Inquiry, Literacy, and the Learning Cycle Webinar 090910

Inquiry, Literacy, and the Learning Cycle

September 9, 2010Jessica Fries-GaitherTerry Shiverdecker

Beyond Penguins is funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0733024.

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What grade(s) do you teach?

A – Grades K-2B – Grades 3-5C – Grades 6-8D – Grades 9-12E - Other

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Inquiry, Literacy, and the Learning Cycle

Download these slides at:http://slidesha.re/learningcycle

Today’s presentersJessica Fries-GaitherEducation Resource Specialist

The Ohio State UniversityCollege of Education and Human EcologySchool of Teaching and Learning

fries-gaither.1@osu.edu

Terry ShiverdeckerScience Content Specialist

Ohio Resource CenterOhio State UniversityCollege of Education and Human EcologySchool of Teaching and Learning

tshiverdecker@ohiorc.org

About Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears

•Online magazine•Professional and instructional resources•Science and literacy integration•Aligned to national standards•Multimedia

http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org

Today’s Agenda• Inquiry: an overview• The Learning Cycle• Integrating science and literacy through an

inquiry-based learning cycle

What do you think about inquiry?

AGREE DISAGREE

Inquiry is asking the students a lot of questions.

Doing hands-on science is the same as doing inquiry.

Inquiry teaching is not chaotic –It is a carefully choreographed activity. Answer using the stamping tool

to the left of the whiteboard!

http://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/ESCARGotWeb/documents/MythsAboutInquiryBasedLearning.pdf

Testable questions

Question Characteristics

• encourage investigation

• examine natural phenomena

• rely on evidence-based responses

• relevant

• open-ended

257/365 Future ScientistKcolwell, Flickr

Testable questions

Question Types Meal Worm Examples

Attention-focusing What do you notice about the meal worm?

Measuring and counting How many legs does the meal worm have?

Comparison How is the adult beetle different from the meal worm? How is it alike?

Action What happens when the meal worm is moved into the light?

Problem-posing Can you find a way to illustrate the life cycle of a meal worm?

Reasoning How do insects benefit from having different life cycle stages?

Role of evidenceYou know it is inquiry if. . .

– Evidence is given priority when answering questions

– Explanations are evidence-based– Evidence is used to in logical arguments to

communicate findings

Evidence is an essential feature of inquiry!

Inquiry continuum

Inquiry and literacy“Inquiry is a multifaceted

activity that involves making observations; posing questions; examining books and other sources of information to see what is already known; planning investigations…proposing answers, explanations, and predictions; and communicating the results.”

National Science Education Standards. National Research Council, 1996

Get back to work!Robotkiss, Flickr

Let’s pause for questions from the audience….

How familiar are you with the learning cycle?

I can explain what it is to someone else.

I’ve heard or seen the term.

I have no idea!

Answer using the stamping tool to the left of the whiteboard!

The 5E Learning Cycle

http://www.ohiorc.org/pm/science/Sci_LearningCycle.aspx

Robert Karplus, 3 stage learning cycle, Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS)

Roger Bybee, 5 E learning cycle model, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS)

Additional models: 4E, 7E

Engage

• Set up motivating circumstances

• Access prior knowledge• Capture attention,

stimulate thinking• Instill a “need to know”

Explore

• Active involvement with science content

• Ask and investigate questions– Manipulate materials– Make observations– Keep records

• Science process standards

Explain

• Uncovering content– Guiding questions– Preconceptions

scientifically accurate conceptions

• Expertise emerging– Debriefing– Discussion– Reading & reflective

writing

Expand

• Deepen understanding– Real-world application– Unique situations– Identify new questions for

additional investigation

• Connect, apply, evaluate

Assess

• Ongoing• Embedded• Varied• Informs teacher and

students

• Learning within units• Flexibility• connecting content• building process skills

• making real-world connections

• supports interdisciplinary learning

• works well with students with diverse abilities

Doing ScienceRuthieki, Flickr

5Es in the Classroom

Let’s pause for questions from the audience….

Where do you see the potential for literacy integration?

Answer using the stamping tool to the left of the whiteboard!

– Connect text to hands-on experiences

– Use academic vocabulary– Authentic context– Focus on informational text– Teach literacy skills

Why integrate science and literacy?

Research shows that integrating science and literacy improves student achievement in both

areas!

Integration through the learning cycle

• Reading multigenre nonfiction text

• Writing in science notebooks• Participating in scientific

conversations

DSC_3761 Alexandratx, Flickr

Text in an inquiry learning cycle

Engage•Generate interest•Build or activate prior knowledge•Spark questions

•Narrative expository•Journal•Biography

Explore•Guide students in designing investigations•Classify organisms

•How-To•Field Guides

Text in an inquiry learning cycle

Explain•Develop understandings gained in inquiry•Mentor texts for representing data and communicating results

•Reference•Explanation

Expand•Generate new questions•Apply knowledge to real world situations•Connect knowledge

All genres

Science notebooks

Seven essential components:

•Question, problem, purpose•Prediction•Plan•Observations, Data, Charts, Graphs, Drawings, and Illustrations•Claims and Evidence•Conclusions•Reflection – Next Steps and New Questions

Scientific Discourse

What is scientific discourse?• Facilitates the use of scientific language• Present an evidence-based argument• Consider alternative explanations• Ask clarifying questions• Challenge evidence-based claims• Active listening

Scientific Discourse

How do I promote it in my classroom?• Modeling and teacher think-alouds• Sentence starters/prompts• Questioning prompts• Adequate time• Formative assessment and feedback loop

Like all skills, learning to communicate scientifically takes time to develop. Be patient and scaffold for success!

For More Information

The Learning Cyclehttp://www.ohiorc.org/pm/science/Sci_LearningCycle.aspx

Productive Questionshttp://www.maisk-6scienceinquiry.org/questions.htm

Klentschy, Michael. Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press, 2008.

Coming Soon!

Thursday, October 14, 2010: Beaks and Biomes: Integrating Science and Literacy

This life science unit uses scientific inquiry, literacy instruction, and a multigenre text set to examine adaptations, migration, and ecosystems. Leave with a unit framework you can directly incorporate into your classroom!

Presenters: Jessica Fries-Gaither and Terry Shiverdecker

http://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/BeyondPenguins/Seminars

Thank you!

Jessica Fries-Gaither: fries-gaither.1@osu.edu

Terry Shiverdecker: tshiverdecker@ohiorc.org

Today’s slides available at: http://slidesha.re/learningcycle

Archived recording at: http://wiki.nsdl.org/index.php/BeyondPenguins/Seminars