Transcript The Earth and Space Sciences in the National Science

Inquiry in the
National Science Education Standards:
From Structured Exercises to
Guided Learning Experiences to
Open Ended Research
John T. Snow
College of Geosciences
The University of Oklahoma
National Research
Council, 1996:
National Science
Education Standards
National, not federal
A consensus document
Reform-oriented, idealistic
Controversial  inquiry
based
Elevates the Earth and Space
Sciences to the same level as
the Physical and Life Sciences
WHY DO WE WANT STUDENTS
TO LEARN SCIENCE?
• To better appreciate the natural world and the events
that occur within it -- requires knowledge and
understanding
• To lay foundation for careers in the designed world of a
modern technological society – may influence career
choices; scientific understanding necessary to appreciate
“how things work” in the modern world
• To contribute in an informed manner to personal,
professional, and societal decisions -- requires
development of “habits of mind”, skills, and experiences
applicable to the formulation and solution of problems
WHAT IS THE DESIRED OUTCOME
OF SCIENCE EDUCATION?
A scientifically literate individual who ...
… knows relevant parts of the accumulated body of knowledge
about the natural world (what scientists know – content 
“facts”, theories, models);
… understands that science is a systematic method for exploring
the natural world (how scientists have come to know what they
know -- processes, methods, critical thinking; appreciation of risk
and uncertainty); and
… applies the knowledge and processes of science to the solution
of real-world problems (using a scientific approach to solving
problems; arguing from data; estimating risk in decisions due to
the uncertainty; appreciates and looks for unintended
consequences)
What is “Inquiry”?
Hard to define precisely, multiple meanings
 Elements of scientific inquiry  informed,
structured, empirical

 Stating a problem in a testable fashion
Designing an experiment; collection and critical analysis
of data
 Reasoning and drawing conclusions from the data;
conclusions placed in context of what was previously known
 Determining and stating uncertainty
…


Pedagogical inquiry  scientific inquiry + …
 Age appropriate

Structured, guided to attain specific learning objectives
Can the National Science Education
Standards be Implemented without
using Inquiry in the Classroom?
Yes …
… but most of the reform element is
lost
See “Science as Inquiry” sections in NSES
K-4 (p. 121)
5-8 (p. 143)
9-12 (p. 173)
Using Inquiry, How Should
Science Be Taught?
Shift the focus of instructional activity from
teaching to student learning

 Curriculum and materials lay out a sequence of
guided inquiries, presenting factual material only as
needed; assessment tools focus on understanding of
processes
 Role of the instructor shifts from presentation of
rote material to leading/mentoring students through
a series of rediscovery experiments
“Teaching is nothing more (and
nothing less) than a conscious
attempt to structure experiences so
that desired themes emerge out of
guided manipulation of realistic
data in compelling situations.”
P.J. Gersmehl, 1995
Using Inquiry, How Should
Science Be Taught?

Emphasize
In-depth understanding of a relative few
fundamental elements (balance of “processes” with
“facts”  less is indeed more)
 Quantitative problem solving
 Critical thinking, reasoning from data, and
evaluating of new scientific findings
 Decision making in a scientific context
 Applying understandings to new situations
(assessment)

Less is More
“The test of a successful education is
not the amount of knowledge that a
pupil takes away from a school, but his
appetite to know and his capacity to
learn. If the school sends out children
with the desire for knowledge and some
idea of how to acquire and use it, it will
have done its work.”
Richard Livingstone, 1941
Impediments to Using Inquiry in
Teaching
Lack of understanding/acceptance of
Less is More
 Time

Cannot approach “inquiry” as enrichment
Curricula and supporting materials
 Teacher Preparation
 Traditional focus on grade-level, fact-based
learning

 Current national desire is to produce well-paid
technicians, not scholars, scientists, or artists
Illustrative Examples from the
NSES - Vignettes
Science Olympiad (p. 39)
Musical Instruments (p. 47)
The Insect and the Spider (p. 80)
Weather (p. 130)
Weather Instruments (p. 136)
Pendulums (p. 148)
Funny Water (p. 130)
The Egg Drop (p. 162)
Fossils (p. 182)
Photosynthesis (p. 194)
The Solar System (p. 215)
See also: Analysis of Scientific Inquiry (p. 202)
Further Examples
Young students (K – 4): structured exercises – collecting and
classifying rocks, leaves, insects around a stream
Orient on hands-on work (collect both quantitative and qualitative data)
Middle School (5 – 8): guided learning experience – investigating a
stream and it’s watershed
Emphasize interpretation and application of visual materials (maps,
imagery, plots) – reasoning from data
Capstone ESS experience at grade 8?
High School (9 – 12): open-ended research project – stream water
chemistry and relationship to underlying geology and land use in
the watershed
Establish relevance of scientific knowledge and way of thinking to the lives
of the students, now and in the future
Capstone ESS experience at grade 12?; possibility of building on physics,
chemistry, biology
The Challenge
Devising inquiry based curricula and
materials that in the available time
communicate the essential content and
skills required to meet the demands of
standardized testing while providing valid
research experiences
A Few Words About Technology
Use technology to complement, supplement,
and extend rather than simply replicate
Use technology only where it enhances student
learning in the classroom, laboratory, and field
 Ingest, assimilation, analysis, and display of
large spatial and/or temporal data sets
 Imagery to document events

 Interactive modeling of the Earth System
“systems thinking”  problem solving
“what if games”  policy, strategy
A Few Recommendations
Classroom, laboratory, and field activities
should encourage active inquiry, and illuminate
societal issues and the connections between
scientific and non-scientific disciplines
 Place principles and problem-solving methods
in the context of the local environment (rural,
urban, …)
 Ensure that curriculum materials reflect the
diversity of the population, locally, nationally, and
globally

John T. Snow ([email protected])
http://geosciences.ou.edu
College of Geosciences
The University of Oklahoma
Sarkeys Energy Center, Suite 710
100 E. Boyd Street
Norman, Oklahoma 73019 USA
Telephone: 405-325-3101
FAX: 405-325-3148
Key Concepts in the Earth and
Space Sciences:
• Formation, continuous co-evolution over deep
time, present day structure
• Processing of energy through the system and
recycling of material within the system
• Interactions and interconnections between
geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and the biota
• Humanity as a element of the System
The Challenge: develop age-appropriate inquiry based exercises
that foster in students an understanding of the components,
evolution, and functioning of the Earth System
Charge to Material Developers
and Curriculum Builders
Use Earth System Science as a unifying
framework to demonstrate the
interrelationships between all components of
the Earth System and humankind
 Implement “best practices” to educate all
constituencies, including groups currently
under represented in science
