Designing inquiry-oriented
science lab activities
Teachers can create inquiry-oriented science lab activities
that make real-world connections.
Christopher M. Longo
Two veteran science teachers in a well-performing school district,
Mr. Smith and Ms. D’Amico, arrive at school on an ordinary
day, excited about the day’s lesson. These teachers are well
liked, motivated, and knowledgeable in their content area. Both
teachers use weekly lab exercises and experiments as formative
assessments. In their middle school classrooms, children are
engaged and eager to learn. As students walk into Mr. Smith’s
classroom, a prescribed, step-by-step procedure of the day’s
experiment is found at each lab station. Only 60 feet down the
hallway, students in Ms. D’Amico’s class arrive to find only the
materials for the day’s experiment and a lab rubric at each lab
table. In this classroom, students are expected to design their own
experiment using materials they choose from the lab table.
Are middle level science classrooms in your school
more like Mr. Smith’s or Ms. D’Amico’s? To what
extent do teachers in your school use inquiry-oriented
approaches in their science labs? In this article, I contrast
the traditional approach to science lab activities that
Mr. Smith uses with the inquiry-oriented approach Ms.
D’Amico uses. I describe in detail the way Ms. D’Amico
implements an inquiry-oriented lab in her classroom
and illustrate how teachers can prepare students for
standardized assessments while still creating meaningful
lessons with real-world connections.
Inquiry as an instructional
framework
The emphasis on inquiry today can be traced to the
discovery learning movement of the 1960s. The main
premise behind any inquiry program is that students
learn by doing through the process of problem solving.
By posing their own questions in scientific investigations,
students are considered the creators of knowledge,
whereas teachers are the facilitators of this knowledge
creation process. As Bruner (1961) noted, “The practice
of discovering for oneself teaches one to acquire
information in a way that makes it more readily viable in
problem solving” (p. 26).
Inquiry is defined in the National Science Education
Standards (NSES) as a content area (National Research
Council, 1996), and many state departments of education
concur. Many science educators forget that inquiry is
not merely a process or method of instruction. This
strategy defines the teacher’s job as assisting students
in the process of discovering knowledge, not providing
knowledge for them. “Asking theoretical questions,
making observations, developing hypotheses, engaging
in experimentation, collecting and analyzing data,
drawing conclusions, making inferences, and formulating
new questions are some of the exciting processes that are
practiced through inquiry-based science” (Hammerman,
2006, xxii).
Inquiry allows students to take responsibility for
the problems they create or discover. As Sternberg and
Lubart (2007) suggested: “Students need to take more
responsibility for the problems they choose to solve, and
we need to take less. The students will make mistakes and
attempt to solve inconsequential or even wrongly posed
problems. But they learn from their mistakes”
This article reflects the following This We Believe characteristics: Meaningful Learning, Challenging Curriculum, Multiple Learning Approaches
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Middle School Journal September 2011
(p. 170). True inquiry revolves around developing
student responsibility.
One way to implement an inquiry-based learning
program at the middle level is to incorporate activities
that relate to authentic, real-life experiences. Students
should be encouraged to think like scientists. According
to the NSES:
affect human heart rate? He expected his students to
follow prescribed guidelines in a traditional manner,
as depicted in Figure 1. In essence, students followed a
script that did not encourage creativity and higher-order
thinking. After collecting background information, Mr.
Smith asked his students to make one prediction based
on the teacher-designed question he gave them.
Scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which
scientists study the natural world and propose
explanations based on the evidence derived from
their work. Inquiry also refers to the activities 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 Research Council, 1996, p. 23)
Real-world connections to
the curriculum enhance the
use of inquiry learning in
the classroom.
Real-world connections to the curriculum enhance
the use of inquiry learning in the classroom. Further
thoughts and ideas arise when students share their
findings and discuss their personal connections. These
kinds of teachable moments stimulate inquiry and
help students develop higher-order thinking skills as
they create hypotheses, analyze and evaluate data, and
compare and contrast results of their inquiry activities.
