their first teaching job.
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Lets imagine some science methods classes.
Celestial College Betelgeuse College Arcturus College
The professor tells students about how to implement and manage hands-on activities and helps them find books containing activities and worksheets. Students are assigned to select and photocopy for their personal files their favorite activities and safety rules so that they will have a library of starting materials for their first teaching job. The professor arranges a sequence of activities for students to conduct over the course of a semester so that students can see and participate as learners in as many activities as possible. Students are assigned to select their favorite three activities and write a reflection paper about what students are supposed to learn and how they will modify the activities for their own future classrooms.
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Lets imagine some science methods classes.
Celestial College Betelgeuse College Arcturus College
The professor tells students about how to implement and manage hands-on activities and helps them find books containing activities and worksheets. Students are assigned to select and photocopy for their personal files their favorite activities and safety rules so that they will have a library of starting materials for their first teaching job. The professor arranges a sequence of activities for students to conduct over the course of a semester so that students can see and participate as learners in as many activities as possible. Students are assigned to select their favorite three activities and write a reflection paper about what students are supposed to learn and how they will modify the activities for their own future classrooms. Students work in teams to identify the big ideas of their scientific discipline from their education standards and then determine what evidence their future students will need to provide in order to demonstrate deep understanding of the concepts. The professor provides students with a few model activities and students select, evaluate, and try out, which activities are most likely to result in their future students demonstrating understanding. The professor emphasizes to students the potential strengths and weaknesses of the approaches students select.
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Lets imagine some science methods classes.
Celestial College Betelgeuse College Arcturus College
The professor tells students about how to implement and manage hands-on activities and helps them find books containing activities and worksheets. Students are assigned to select and photocopy for their personal files their favorite activities and safety rules so that they will have a library of starting materials for their first teaching job. The professor arranges a sequence of activities for students to conduct over the course of a semester so that students can see and participate as learners in as many activities as possible. Students are assigned to select their favorite three activities and write a reflection paper about what students are supposed to learn and how they will modify the activities for their own future classrooms. Students work in teams to identify the big ideas of their scientific discipline from their education standards and then determine what evidence their future students will need to provide in order to demonstrate deep understanding of the concepts. The professor provides students with a few model activities and students select, evaluate, and try out, which activities are most likely to result in their future students demonstrating understanding. The professor emphasizes to students the potential strengths and weaknesses of the approaches students select.
Teaching Continuum
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Discussion Questions revisited

• What are the steps in each?
• How long does each take?
• Which are teacher-centered, student-centered,
  hands-on, and inquiry?
• Which is consistent with the nature of science?
• Which professor is teaching for understanding?
• Which would be the most fun to be in?
• Which case reflects your methods class?

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Inquiry Unpacked

• What does inquiry look like in a science methods
  class?
• Why would you do inquiry?
• Whats so hard about inquiry-oriented teaching?
• Where do we go from here to emphasize learning
  science through inquiry in our methods classes?

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What are the key components of inquiry?
Best Practice Tips Involve the audience.
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What are the key components of inquiry?

• Meaningful questions
• Collection and organization of data
• Analysis of data
• Interpretation of data
• Identification of new questions
• Communication of results

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Wiggle Words on Inquiry(questions without clean
answers)

• What is an inquiry question?
• Is an I wonder question the same as an
  hypothesis?
• What are data?
• A table of information I look up? Do I have to go
  measure and collect stuff myself?
• What is an analysis?
• Do I have to manipulate, calculate, or graph to
  make sense of my data?
• Is science a logical or a creative endeavor?

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What Are Some Misconceptions About Inquiry?
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Misconceptions about Inquiry

• Inquiry
• Is the only approach that should be taken to
  learning (24/7)
• Takes to much time
• Costs too much money
• Is too hard for students with low aptitudes
• Waters down the content
• Is too difficult for the teacher
• Causes the teacher to lose control
• Does not allow the teacher to answer any
  questions or participate in the process

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Inquiry Unpacked

• What does inquiry look like in a science methods
  class?
• Why would you do inquiry?
• Whats so hard about inquiry-oriented teaching?
• Where do we go from here to emphasize learning
  science through inquiry in our methods classes?

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Three Approaches to Teaching Science

• Teacher Centered
• Lecture/Teacher Talk
• Hands-on
• Confirmation Activity
• Learner Centered
• Structured Inquiry
• Guided Inquiry
• Open Inquiry

More student-centered
Methods Courses
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Three Approaches to Teaching Science

• Teacher Centered
• Lecture/Teacher Talk
• Hands-on
• Confirmation Activity
• Learner Centered
• Structured Inquiry
• Guided Inquiry
• Open Inquiry

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Three Approaches to Teaching Science

• Teacher Centered
• Lecture/Teacher Talk
• Hands-on
• Confirmation Activity
• Learner Centered
• Structured Inquiry
• Guided Inquiry
• Open Inquiry

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Three Approaches to Teaching Science

• Teacher Centered
• Lecture/Teacher Talk
• Hands-on
• Confirmation Activity
• Learner Centered
• Structured Inquiry
• Guided Inquiry
• Open Inquiry

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Three Approaches to Teaching Science

• Teacher Centered
• Lecture/Teacher Talk
• Hands-on
• Confirmation Activity
• Learner Centered
• Structured Inquiry
• Guided Inquiry
• Open Inquiry

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Inquiry Unpacked

• What does inquiry look like in a science methods
  class?
• Why would you do inquiry?
• Whats so hard about inquiry-oriented teaching?
• Where do we go from here to emphasize learning
  science through inquiry in our methods classes?

