Thoughts on a Structured Inquiry Lesson

As I wrote in this week’s application paper, in reflecting on this structured inquiry lesson, I found that my students worked incredibly well in their small groups.  I tried something sort of differently with this lesson with regard to grouping.  Instead of completely directing the flow of the class, as I might have normally done with a lesson such as this, I designated leaders in each small group of 3-4 students to progress the group through a variety of tasks including brainstorming, analyzing data, constructing graphs, and answering critical thinking questions.  I saw true growth in my students through this exercise.  Not only was I impressed by the group leaders, but also by the attentiveness and respect displayed by other students. 

Many of these students brought relevant background knowledge into the lesson as well, which allowed them to relate our study of predator-prey relationships and natural selection to the natural world.  This lesson was aimed at interpreting how environmental influences might impact relationships in nature, and how these same influences may be positively or negatively impacting the process of natural selection, at an observable level.  This lesson served as a study that can be used for comparison reasons throughout the next few weeks as the topic of evolution is explored more deeply.  More specifically, my students walked away with knowledge of specific environmental influences that affect species in nature and how humans are both helping and hurting this impact.  We will further analyze how and if these influences are relevant to natural selection at a more large-scale and long-term level (i.e. extinction, genetic variation, long-term species adaptation). 

As my students progressed through this case study, of both moose & wolves and humans & the Earth, I could see the connections that they were making to how humans are largely adversely affecting the Earth, bringing up such topics as overpopulation, pollution, and global warming.  We were able to discuss, at the end of class, the implications that some of these influences might have on the Earth in the next 10, 50, 100, 1,000 years.  I think some of my students’ eyes were opened to how we seem to be pushing along the process of evolution, from a natural selection perspective, thus making it not entirely natural, as it was intended to be.

Melting Icebergs!

Melting Icebergs Experiment:

Question 9: Extended Questions

a. What happens if the polar ice caps melt?

Our polar ice caps comprise approximately 75% of Earth’s fresh water.  This being said, if the polar ice caps melted, it would have quite dramatic effects on the planet.  Most of our metropolitan areas are located along continental coasts.  Based on the experiment, as the polar ice caps melt, ocean levels will rise, subsequently flooding our shores first.  Although I do believe that global warming is a true concern for our planet and highly based on anthropogenic causes, I am unsure how relevant the melting of polar ice caps is to the general public when discussing possible implications of global warming.  Let’s think about it for a second.  Most of the world’s ice is in Antarctica.  With average temperatures around -37°C, the melting of this ice mass is unlikely.  But, even if a portion of the Earth’s polar ice caps melted, either in the Northern or Southern Hemispheres, this would still cause ocean water levels to rise a few feet.  These few feet could still be catastrophic, especially to these highly populated coastal metropolitan areas.  As these levels continue to rise, the addition of salt water to farmland could also be destructive to crop production.

b. What other questions do you have about this Science Inquiry Experience?

-       What is the current rate of polar ice cap melting?

-       How much does the Earth’s climate/average temperature increase each year?

-       How do carbon emissions increase each year?

-       Since the “green movement” that began a few years ago, including “green” appliances, vehicles, and other machinery, has the rate of global warming and/or carbon emissions decreased at all? How much more of this will it take to either stop global warming where it is or reverse its effects?

STEM Lesson Design Reflection

This past week’s lesson design assignment was not particularly challenging at first because I had many lessons already made to choose from, but once I figured out that we had to specifically relate it to a “historical background” benchmark and a unifying theme of science I had a much more difficult time coming up with a specific lesson to construct.  I guess I found this difficult because of the degree to which these standards were history/social studies based.  Once I found that a lesson on natural selection would be applicable, this assignment was simpler.  So, in sum, my feelings towards this assignment flip-flopped quite a bit!

On another note, however, I was very pleased to see that we were asked to construct a lesson using the 5 E’s format.  This is how I construct all of my lessons, as I was taught this method of lesson planning during my undergraduate education and teacher training.  It is so conducive to the administration and facilitation of inquiry-based and cooperative learning lessons.  The particular lesson that I constructed was a combination of two lessons that I currently teach, modified and condensed to fit an hour-long class period.  This was a great experience because it made me realize how these two lessons could easier be condensed and made more effective because of it.  I am interested to see how this new lesson will work in a real classroom setting.  I tend to be highly reflective during the lesson planning process, and have always had a knack for time management in the classroom.  For these reasons, I think that I produced a really solid lesson.  I cannot wait to implement it within the next two months!

To begin...

As this school year begins, I am extremely pumped to be such a great journey with my students!  Just as last year intrigued me because it was my first year teaching, so does this year, but for so many more reasons.  I strongly hope that I can apply knowledge and practices gained in this course directly to my classroom!