Finally, such real-world inquiry learning may help
increase student motivation (Renzulli, 1977, 2001).
A “cookbook lab” in
Mr. Smith’s classroom
Human heart rate is a topic related to the human
circulatory system and linked to the NSES grades 5 to 8
life science content standard: “Structure and function
in living systems” (NRC, 1996). Various state standards
include similar descriptions of this content. Most middle
grades life science teachers have incorporated some sort
of heart rate experiment in their classrooms at one time
or another.
To begin his heart rate lab lesson, Mr. Smith gave
his students a question to investigate: How does exercise
Students construct their own scientific knowledge as they complete a formative,
inquiry-oriented lab report. photo by Ken Clutsam
After the first day of this lab activity, Mr. Smith’s
students completed a worksheet related to human heart
rate. Even though this content had been included on
state standardized tests, the expectations in Mr. Smith’s
traditional classroom led to traditional homework that
lacked creativity and scientific thought. On day two,
Mr. Smith gave his students a step-by-step checklist for
the heart rate experiment (see Figure 1). All students
followed this same, prescribed, cookbook procedure that
required them to perform jumping jacks as the exercise
in the investigation.
After students conducted the experiment, Mr. Smith
asked them to organize the results in data tables and
a line graph. Finally, students completed a conclusion
section in which they responded to a series of questions.
Mr. Smith collected the lab reports at the end of the
period, and there was no conversation about the findings
or the conclusions.
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Figure 1 Comparing traditional vs. inquiry lab reports
Traditional lab report checklist
Name
Teacher/Block
Date
Inquiry lab report checklist
Name
Teacher/Block
Date
Heart Rate Lab Guidelines
*Follow the guidelines below when writing your lab report.
Inquiry Heart Rate Lab Guidelines
*Follow the guidelines below when writing your lab report.
Problem Question under investigation:
How does exercise affect human heart rate?
Be sure to label the variables and identify the control.
Identify a Problem Question:
Create a list of testable questions for possible investigation
that are related to human heart rate.
Background Information: Write one paragraph about what
information is already known about the problem.
Background Information: What information is already known
about the problem? What was researched?
Hypothesis: State a prediction to the problem using the
“If
, then
” format.
Hypothesis: State prediction(s) to the problem using the
“If
, then
” format.
Materials: List all materials used in the lab.
Materials: List all materials used in the lab.
Procedure: Follow the step-by-step instructions listed below.
1. Create a table to record data related to your experiment.
Procedure: Design the experiment by listing the step-by-step
instructions. Include enough detail so that you or someone else
could repeat your experiment. Be sure to have plenty of constant
variables and be sure to include multiple trials.
2. Take the resting heart rate of all group members after sitting
quietly for 5 minutes and record in table.
3. Conduct multiple trials of jumping jacks and record each
member’s heart rate after 2 minutes of exercise.
4. Repeat this procedure 3 more times for each person
in the group.
5. Record this data.
6. Create a line graph.
7. Answer the conclusion questions.
Results: Collect data using one data table and one line graph.
Be sure to label your axes and include a title on your graph.
Results: Collect and organize data using a data table and the
appropriate type of graph.
Conclusion: Answer the four questions below:
1. Why does the heart beat faster during activity?
Conclusion: Explain what was learned from this investigation. Was
your hypothesis supported? Be sure to support your conclusions
with evidence from the data and include any real-life connections.
2. How did evidence from the data support your conclusion?
3. Was your hypothesis supported or rejected?
4. How does this experiment relate to your everyday life?
An inquiry-oriented science lab
in Ms. D’Amico’s class
Teachers often follow rigidly scripted, cookbook lab
exercises that ask students to simply follow instructions
and regurgitate information that is already known
(Windschitl, 2008). However, one of the most effective
ways to assess learning associated with inquiry is through
formative lab reports that require students to formulate
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Middle School Journal September 2011
their own problems, design their own experiments
and investigations, and direct their own learning. By
completing formative, inquiry-oriented lab reports,
students in Ms. D’Amico’s science class construct learning
at a higher level and demonstrate their ability to form
thoughtful hypotheses, develop and apply accurate
procedures, and produce valid conclusions.
Step 1: Beginning an inquiry lab
In an inquiry-oriented lab, a teacher may use a
guided- or open-inquiry approach. In guided inquiry,
the teacher facilitates learning to some degree,
providing support for students as they begin to develop
testable questions for future investigation. In contrast,
during open inquiry students make discoveries on their
own, with little support from the teacher. (Editor’s note:
For a further discussion of these approaches, refer to
C. A. Wilson’s article in the November 2009 issue of
Middle School Journal.)
Right from the start, Ms. D’Amico provided a rubric
for students as they created their experiment and wrote a
lab report (see Figure 2). Students in Ms. D’Amico’s class
were expected to create their own problem questions
related to heart rate, which she eventually approved.
Students brainstormed a list of problem questions that
they would have liked to investigate, and then focused
their investigation on one of these questions with limited
guidance from the teacher.
Ms. D’Amico facilitated inquiry by walking around
to all groups and listening to the ideas presented by the
members; she then helped students form good research
Figure 2 Laboratory report rubric
Name
Teacher/Block
Date
Criteria
Points
possible
Problem
• Problem is stated as a question.
• Independent and dependent variables are identified.
• The control is identified (if necessary).
10
Background Information
• Includes a minimum of one paragraph about what information is already known about the problem or
what was researched.
10
Hypotheses
• Predictions or solutions to the problem are stated using the “If
10
, then
Points
earned
” format.
Materials
• All materials in the experiment are listed.
10
Procedure
• Step-by-step instructions are provided.
• Instructions are detailed, allowing the experiment to be replicated.
• Constant variables are used.
• Multiple trials are performed.
20
Results
• Data table is titled and appropriate units are used.
• Graph is titled and appropriate type is used.
• Graph axes are properly labeled with the correct units.
20
Conclusion
• Includes a statement about what was learned about the problem.
• Is supported by data from the results.
• Describes reasons for support or rejection of the hypothesis.
• Explains real-life connections.
20
Overall lab report score
100
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questions based on these ideas. This method of guided
inquiry requires teachers to provide ample time for
students to deliberate and to ensure that the questions
posed come from the students and not the teacher. While
this method of teaching obviously takes more time, the
outcomes can be very beneficial. The questions produced
by students in Ms. D’Amico’s classroom included:
• How do sit-ups affect human heart rate compared to
push-ups?
• How does the amount of rest between jumping jacks
affect human heart rate?
• What are the effects of various exercises on heart rate?
• How does the amount of time one runs in place affect
heart rate?
• What are the effects of lung capacity of seventh grade
students on human heart rate?
Students who had difficulty forming problems or
questions or classifying variables (i.e., dependent or
independent) could consult www.sciencebuddies.com,
a website designed to assist students with the scientific
method process and lab report writing. For example,
one student in Ms. D’Amico’s class did not understand
if time was an independent or dependent variable in
an experiment. The student consulted this website for
assistance and was asked to follow up with the teacher
after this research was complete. The teacher facilitated
learning by verifying if the student had correctly
identified this variable.
Step 2: Forming hypotheses
Once students established research questions, they
worked in cooperative groups to collect background
information on the topic of human heart rate.
Background information came from students’ prior
knowledge and experiences, allowing them to make
real-world connections. Next, the students generated
hypotheses. Ms. D’Amico asked students to develop
multiple predictions based on the ideas of members of
the cooperative group. By creating various hypotheses
while in groups, students were thinking critically
about each group member’s prediction and, therefore,
supporting inquiry learning through the process
of metacognition.
