December

Inquiry & Scientific Questioning

Three Types of Field Investigation Questions

Descriptive Questions
Descriptive field investigations involve describing parts of a natural system. Descriptive questions focus on measurable or observable variables that can be represented spatially in maps or as written descriptions, estimations, averages, medians, or ranges.

• How many _____ are there in a given area?
• How frequently does _____ happen in a given period?
• What is the [temperature, speed, height, mass, density, force, distance, pH, dissolved oxygen, light density, depth, etc.] of ______?
• When does _____ happen during the year? (flowering, fruit, babies born)
• Where does_____ travel over time? (What is an animal’s range?)

Comparative Questions
In comparative field investigations data is collected on different groups to make a comparison. Comparative questions focus on one measured variable in at least two different (manipulated variable) locations, times, organisms, or populations.

• Is there a difference in ______ between group (or condition) A and group B?
• Is there a difference in ______ between (or among) different locations?
• Is there a difference in ______ at different times?

Correlative Questions
Correlative field investigations involve measuring or observing two variables and searching for a pattern. Correlative questions focus on two variables to be measured and tested for a relationship.

• What is the relationship between variable #1 and variable #2?
• Does _____ go up when _____ goes down?
• How does _____ change as _____ changes?

Read the following questions and classify what kind questions they are: descriptive, comparative, or correlative? How did you do? Review the descriptions above if you need help!

• When do maple trees pollinate in Iowa?
• Are more insects found in the schoolyard in September, October, or November?
• Is the wind speed greater near the building or out on the playground in March?
• Where do you find the most pillbugs (isopods): under a log, under a pot, or under bushes?
• Which habitat (in the forest, in the field, or by the stream) has the greatest percentage of sand in the soil?
• Are soil temperatures the coolest at the depth of 5cm, 10cm, or 15cm?
• What kinds of plants grow in your schoolyard?
• In April, which twigs grow faster, those on maple trees or those on oak trees?
• What is the air temperature at your school throughout the school year?
• When do robins in Iowa nest?
• Which location (under bushes, open grass, or on black top) has the highest temperature at 7:00 a.m. at your school?
• Are white-tailed deer more active during the dawn or the dusk in Iowa?
• Do birds sing more from 8:30-9:00 a.m. or from 3:00-3:30 p.m. in your schoolyard?
• How does dissolved oxygen change as water temperature goes up in your local stream?
• What is the relationship between the amount of sunshine and red color in leaves in the fall?
• How does pH affect the number of small-mouth bass eggs hatching in a stream?
• How often do Swallowtail Butterflies lay eggs in a season in Iowa?
• Are there more willow trees near streams or away from them?
• What is the range of bobcats living in rural Iowa?
• How do mouse populations change as hawk populations increase along Iowa’s roadways?

December

Inquiry & Scientific Questioning

“Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."

Inquiry in the Classroom
Inquiry is the act of asking questions and the seeking of knowledge. You have been using the process of inquiry since you were a baby, without knowing or labeling it as “inquiry”. From birth we use our senses to take in the world around us, ask questions and discover the answers. The process of inquiring begins with this gathering of information. Inquiry-based learning is active learning and involvement that leads to understanding.

Inquiry in the classroom looks different than a traditional teacher-lead lesson. Inquiry is student-lead not teacher-lead. Rather than leading the lesson, teachers take on the role of coach, guide, or facilitator and help guide the students to their own questions and discoveries. When students choose the questions, they are motivated to learn and they develop a sense of ownership about the project. Your role is a teacher is to guide students in finding the answers to questions themselves and encourage them to ask new questions along the way. The best questions and discoveries are ones that stem from the students’ own lives, and experiences.

Inquiry plays on the natural inquisitive of children. It utilizes their natural curiosity to learn how the world “works”. Lessons embedded with inquiry provide students with opportunities to use their innate curiosity to engage in a variety of actions, including observing, explaining, concluding, sorting, classifying and predicting.

Thoughtful, open-ended questions are at the heart of inquiry. When students have to answer these types of questions, they are engaging in inquiry. Examples of such questions include:

• How would you describe the function of __?

• How would you compare ___ to ___?

• What would result if __ happened?

• Can you propose an alternative to __?

Links
Youth Learn - How to: Inquiry
http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/planning/lesson-planning/how-inquiry/how-inquiry

Concept to Classroom: What is Inquiry-based Learning?
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html