Inquiry and Creativity
By incorporating the inquiry model into today's classrooms, all students are allowed success and will become critical thinkers and problem solvers, not
just memorizers of information. There will be room allowed in each lesson for student's creativity, where their ideas are not only valued but critical to the
lesson. They will no longer be trained to passively listen, believe, and memorize whatever they're told or if they can't, fail. Inquiry “builds on the natural curiosity of all students, and hence is more motivational” (Lasley, Matczynski & Rowley).This is especially true for the students who often slip through the cracks, those who are not the first to know the 'right' answer. In this model, children are not simply receiving information. Children are presented with a phenomenon, something not easily explained. Then they're guided to analyze it, ask questions, and form hypotheses based on the answers. In these
lessons, students are observers, critical thinkers, and are encouraged to question. Teachers can focus on how to get classes to completely understand a concept and not just know the facts about it. Today students need to be able to adapt, to problem solve, to analyze what's happening, and to propose solutions. In the words of Gunter, Estes, and Schwab (1995), “Although it is true that those who succeed in school are often those who can remember the ‘correct’ answer, those who succeed in life are usually those who are willing to ask questions and search for solutions”
(Lasley, Matczynski & Rowley).
Guidelines for an Inquiry Lesson:
Phase I Discrepant Event and Confronting the Problem
Guided inquiry lessons begin by having the teacher create an even or present a problem, a phenomenon that isn't easily explained or seems contrary to
what you already believe. The more powerful the 'discrepant' event the better the student participation and the more powerful the outcome of the lesson.
Phase II Questioning and Data Gathering
Once students observed the event they asked questions about what they’ve observed and gather data. Questions should be yes/no style. It is helpful to record the information generated by students.
Phase III Experimenting and Generating Hypotheses
In this phase teachers have the students generalize the yes column information to create a logical explanation of what they see. They try to organize the information to formulate a hypotheses that can be supported by the data.
Phase IV Closure and formulating a Hypothesis
Once all the hypotheses have been generated and tested focus the students attention on eliminating hypotheses. Students should continue to check the data and consider each piece closely. The the teacher should conclude the lesson with several workable hypotheses
Phase V Analysis
At the completion of the lesson students should evaluate the data that helped them agree on and determine the valid hypotheses
Phase VI Extension
Once students have a working hypotheses and know the data that supports it the teacher can extend the students thinking perhaps by doing additional
research, other experiments or a creative project that would further ideas in the lesson. The natural interests of the students can be nurtured here as well as their creativity!
Websites and Resources for Teachers Wanting to try this Method
http://inquiry-based.com/lesson-plans.html
http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=inquiry-based&media=lesson&gclid=CK6JpvqA5rMCFcU-Mgod5DYA1Q
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiments
http://mullinshe.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/inquiry-based-math-lessons/
http://eduhawk.blogspot.com/2007/06/math-inquiry-tiered-lessons.html
By incorporating the inquiry model into today's classrooms, all students are allowed success and will become critical thinkers and problem solvers, not
just memorizers of information. There will be room allowed in each lesson for student's creativity, where their ideas are not only valued but critical to the
lesson. They will no longer be trained to passively listen, believe, and memorize whatever they're told or if they can't, fail. Inquiry “builds on the natural curiosity of all students, and hence is more motivational” (Lasley, Matczynski & Rowley).This is especially true for the students who often slip through the cracks, those who are not the first to know the 'right' answer. In this model, children are not simply receiving information. Children are presented with a phenomenon, something not easily explained. Then they're guided to analyze it, ask questions, and form hypotheses based on the answers. In these
lessons, students are observers, critical thinkers, and are encouraged to question. Teachers can focus on how to get classes to completely understand a concept and not just know the facts about it. Today students need to be able to adapt, to problem solve, to analyze what's happening, and to propose solutions. In the words of Gunter, Estes, and Schwab (1995), “Although it is true that those who succeed in school are often those who can remember the ‘correct’ answer, those who succeed in life are usually those who are willing to ask questions and search for solutions”
(Lasley, Matczynski & Rowley).
Guidelines for an Inquiry Lesson:
Phase I Discrepant Event and Confronting the Problem
Guided inquiry lessons begin by having the teacher create an even or present a problem, a phenomenon that isn't easily explained or seems contrary to
what you already believe. The more powerful the 'discrepant' event the better the student participation and the more powerful the outcome of the lesson.
Phase II Questioning and Data Gathering
Once students observed the event they asked questions about what they’ve observed and gather data. Questions should be yes/no style. It is helpful to record the information generated by students.
Phase III Experimenting and Generating Hypotheses
In this phase teachers have the students generalize the yes column information to create a logical explanation of what they see. They try to organize the information to formulate a hypotheses that can be supported by the data.
Phase IV Closure and formulating a Hypothesis
Once all the hypotheses have been generated and tested focus the students attention on eliminating hypotheses. Students should continue to check the data and consider each piece closely. The the teacher should conclude the lesson with several workable hypotheses
Phase V Analysis
At the completion of the lesson students should evaluate the data that helped them agree on and determine the valid hypotheses
Phase VI Extension
Once students have a working hypotheses and know the data that supports it the teacher can extend the students thinking perhaps by doing additional
research, other experiments or a creative project that would further ideas in the lesson. The natural interests of the students can be nurtured here as well as their creativity!
Websites and Resources for Teachers Wanting to try this Method
http://inquiry-based.com/lesson-plans.html
http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=inquiry-based&media=lesson&gclid=CK6JpvqA5rMCFcU-Mgod5DYA1Q
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiments
http://mullinshe.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/inquiry-based-math-lessons/
http://eduhawk.blogspot.com/2007/06/math-inquiry-tiered-lessons.html