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Middle School Journal September 2011
The freedom to create their own hypotheses allowed
Ms. D’Amico’s students to explore what was meaningful
to them. For example, one student stated, “If push-ups
look more difficult to complete and appear to use more
energy, then students [who do push-ups] will have a
higher heart rate than those who do sit-ups.” Another
student stated, “If students have a higher lung capacity
(e.g., 3.0 liters of air per breath or above), then their
heart rate will be lower than those with a lower lung
capacity (e.g., lower than 3.0 liters of air per breath). It is
predicted that students will have a lower pulse rate due
to their increased lung capacity, which is related to their
level of fitness.”
Step 3: Reconstructing knowledge with
blogging and reflective writing
After the first day of designing an experiment, Ms.
D’Amico’s students were asked to participate in a blog.
She simply posted a guiding question to which the
students responded for homework. She posted, for
example, “Discuss the initial design of your heart rate
experimental problem question and hypothesis. Also,
comment on at least two other student problem questions
or hypotheses.” Ms. D’Amico’s students took part in
this blog, discussing the problem questions they were
investigating and the hypotheses they had created.
Whether a teacher uses a class blog or assigns
a reflective writing piece, students engage in
metacognition as they reflect on their learning and make
real-world connections. The blog or reflective writing
piece should be supported with a rubric that gives clear
expectations, including requirements for providing clear
explanations and evidence. The NSES embrace explanation
and evidence as components of the “unifying concepts
and processes” standard (NRC, 1996), and a rubric
should include these components as well as authenticity
and connection to the real-world (see Figure 3).
Students in Ms. D’Amico’s class developed critical
thinking skills not only by responding to guided
questions posted by the teacher but also by dialoguing
with other students. Blogs offer numerous opportunities
for students to share knowledge, so true inquiry learning
takes place as students construct their own learning
based on their prior knowledge and based on the
knowledge of other students. Consequently, they may
actually find new problems that need to be solved.
Figure 3 Sample rubric for online blog entries or reflective writing pieces
Category
0
1
2
Quality Work
Includes more than
three grammatical or
spelling errors. Word
choice is inappropriate.
Includes two or three
grammatical or spelling
errors. Word choice is
appropriate.
Includes no more
than one spelling or
grammatical error. Spell
check was used. Word
choice is appropriate.
Authenticity
The ideas expressed
belong to someone
else.
The writer extends
his or her knowledge,
but there is a lack of
ownership and
originality of the topic.
The writer writes about
personal experience or
knowledge, making it
their own. The idea is
original and creative.
Elaboration
Does not use
elaboration. Does not
support the topic with
examples, opinions, or
inferences.
Elaboration is
attempted, with at
least two supporting
examples, opinions, or
inferences.
Elaboration is
well developed, and
includes three or more
accurate examples,
opinions, or inferences.
Making Connections
Does not include any
real-life connection
(self, text, or world).
A real-life connection
is attempted, but
underdeveloped.
Connection is
well developed using
specific, real-life
examples or
relationships to self,
text, or world.
Further Scientific
Thought
No further scientific
thought. No further
questions or
hypotheses are stated.
A new scientific
thought is expressed
in the response but not
developed. No further
questions are asked or
hypotheses suggested.
A new scientific
thought is attempted
or proposed or an
insightful question or
hypothesis is stated in
the response.
Self
Teacher
Total Points (of 10)
Step 4: Who needs a checklist? Creating
procedures in the inquiry classroom
As the experiment entered day two, Ms. D’Amico’s
students were creating their own procedures with limited
assistance from the teacher. These students used higherorder thinking skills and took ownership of their work
by designing their own procedures. By collaborating in
cooperative groups, the students could share ideas about
their designs in the same way as with an online blog.
It is important that the teacher provides support in
an inquiry lesson by facilitating the learning. By asking
students to create a draft first, the teacher can assess
student progress at that point and provide formative
feedback on how students can improve the methods of
the investigation. The teacher can also elicit responses
from students that point to the crucial elements of an
efficient procedural design, such as including multiple
trials and keeping variables constant. Through this
course of action, students are guided into developing
an effective, detailed procedure and will be prepared
for these types of questions commonly found on
standardized assessments.
