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Book Chapter
In this chapter, the class works to answer the question, What are the characteristics of trees? Each group of students in the class selects a type of tree to investigate, such as oak, ash, or maple, and then answers the subquestion, “What are the c...
Book Chapter
In this chapter, students work to answer the question, How does the shape of a bird’s wing affect its flight? Students first investigate how factors such as wing length and shape affect the takeoff and flight of a paper airplane. They use this info...
Book Chapter
Drip Drop Detectives: Exposing The Water Cycle
Throughout the inquiry, in this chapter, students play the role of scientists who are investigating the question, How can a drop of water travel around the world? Students examine the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, infiltration, and transpir...
Book Chapter
This chapter invites students to assume the role of paleontologists in a simulated dig in order to answer the question, What can we learn from studying fossils? Correspondence with a mysterious (fictional) paleontologist and the reading of informatio...
Book Chapter
Inquiry And The Learning Cycle
Inquiry instruction combines the teaching of scientific content with the development of scientific practices. Inquiry-based instruction has five essential features that occur along an inquiry continuum. In this chapter, the authors review the five fe...
Book Chapter
Authentic And Relevant Literacy Experiences In Inquiry
In this chapter, the authors explain the layout of the units in the book. The authors integrated inquiry and literacy in learning cycle units in authentic and relevant ways. Through these units students have opportunities to develop scientific conten...
Book Chapter
The rewards of creating nonfiction text sets are great for both teachers and students. Teachers the authors have worked with say that this approach has increased their understanding of nonfiction text and enhanced their awareness of the great diversi...
Book Chapter
Getting Started With The Inquiry Units
It is always exciting to try something new in your classroom, but we know it can also be challenging. Step one is, of course, to read the unit beginning to end. In the chapter, the authors provide some things to think about as you prepare to teach th...
Book Chapter
In this chapter, students work to answer two testable questions: Who can become a scientist? and What do scientists do? Students learn about the lives and work of eight scientists: John James Audubon, Charles William Beebe (known as William Beebe), R...
Book Chapter
Through the inquiry in this chapter, students work to answer the question, How does measurement help us know about the world? The focus of the inquiry is what measurement can tell us. A scavenger hunt helps students learn to use measurement to descri...
Book Chapter
Minds-On Matter: Phase Changes And Physical Properties
In this inquiry, students work to answer the question, How do the physical properties of a material change during phase changes? Students observe and measure physical properties of solids, liquids, and gases. They also measure the changes in temperat...
Book Chapter
Classroom Curling: Exploring Forces and Motion
Through the inquiry, in this chapter, students work to answer the question, What happens to the motion of a slider when different forces are applied? Teams of students play a game of “classroom curling”—a loose adaptation of the sport of curlin...
Book Chapter
Introduction to Safety in Science
This sample chapter provides an overview of general safety practices for the classroom. Topics discussed are Making Adjustments for Mobility- Impaired Students, Laboratory Safety: Welcome Aboard!, Good-Bye MSDS, Hello SDS! Yes, NSTA’s Portal Into t...
Book Chapter
Beaks And Biomes: Understanding Adaptation In Migrating Organisms
In this chapter students conduct direct and indirect investigations to answer the question, How is the sanderling adapted to survive in two different environments? The unit focuses on the sanderling, a shorebird that migrates from warm, sunny beaches...
Book Chapter
Inquiry Into the Heart of a Comet
Wouldn’t it be thrilling to emulate a real life model of science in action in classrooms? How? By starting with a great, hands-on activity modeling an object in space that introduces both key vocabulary and science concepts with visuals to support ...