Scientific Inquiry

Scientific inquiry is an activity 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 Science Education Standards
2002
Inquiry is best when student driven
- How do you get students to ask inquiry questions that lead to investigations?
- Do some of the ideas about inquiry seem idealistic? Do most students enter class with all sorts of questions? Is this realistic?
- One way to do this is to provide an example of a phenomenon and seek students’ input on how the phenomenon occurred.
- …then make them prove it through constructing questions, making inferences and observations, conducting investigation and use data driven evidence.
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TRAILS Scientific Inquiry Process

Scientific Inquiry Featured Lessons

Planting Roots
Lesson Overview: Students will design and print a model root structure based off of native plants in your area to help ...

Temporary Sanctuary
Lesson Overview: Lesson focuses on students learning about how sustainability, biomimicry, and architecture can work together to create innovative and ...

This project is supported by the National Science Foundation, award # DRL – 2148781 (Purdue University) / 2148782 (University of Hawaii). Any opinions and findings expressed in this material are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF.