Scientific Inquiry
Scientific inquiry is an activity of students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world
National Science Education Standards
2002
Inquiry is best when student driven
- How do you get students to ask inquiry questions that lead to investigations?
- Do some of the ideas about inquiry seem idealistic? Do most students enter class with all sorts of questions? Is this realistic?
- One way to do this is to provide an example of a phenomenon and seek students’ input on how the phenomenon occurred.
- …then make them prove it through constructing questions, making inferences and observations, conducting investigation and use data driven evidence.
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TRAILS Scientific Inquiry Process
Scientific Inquiry Featured Lessons
Temporary Sanctuary
Lesson Overview: Lesson focuses on students learning about how sustainability, biomimicry, and architecture can work together to create innovative and ...
Riparian Zone Replacement Design
Lesson Overview: The students will explore the causes and effects of erosion and how a healthy riparian zone can work ...
Go With the Flow
Lesson Overview: Lesson focuses on students creating a working model of an ecological concept, the River Continuum Concept and demonstrating ...
This project is supported by the National Science Foundation, award # DRL – 2148781 (Purdue University) / 2148782 (University of Hawaii). Any opinions and findings expressed in this material are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF.