Introduces an activity for fifth grade elementary students on water, cohesion, and adhesion. Provides a list of necessary materials and includes a checklist for performance based assessment. Recommends follow up experiments for testing cohesive property with different liquids. (YDS)

Describes the development of narrative inquiry, highlighting one institutional setting, and discussing how narrative inquiry moved from being a research tool to a vehicle for curriculum within both graduate and preservice teacher development. After discussing theoretical resources for narrative inquiry, the paper examines criteria and terms…

Responds to the article "Why People in the Past Acted as They Did: An Exploratory Study in Historical Empathy" focusing on three particular issues: (1) the relationship between empathy and history; (2) the extent to which reflexivity unites with empathy; and (3) the question of how empathy operates practically in the history classroom. (CMK)

The same issues in science education have been discussed since the 1930s. Discusses the structure of college education and focuses on what students should know and be able to do. Points out the changes in college science instruction. (Contains 11 references.) (YDS)

Defines "Theme Study" with three essential elements: use of broad, powerful ideas; inquiry-based approaches to curricula; and a community of inquiry of students and teacher. Shares experiences in applying these elements and discusses essential aspects of classroom instruction. (DSK)

Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides an excellent tool for students to enter into inquiry-based science. This very simple organism is used to demonstrate that the principles governing life apply to all organisms. Students learn to design experiments using trypan blue and heat, build upon their findings with new experiments, and refine and repeat…

Illustrates the use of an inductive approach that leads students to the discovery of Avogadro's number while integrating thinking, mathematical, and calculator skills in the process. An understanding of scientific notation and a calculator are required. (DDR)

Preservice teachers must learn to seek ways to transform the pedagogic world rather than conform to it as it is written, with traditions, conventions, rules, and patterns. They are encouraged to try to write the pedagogic world of students and teachers and live un/grammatically, challenging the ways that the world has been written for them. (SM)

Explains what inquiry-based science instruction means and points out the difficulty of creating this kind of instruction for teachers who are inexperienced in teaching. Presents a case study of a preservice teacher who explored whether it is realistic to expect preservice teachers to create and carry out an inquiry-based classroom. (Contains 38…

Examines the effects of investigative, open-ended, and inquiry-based labs on students' ability to ask high-level and open-ended questions. Recommends combining direct instruction in questioning with increased background information to improve students' questions. (Contains 19 references.) (YDS)

Considers the importance of teaching kindergarten students to read, write, and function mathematically so they could engage in scientific inquiries in a meaningful way. Describes the author's efforts to concentrate energy on learning to read, write, function mathematically, and focus on scientific study. Notes that the first focused study of the…

Notes that inquiry allows the author's students to learn on their own every day; it gives them the opportunity to investigate, explore, and discover the world around them by developing and using their own questions, thoughts, and interests. Concludes that her intention is to promote her students' feelings of self-esteem, success, self-worth, and…

Uses the precise language of science to help teachers develop students' science process skills. Provides critical definitions for the terms observation, inference, prediction, hypothesis, guess, and operational question. By reducing the reliance on guessing, teachers encourage and model the fundamental inquiry skills necessary to do science. (SAH)

Describes an animal behavior experiment using guppies. Students observe the behavior of a guppy as it feeds on prey and make observations, collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and design their own experiments. (SAH)

Explores how an inquiry-based demonstration classroom in-service program impacted the beliefs and practices of 14 secondary science teachers. Focuses on the in-service program participants' beliefs while in-class observations of participants documented their instructional practices. Discusses the effects of the program on the participants.…