Inquiry Units

1. Inquiry Units Theory, Skills and Assessment Delwyn L. Harnisch, UNL, Lincoln

2. Inquiry Units Require • Reasoning Strategies • Problem Based Approach • Real-Life Connections

3. Reasoning Strategies: Questions • What kinds of work require reasoning? • How do we design work that requires reasoning in different content areas? • How do we know when students have reasoned well?

4. Problem Solving Analytic Work Creative Work Reasoning in areas of academic work Inquiries Where Students pose questions or identify issues and through research, search for answers Where students Search for ways to reach goals and Overcome obstacles Where students interpret Texts and data Where students use imagination and discipline to design novel and expressive products

5. Inquiries Inquiry Process: Skills • Find and pose relevant and meaningful questions • Detect and describe patterns and formulate theories, hypotheses and conjectures • Develop and implement plans for researching theories, hypotheses and conjectures • Reach a well-supported conclusion that speaks to original question

6. Low Low High High 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 Inquiries Inquiry Rubric • Work is based on meaningful question. • Work is Centered Around Well Formed Hypothesis or Conjecture.

7. Low Low High High 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 Inquiries Inquiry Process Rubric • Work demonstrates good knowledge of inquiry. • The Conclusions of the work are well-supported by available evidence.

8. Analytic Work Analytic Thinking Skills • Sequencing: Ordering elements in time and space • Debug and Repair: Locate errors and explain and correct them

9. Analytic Work Analytic Thinking Skills • Compare and Contrast: Analyzing similarities and differences and their effects • Support and Refute: Collecting evidence to prove or disprove a hypothesis or conjecture

10. Analytic Work Analytic Thinking Skills • Causal Explanation: Develop causes for a given event • Classification: Organizing items, ideas, events, characters or objects into groups distinguished by their common traits

11. Analytic Work Analytic Thinking Skills • Systems Analysis: Analyzing parts of a system, their interrelationships and ways they can be affected by changes in context • Speculation: Change an element of situation and think about short and long term effects

12. Analytic Work Analytic Thinking Skills • Point of View: Emphasize and analyze different perspectives of story or event • Metaphorical Analysis: Compare idea, event, character, situation, concept with something that appears totally different

13. Analytic Work Analytic Thinking Skills • Decision Making: Analyze past or present situation requiring decision and establish criteria, explore criteria, and make supported decision

14. Analytic Work Analytic Thinking Skills • Design Analysis: Questions: • What are its parts? • What is its purpose and how to its parts fulfill its purpose? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of this design? • How might the design be altered to improve effectiveness or to fit a new purpose or situation

15. Analytic Thinking Strategies Matrix ST SF Sequencing Point of View Debugging and Repair Decision Making Compare and Contrast Support and Refute Causal Explanation Systems Analysis Classification Speculation Metaphorical Analysis Decision Analysis NT NF

16. Problem Solving Problem Solving: Key Elements • Type of problem posed • Strategy to solve the problem

17. ST-Routine Problems SF-Application Problems Drill and exercise. Very close to the work typically assigned in classrooms and textbooks Create real world setting requiring students to use the techniques found in the discipline (e.g. Mathematics) NF-Open Ended Exploratory Problems NT-Non Routine Problems Significant shift in the nature or context of the problem making the path to the solution ambiguous and unclear Set up a situation for students to investigate and test conjectures using techniques necessary to model, represent and make predictions Problem Solving Problem Solving: Types of Problems

18. Problem Solving Phases of Problem Solving Understanding the Problem “Teachers who teach creative Problem solving strategies Improve learning by providing Students with general purpose Problem-solving tools Appropriate for a variety of Situations.” -J. McTighe Devising a Plan of Attack Reviewing Carrying Out the Plan

19. Problem Solving Understanding the Problem • Language and vocabulary • Initial conditions and constraints • The goal • Make comparisons with similar problems

20. Problem Solving Devising a plan of attack • Explores a number of possible solutions • Makes prediction or estimate of solution • Uses objects to represent problem • Acts out problem physically • Draws diagram or picture • Uses graphic organizers, charts, tables, lists • Simplifies problem and solves that version • Works backward from goal to start

21. Problem Solving Carrying out the plan • Selects solution and pursues it • Perseveres with a plan • Abandons unsuitable strategies after reasonable time

22. Problem Solving Reviewing • Checks accuracy of solution against previous estimate • Engages in reflection or metacognition • Able to recall and re-use strategy

23. Verbal Linguistic Write about problem and how to solve Discuss solutions Explain different ways to solve problems Visual Spatial Make visual pictures to show steps in problem solving Create collages to illustrate events in solving a problem Mind Map problem solving steps Problem Solving Problem Solving & The Eight Intelligences

24. Logical Math Compare and contrast alternatives Analyze causes and effects Look for patterns in problems and rank order factors Intrapersonal Keep a personal feelings journal Evaluate personal strengths in resolving conflicts and reflect on steps in solutions Problem Solving Problem Solving & The Eight Intelligences

25. Bodily Kinesthetic Act out scenes from problem solving scenarios Create human sculptures to illustrate solutions Create/Play cooperative active games Musical Rhythmical Create raps for anger management steps Learn concepts through songs Play musical instruments to represent feelings Problem Solving Problem Solving & The Eight Intelligences

26. Interpersonal Facilitate the mediation process with others Help others deliver “I Messages” Act out a different perspective to a problem Naturalist Brainstorm solutions and categorize them Develop system of responses to particular situations Problem Solving Problem Solving & The Eight Intelligences

27. Searching for patterns Drawing a picture Making a chart or graph Extending patterns Using simple equations Working backwards Constructing a table Estimation Simplify the problem Breaking the problem into parts Finding a similar pattern Mathematical modeling Using algebraic equations Problem Solving Problem Solving Strategies in Mathematics

28. Problem Solving Rubric

29. Creative Work Creative Work Creative Thinking: Elements Genre Process Quality

30. Creative Work Creative Thinking: Genre • Awareness and knowledge of how to apply the basic forms or genres within a field of study

31. Visual Arts Landscape Collage Portrait Cartoons Advertising Poster Scene Language Arts Short Fiction Ode Sonnet Haiku Personal Essay Creative Work Creative Thinking Genres

32. Music Song Sonata Aria March Science Natural history Environmental study Chemical analysis Animal Behavior Creative Work Creative Thinking Genres

33. Physical Education Folk dance Ballroom dancing Tap Ballet Gymnastics Floor work Mathematics Modeling Exploratory problems (Foundations) Foreign Language Translations of poetry Translations of fiction Translations of Philosophy Creative Work Creative Thinking Genres

34. Creative Work Creative Thinking: Process • Searching for new ideas • Establishing a purpose • Using sketching • Brainstorming • Note taking • Drafting early work • Revision • Reflection

35. The work displays a high level of technical mastery The work displays a clear sense of purpose The work displays a high level of organization The work displays a high degree of originality Creative Work Creative Thinking: Quality Characteristics of High Quality Work Using Technology FNO: http://www.fno.org/mar2000/whenbook.html

36. Inquiry Units: Problem Based Approach • What is Inquiry? • Inquiry Approach Develops skills in: • Thinking • Research, Information, data gathering • Problem solving / decision making • Independent, self directed process • collaboration • Goals and Principles

37. Designing Learning Tasks A Content Focus At least one style of thought At least one form of intelligence A level of difficulty A level of Independence

38. Basic Inquiry Model (Inquiry Page) Initial Experience Divergent Exploratory activities introduced (Brainstorming) Focus: Pupil poses suitable question around which study will develop. Inquiry Question Convergent ? Factors: Pupil suggests range of reasonable alternatives to answer question Alternatives Convergent Data: Pupil Collects information on each alternative Data Synthesis Convergent Consideration: Pupil arrives at conclusion by deciding on basis of accumulated information which alternatives give(s) BEST answer Assessing the Conclusion Pupil ascertains whether conclusion adequately answers original question Communication: Pupil organizes clear expression of conclusion Expressing the Conclusion Evaluation: Pupil assesses appropriateness of conclusion and its Expression in light of original question Evaluation

39. Models of Real-World Connections • Project or Problem Learning • Case studies • Integrated learning (Visualization) • Role plays and simulations • Community service learning • Real world research Connect http://www.exploratorium.edu/ifi/resources/classroom/connect/connect.pdf

40. Inquiry Learning Resources Web Resources • http://ra.terc.edu/publications/Alliance_Access/Vol3-No3/inquiry-learning.html