Inquiry Based Learning
Donna Barrett
Center for Education Integrating Science,
Mathematics and Computing
Objective – to learn about apples
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Observe an apple and list all of the observations
you can make the apple
Why or how does each observation contribute to
our knowledge about apples?
Observe the artificial apple. Cross out the
observations no longer valid.
apple
pomum
Inquiry Cube Activity
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What are the characteristics of inquiry
learning?
Adapted from material presented by Dr. Malcolm Butler at the Georgia Science Teachers
Association in February of 2003. His presentation was based on activities described in the
National Academy of Sciences book titled Evolution and the Nature of Science.
5 Essential Features of Inquiry
1. Learners are engaged by scientifically oriented
questions
why  how
2. Learners give priority to evidence which allows them
to develop and evaluate scientifically oriented
questions
3. Learners formulate explanations from evidence to
address scientifically oriented questions
4. Learners evaluate their explanations
5. Learners communicate and justify their proposed
explanations.
Adapted from "Inquiry and the National
Standards" by the National Research Council.
Characteristics of Inquiry
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Inquiry taps into the natural curiosity of children
Students conceptualize a question
Student seek possible explanations that respond to
that question
Students design and conduct investigations,
manipulate variables
With technical facts and vocabulary students often
fail to see how this knowledge is useful in the future
Adapted from "Inquiry and the National
Standards" by the National Research Council.
Types of Inquiry
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Structured Inquiry – teacher provides the
students a hand-on activity; procedures, materials,
but NOT the expected outcomes
Guided Inquiry – teacher provides materials and
the problem to investigate; students devise their
own procedure to solve the problem
Open Inquiry – similar to guided inquiry with
the students formulating their own problem to
investigate
5 E Inquiry Model
Engage
Activity which focuses the students attention;
hook
Explore
Activity which gives students time to think and
investigate/test/make decisions/problem solve
and collect information
Activity which allows students to analyze their
exploration; time to reflect and clarify
misconceptions
Activity which expands and solidifies student
thinking and/or apply to real world setting
Explain
Extend
Evaluate
Activity which allows the teacher for assess
student performance and understandings
Cookbook to Inquiry
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Are we addressing the 5 essential questions
of inquiry in the labs we currently use with
students?
What is a cookbook lab?
How can we transform a lab to be more
inquiry oriented?
Cookbook to Inquiry
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“Rethinking Laboratories.” The Science
Teacher, September 2003
Adaptation Principles - Questions
 Change the purpose statement of the activity
into a question
 Involve students in activities where they
generate questions to investigate
 Make the question relevant to students
“Rethinking Laboratories.” The Science
Teacher, September 2003
Cookbook to Inquiry

Adaptation Principles – Evidence
 Throw away the “recipe” (or parts of it)
and/or give students, groups or the class
opportunities to define variables, develop
procedures, set up data tables and make
predictions
“Rethinking Laboratories.” The Science
Teacher, September 2003
Cookbook to Inquiry
Adaptation Principles – Explanation
 Postponing the teacher’s explanation until after the
lab and shifting the responsibility of explanation to
students
 Expect students to develop evidence-based
explanations as a central step of all lab work
 Provide students opportunities to work and talk to
together
 Engage students in the analysis of data by looking for
patterns, evidence and logic to support it
“Rethinking Laboratories.” The Science
Teacher, September 2003
Cookbook to Inquiry

Adaptation Principles – Communication
 Provide opportunities to present explanations
to other audiences through discussion,
writing and drawing
 Ask students to evaluate the logic of their
explanations in terms of evidence
“Rethinking Laboratories.” The Science
Teacher, September 2003
Inquiry Analysis Tool – does the
material….
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Engage the learners in scientifically oriented
questions?
Ask learners to give priority to evidence?
Encourage learners to formulate explanation
from evidence?
Ask learners to evaluate their explanations in
light of alternative explanations?
Expect learners to communicate and justify their
proposed explanations?
“Rethinking Laboratories.” The Science
Teacher, September 2003