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Why Inquiry?

• Do students learn more doing inquiry?
• What about the high aptitude students?
• What about how I learned science?

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Why Inquiry?

• Allows more effective learning
• Involves students in the practice of science
• Engages students in the content
• Provides relevant examples of the concepts
• Empowers students to be responsible for their own
  learning and understanding
• Promotes cognitive and metacognitive skills
• Integrates different learning styles crosses
  disciplines
• Focuses on understanding and application rather
  than facts

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Inquiry Unpacked

• What does inquiry look like in a science methods
  class?
• Why would you do inquiry?
• Whats so hard about inquiry-oriented teaching?
• Where do we go from here to emphasize learning
  science through inquiry in our methods classes?

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Why is Inquiry Hard?

• Most future teachers
• Have not participated in research / the process
  of science
• Lack confidence in analytical and interpretative
  skills
• Feel that it places the locus of control out of
  their hands
• Have difficulty identifying a researchable
  question

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Why is Inquiry Hard?

• Most future teachers
• Have not participated in research / the process
  of science
• Lack confidence in analytical and interpretative
  skills
• Feel that it places the locus of control out of
  their hands
• Have difficulty identifying a researchable
  question

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Identifying a Researchable Question is Hard!

• Consider these inquiry questions proposed by
  studentsDo you think they would be fruitful and
  productive things for the student to investigate
  as a scientific inquiry? Why or why not?
• Where does lead come from?
• How does rainfall change over the course of the
  year in Hartford?
• Why does water freeze?
• How does the length of day change with latitude?
• What is the relationship between sunspot activity
  and average global temperature?
• What percentage of stars in the night sky are
  brighter than a magnitude of 2?
• What is the relationship between the length of
  day and the onset of color changes in leaves?
• Why are there more wildflowers in the spring?
• How many days are there in a year?

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What Makes a Good Inquiry Question?

• Often takes the form of
• How does the _____ change over time? or How
  does ____ compare with _____?
• What is the relationship between ___ and ___?
• Rarely answered with a yes or no
• Rarely begins with Why.
• These frequently require lots of relationship
  questions in order to arrive at a valid answer.
• Involves research and data analysis
• Indicates the type of data that will be
  collected, either directly or implicitly
• Note For real scientists (not fake ones), a
  good question often starts with I wonder what
  Ill see if I take a look at ______?

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What was your Inquiry experience?

• Share your ideas with small group
• Summarize the experiences of all participants.

Best Practice Tip Allow your audience to reflect
on what they have learned.
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Inquiry Unpacked

• What does inquiry look like in a science methods
  class?
• Why would you do inquiry?
• Whats so hard about inquiry-oriented teaching?
• Where do we go from here to emphasize learning
  science through inquiry in our methods classes?

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Examples

• Student inquiry projects
• Fish Count
• Snow 2
• Sunspot Activity

Foreshadowing You will do this after break!
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Salmon Migration at Bonneville Dam

• How does the number of salmon counted at
  Bonneville Dam vary over the course of the year?

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Data Source

• We used daily fish count data collected at
  Bonneville Dam by the Army Corps of Engineers,
  which we found at http//www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op
  /fishdata/home.asp.
• The site contains daily fish count data starting
  in 2000.
• We used 2006 data for our predictions, and also
  looked at trends since 2000.

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Bonneville Dam

• First of a series of locks and dams on the
  Columbia River
• Completed in 1937
• Electricity Generation and Flood Control
• Images Wikipedia (http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B
  onneville_Dam), Downloaded 12/13/06
• Spillway
  Fish Ladder

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Impact on Fish Population

• Before dam built, 16 million salmon per year
  migrated
• Today, five species of migratory fish are
  threatened or endangered
• Chinook salmon
• Chum salmon
• Coho salmon
• Steelhead
• Sockeye salmon

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Effects on Fish

• Stress on fish
• Some die trying to climb the ladder
• Opportunities for predators
• California Sea Lions
• Similar challenges on upstream dams

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Societal Issues

• Species protection and recovery
• Power generation
• Native American fishing rights
• Should some of the dams be breached?

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Bonneville Dam Fish Cam
Live Fish Cam (updated every 15 sec)
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Monthly Adult Fish Counts U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Bonneville - September 2006
Portland District
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Daily Adult Fish Counts (2006)
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Yearly Total Counts (2000-2006)
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March Monthly Totals (2000-2006)
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Daily Counts for Month of March (2006 7 yr Ave)
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Our Conclusion

• By analyzing the data, we determined that on
  March 13, 2007 there will be approximately
  20 Steelheads and 0-1 Chinook salmon
  counted at Bonneville Dam

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Future Predictions

• We can test our conclusions/theoryif we review
  the fish count data collected at Bonneville Dam
  on March 13, 2007, then the actual number of fish
  counted will be found.