Step 5: Collecting data and drawing conclusions
By conducting the experiment, students measured heart
rate based on the variables they had originally defined.
The NSES include measurement as one of the unifying
concepts and processes in science (NRC, 1996). After
students conducted their experiments, they collected
results and organized data in tables. Ms. D’Amico asked
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her students to choose the best type of graph for the data
presented in the lab report. This allowed her students to
think critically about an appropriate graph for the data,
whereas the traditional approach used in Mr. Smith’s
class spoon-fed this information to the students. Inquiry
classrooms like Ms. D’Amico’s empower students to
draw conclusions and describe what was learned from
an investigation by using supporting evidence from
the data and by making real-world connections. Since
many state science assessments include questions related
to analyzing data, choosing appropriate graphs, and
drawing conclusions, this practice prepares students for
these standardized tests.
Step 6: Extending the inquiry
The inquiry does not end when the lab report is
complete; students should communicate their findings
as real scientists do. Ms. D’Amico’s students did this by
giving oral presentations in class and by using another
blog to share their findings. An example portion of
a blog thread is shown in Figure 4. Ms. D’Amico also
incorporated a follow-up homework assignment, asking
students to share their data with family members. Ideas
generated from this discussion were documented and
submitted the next day in class and posted online as part
of a blog response. These types of follow-up activities
help students develop the ability to think metacognitively.
Ms. D’Amico scored the lab reports according to the
criteria in the rubric (Figure 2) and gave her students
appropriate feedback to make the most of the inquiry
experience. Two days later, while students worked on
an independent assignment, Ms. D’Amico conferenced
with each student one-on-one to review the graded
lab report and provide feedback. This enabled her to
focus on specific student strengths and weaknesses to
support differentiation.
Inquiry outcomes
One week after the human heart rate lab, Mr. Smith
and Ms. D’Amico convened during their grade-level
common planning time. The school district designed
these meetings to collect and analyze data to make
informed decisions that would improve overall student
learning. The teachers shared their instructional
methods, assessments, and observations of students
from the heart rate activities.
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Middle School Journal September 2011
Although Mr. Smith and Ms. D’Amico presented
similar student achievement data, Ms. D’Amico reported
that her students displayed a high level of motivation to
complete the task and exhibited curiosity about the topic
several days after the activity was completed. Conversely,
Mr. Smith shared that his students groaned when they
found out that a lab report was required and complained
about not being able to do push-ups or sit-ups. A
correlation to standardized achievement scores cannot
be made from the results of just one lesson, but there
is research suggesting that inquiry methods designed
to stimulate the scientific process improve student
achievement (Beaumont-Walters & Soyibo, 2001; Bybee,
2000; Chang & Mao, 1999). Such research may help to
explain why Ms. D’Amico’s students were better prepared
for other activities later in the year, including the science
fair project.
A disclaimer for inquiry teaching
Instructional approaches that look exceptional on paper
are often very difficult to implement in real classrooms
with students who have diverse learning styles and special
needs. Inquiry instruction takes time to develop, and
students cannot simply delve into an inquiry learning
program if they have not practiced it often. Various
books and websites provide teachers sound examples of
inquiry for professional development, and the appendix
lists recommended resources to help teachers get started.
While these resources can be very helpful, teachers best
learn how to do inquiry when they actually try it out and
reflect on their teaching afterwards.
Teachers must be mindful of the variety of learners
in an inquiry-oriented classroom and use the necessary
scaffolding to assist students as they work toward their
potential (Vygotsky, 1978). For example, providing a
checklist like the one shown in Figure 1 can give some
needed structure to students who struggle with the
inquiry learning process. Also, teachers can strategically
design cooperative inquiry groups to match strong
students with those who struggle with inquiry. This
arrangement allows for students to share knowledge and
be leaders.
For example, some students may need the
teacher to provide the problem question for the lab
investigation to help them get started. By using a teachercreated checklist similar to the traditional example
found in Figure 1, some students who need more
Figure 4 Sample portion of a student reflective blog thread
Heart rate experiment reflection
by TEACHER - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 07:10 AM
What conclusions can you make after performing this week’s experiment on heart rate?