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How much snow will have fallen in Bear Valley,
California in March by the 13th?

• By
• Steve McCue
• Dan Dingle

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Past Data Sets For March
Season Average 72.4 (inches)
86/87 63
85/86 66
84/85 133
83/84 36
82/83 168
81/82 208
80/81 83
79/80 67
78/79 68
77/78 89
76/77 40
75/76 52
74/75 120
73/74 99
72/73 70
71/72 7
70/71 33
69/70 38
68/69 21
Season Average 72.4 (inches)
05/06 165
04/05 135
03/04 17
02/03 26
01/02 73
00/01 33
99/00 39
98/99 51
97/98 61
96/97 6
95/96 61
94/95 179
93/94 10
92/93 34
91/92 42
90/91 217
89/90 38
88/89 87
87/88 18
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Graphed Version of March Snowfall
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The behavior and trends, or lack thereof, of our
phenomena

• Average snowfall for March since 1968-69 is 72.4
  inches (thats 183.9 cm).
• The most snow fell in the 1990-91 season, with
  217 inches (551 cm)
• The least snow fell in 1996-97 season, with 6
  inches (15.2 cm)
• Therefore, there can be very large deviations
  from the average at BV.
• We did notice, however, whenever there is a spike
  in the amount of snowfall, snowfall amounts
  plummeted over the next few seasons.

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Our Prediction

• Using our fine inquisitive minds, we noticed that
  the 05-06 season seems to be the top of a peak.
• Therefore, we believe snow levels this March will
  be quite low, approximately 40 inches (to
  accommodate the fact that we are looking at
  levels in mid-March, we will divide this
  predication in half, resulting in a prediction
  that 20 inches of snow will have fallen at BV by
  March 13th.

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vs. Excels Projections

• Using the fancy pants trend line function in
  Microsofts Excel program, we calculate an
  equation which approximates the trends within our
  data.
• We looks at three different trend lines
  (exponential, polynomial, and power).
• Plugging the value for this year in each of the
  three equations, Excels average prediction is 72
  inches for March, 2007 (or 36 inches by
  mid-March).

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Logarithmic Trendline
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Polynomial Trendline
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Power Trendline
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Man and machine coming together in a fine
snowfall predicting thingy

• Our prediction 20 inches
• Excels prediction 36 inches
• Average prediction 28 inches will have fallen
  at Bear Valley in the month of March by the 13th.

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SUNSPOTS

• How does the activity of Sun spots fluctuate?

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What are sunspots?

• Areas of the sun where increased magnetism
  creates higher pressure and lower temperatures at
  the surface
• A lower temperature inhibits the flow of gas from
  the Suns interior, creating the appearance of
  dark areas, or sunspots

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What do sunspots look like?
Source http//www.spaceweather.com/
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Why might the activity of sunspots be an
important study?

• Solar flares can disrupt power grids and radio
  transmissions
• Researchers have correlated sunspot activity to
  tree ring growth
• Possible affect on the Earths climate?
• The Little Ice Age of the late 1600s
• The Titanic
• El Nino and La Nina weather changes

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Data Source

• I used data compiled daily by the NOAA Space
  Environment Center website to calculate the
  average number of sunspots per month from the
  years 1996-2006
• This data is collected using the Boulder number,
  a formula devised by Rudolph Wolf in 1848, and
  one of several acceptable techniques used to
  count daily sunspot numbers

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Is sunspot activity determined by the Earths
relative position around the Sun, such that the
number of sunspots present correlate to the
months of the year?
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Evidence of Sunspot Activity
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More evidence
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And more evidence
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My Conclusion

• My analysis of the data concluded sunspot
  activity is not determined by the month (i.e.
  position of the Earths orbit relative to the
  Sun), but rather by the year. This is evidenced
  by sunspot activity reaching a peak in the year
  2000 and having since declined each year,
  opposite to the pattern seen from 1996-2000 when
  activity was increasing each year.

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Future Predictions

• If the sunspot number is between 0-20 on March
  13, 2007 (my actual prediction is 7.3 sunspots),
  then my conclusion of sunspots occurring in a
  cyclical activity pattern across years, rather
  than position around the Sun (monthly) will be
  further supported

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Todays Forecast
Sunspot Number 21
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Reflect on First Question.

• If you walked into a classroom where a great
  learning experience was occurring, what would you
  see?

Best Practice Tip Allow your audience to process
what they have learned.
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Resources

• Colburn, A.- What Teacher Educators Need to Know
  about Inquiry-Based Instruction
• http//www.csulb.edu/acolburn/AETS.htm
• Sources of Data

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Questions?
Best Practice Tips Allow time to clarify
discussion be responsive to audience.