What questions do you still have?
Post by clicking the “reply” link to the right of the post you are responding to.
Reply
Re: Heart rate experiment reflection
by Student 1 - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 04:33 PM
I can conclude that heart rate increases as physical activity increases. My heart rate averaged 162bpm after every 5 minutes of doing jumping
jacks. The control (resting pulse) ranged between 70 and 90 bpm. I was surprised by the data because I do gymnastics, so I thought that my
heart rate would be a little lower. My question is: How much time does it take for my heart to return to a resting pulse of 70bpm?
Reply
Re: Heart rate experiment reflection
by Student 2 - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 04:47 PM
My heart rate averaged 137bpm. My group tested the effect of sit-ups on heart rate. I also agree that heart rate increases with an increase in
exercise. I wonder if there would be a difference in heart rate if we did push-ups instead?
Reply
Re: Heart rate experiment reflection
by Student 5 - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 06:32 PM
Hey (Student 2), Our group did push-ups and my heart rate came out to be 148, 154, and 162 in the 3 multiple trials. Therefore, push-ups speed
up your heart rate faster than situps do. My basketball team has to do 10 pushups and 30 situps at every practice, and I always feel more tired
doing the push-ups! My question is why did the boys at my table have a higher heart rate than the girls in our experiment?
Reply
Re: Heart rate experiment reflection
by Student 4 - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 05:25 PM
I can conclude that heart rate changes constantly. Exercising increases it and resting lowers it. We ran in place for 3 times each in our group,
and the heart rate increased in all our trials. My highest heart rate was 165 bpm. My question is what is the highest the heart can beat for the
average middle school kid?
Reply
Re: Heart rate experiment reflection
by Student 2 - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 06:43 PM
My conclusion is that situps increase heart rate. My heart rate came out to be 125, 135 and 130bpm. My partner had heart rates of 136, 135,
and 140bpm, so we had similar results. We both play soccer and do situps at our practices so now we know what our heart rate is. My question
is what would the heart rate be for a football player who does situps?
Reply
Re: Heart rate experiment reflection
by Student 4 - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 07:52 PM
I play football. I’ll try it and let you know.
Reply
Re: Heart rate experiment reflection
by Student 6 - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 07:27 PM
My conclusion is that my heart beats faster when doing jumping jacks then when doing leg raises. My heart pumped at 135bpm, 142bpm, and
170bpm when doing jumping jacks. I think the 170bpm reading was an error. Leg raises made my heart beat at 125, 140 and 130 bpm. I had a
higher heart beat than my partner. My question is what exercise could raise the heart beat the highest?
Reply
Re: Heart rate experiment reflection
by Student 7 - Thursday, 13 November 2008, 08:09 PM
In conclusion, our experiment showed that jumping jacks raises the heart rate the highest. My heart rate came out to be 154bpm, 165bpm, and
148bpm. The control readings at rest were 88, 102, and 97 bpm. My question is what would happen if there was more than 5 minutes rest time
in between the trials?
Reply
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structure will be able to learn and avoid roadblocks
to their own inquiry. When differentiating for diverse
learners, it is important for teachers to use flexible
cooperative groupings. Such arrangements may benefit
English language learners, who can be supported by their
peers while the teacher is assisting other students. Finally,
guided-inquiry settings that include additional resources,
such as visual aids, may help English language learners
and students with a variety of special needs thrive as they
make connections to their cultures and interests.
By using an inquiry approach,
educators can spark students’
curiosity, increase levels of
motivation, inspire creativity,
and bring authenticity to
learning through real-world
lessons.
A call for inquiry classrooms
As they prepare students for high-stakes state
assessments, science teachers are faced with a dilemma:
Should they remain complacent and use step-by-step
procedures and “cookbook” labs on a regular basis,
or should they invest the time and resources needed
to create meaningful, inquiry-oriented learning
experiences for their students? By using an inquiry
approach, educators can spark students’ curiosity,
increase levels of motivation, inspire creativity, and bring
authenticity to learning through real-world lessons.
Teachers who implement inquiry learning in this way
help to develop lifelong learners. Moreover, because
inquiry is central to the NSES and is an important
component of most states’ science standards, this type
of instruction helps students prepare for high-stakes
standardized assessments.
Extensions
The author describes a six-step process for developing inquiry
lessons in science. How can this process be adapted to other
content areas?
Use the six steps outlined in the article as a guide to create an
inquiry-oriented lesson. Be sure to adjust the lesson design
based on the characteristics of your classroom and your students’
learning preferences.
References
Beaumont-Walters, Y., & Soyibo, K. (2001). An analysis of high
school students’ performance on five integrated science process
skills. Research in Science and Technological Education, 19(2),
133–145.
Bruner, J. S. (1961). The act of discovery. Harvard Educational
Review, 31, 21–32.
Bybee, R. (2000). Teaching science as inquiry. In J. Minstrel &
E. H. Van Zee (Eds.), Inquiry into inquiry learning and teaching
in science. Washington, DC: American Association for the
Advancement of Science.
Chang, C., & Mao, S. (1999). Comparison of Taiwan science
students’ outcomes with inquiry-group versus traditional
instruction. Journal of Educational Research, 92, 340–346.
Hammerman, E. (2006). Eight essentials of inquiry-based science.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
National Research Council. (1996). National science education
standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Renzulli, J. S. (1977). The enrichment triad model. A guide for developing
defensible programs for the gifted. Mansfield Center, CT: Creative
Learning Press.
Renzulli, J. S. (2001). Enriching curriculum for all students.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (2007). Creating creative minds.
In A. Ornstein, E. Pajak, & S. Ornstein (Eds.), Contemporary
issues in curriculum (4th ed., pp. 169–178). Boston, MA:
Allyn & Bacon.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.
Wilson, C. A. (2009). Planning and implementing inquiry-oriented
activities for middle grades science. Middle School Journal, 41(2),
41–48.
Windschitl, M. (2008). What is inquiry? A framework for thinking
about authentic scientific practice in the classroom. In J. Luft,
R. Bell, & J. Gess-Newsome (Eds.), Science as inquiry in the
secondary setting (pp. 1–20). Arlington, VA: National Science
Teachers Association.
Christopher M. Longo, a former seventh grade science teacher in Bethel (CT) Public Schools, is the head of the science department at Bethel High
School and a doctoral candidate in instructional leadership at Western Connecticut State University. E-mail: [email protected]
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Middle School Journal September 2011
Appendix Strategies and resources for implementing inquiry-based science
Strategy/ Recommendation
Description
Resources
Various strategies for science as inquiry
Incorporating inquiry-centered practices
into secondary education.
Luft, J., Bell, R., & Gess-Newsome, J. (Eds.).
(2008). Science as inquiry in the secondary
setting. Arlington, VA: National Science
Teachers Association.
Modeling inquiry-based learning in science
Sample inquiry science lessons,
discussion questions, and strategies
for effective inquiry.
Hammerman, E. (2006). Eight essentials of
inquiry-based science. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
NSES
National Science Education Standards
www.nap.edu/openbook.
php?isbn=0309053269
Science Buddies
Website to assist with the inquiry process
related to experiments and projects.
www.sciencebuddies.com
Moodle
Online course management system for
creating blogs, reflective journal writing,
posting assignments and resources.
http://moodle.org
Build your students’ cross-curricular literacy with Dr. Janet Allen’s
Pluggeduin to Nonfiction!
Engaging, differentiated learning activities based in authentic literature, not textbooks.
AVAILABLE FOR GRADES 4–12!
“After we began using Plugged-in programs . . .
students were actually excited to show me what
they were learning in class!”
—Hamilton County teacher; Jasper, FL
Dr. Janet Allen’s Pluggeduin • www.pluggedintoreading.com
www.amle.org
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