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I believe that inquiry based learning is also extremely beneficial for students especially at the lower elementary grades. Like mentioned by others, this type of learning helps the students think for themselves. There are also different types of inquiry based learning, depending on how much direction you would like to give the students. If you are going to completely hand over the reins to the students this is called an open inquiry. In this inquiry the students will be in charge of coming up with a question/problem, procedure, and results/ analysis. This would be a great way to get the students to think creatively and problem solve. However, for the younger students it could be hard for them to come up with everything on their own. So, for this age group I would recommend a structured inquiry. For this, you as the teacher would come up with the question/problem, and the procedure for everyone to do. Then the students would have to analyze and reason as to why these things occurred. In my science methods class we did an experiment called "dancing raisins for our structured inquiry. We were given the question of, "Why do raisins, when added to a cup of sparkling water float to the top of the cup?" We were also given the procedure of putting five raisins in two cups with the same amount of liquid, one with sparkling water and one with regular water. Then it was our job to analyze why it was that the raisins floated in the sparkling water. I think that this would be a great idea of a structured inquiry for younger elementary grades. You can structure it, but still gets them thinking!

Kevin, I am in my first semester of student teaching at an elementary in Houston, Tx. The school has recently moved to a IB curriculum. I am working with 5th grade students and I have to agree with the other posts that it would definitely be to your best interest to guide the questioning. The students, even 5th grade, often have a hard time focusing on specific aspects that are necessary to move forward with the lessons.

Hi Kevin! I am currently taking Teaching Elementary School Science, as an undergraduate. I also love using the 5E lesson plan/model for any lesson I want to teach in any subject! I saw that others mentioned it before me but I thought I would dive deeper into it for you! If you are not familiar with the model, it breaks the lesson down into 5 parts. The lesson plan starts with the [b]Engage[/b]. This is where you want to [i]capture the students' interest[/i], help them to make connections with that they know and can do, and the teacher provides an orientation to the lessons. It is also important to assess the students' prior understanding of the concepts you will address in the lesson. Next, the [b]Explore[/b] phase, you will have the students do a [i]hands-on activity[/i] to to explore the concept further. During this phase the [u]teacher, you, needs to keep their hands out![/u] You want the students to define the problem/phenomenon in their own words. The third phase, the [b]Explain[/b] phase, is [i]teacher centered.[/i] This is where you will [i]teach the concept that you want your students to learn.[/i] You can do this through demonstrating, lecturing, reading, or through video or computer-based media. The [b]Elaborate[/b] phase follows the Explain phase. Here the students will e[i]laborate on their understanding of what you just taught[/i]. Ideally you want the [u]students to interact with each other[/u] so they can discuss their ideas and construct a deeper understanding of the concepts. The 5th and final phase is the [b]Evaluate[/b] phase. This is where your students can further elaborate on their understanding of the concept, you what they know now and what they have yet to figure out. It is important that you follow these steps in order.  You can [b]not [/b]rearrange the order! I am in class with Kennedy, who posted before me, and I completely agree with what she has to say! If you take what she said and implement using the 5E lesson plan you are golden! There are so many essential features of science inquiry, here are three that I really like: [ol] [li]The learner engages in scientifically oriented questions.[/li] [li]The learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions.[/li] [li]The learner formulates explanations from evidence.[/li] [/ol] I have attached a short article regarding Next Generation Science Standards and 5E Lesson Plans.

Attachments

Editor's Note: Developing Coherent Lessons With the NGSS and 5E (Journal Article)

Hi Kevin! Recently, I have learned a lot about inquiry based learning and how to incorporate it into my lessons. The one thing to remember is that there are four different levels of inquiry based learning. The lowest level is Confirmation Lab. This is where the teacher provides the problem, procedures and results. The next level is the Structured Inquiry. The teacher is responsible for providing the problem and the procedures, the student is responsible for providing the results. Next, is the Guided Inquiry. In this one, the teacher only provides the problem/questions and the students are in charge of providing the procedures and the results. The highest level of inquiry is the Open Inquiry. This is where the students are in charge of everything. The students are the ones that produce the question, they create the procedures to answer the question, and they obtain the results. Open inquiry could be challenging for students K-2, but it definitely is not impossible. Guided Inquiry could also be used with this age group. However, this inquiry could be more challenging with the age group. After you give the students the question, you could have them discuss in a large group what steps they would have to follow to answer the question. This way you aren't giving them the steps, you are allowing them to work together with you assisting if needed. This activity could be used to answer questions related to the seasons or animals. Structured Inquiry might be the best way to incorporate inquiry based learning into your classroom. This way you could give the students the question they need to answer and the procedures they need to follow, then the students can conduct the experiments in their groups. This way you are allowing your students to complete the experiment on their own, but you are providing the structure of the assignment since the age group is so young.

Kevin, Like others have stated, inquiry in the classroom is very important. In my experience throughout my schooling in Elementary Education and working as a lead teacher in a daycare, I have learned just how important inquiry is to a child's learning. Not only in science but all aspects of learning, I feel that it is important to involve some type of inquiry. A huge part of a child's learning and understanding is their thought process and carrying out that process themselves. As teachers it is hard sometimes for us to let students struggle and not provide the correct answer. However, this is important for students to go through to work through problems and figure them out themselves. Based on the age and development of the children depends on what exact type of inquiry to use to prompt the children. Starting at the lower grades using Confirmation Lab Inquiry, moving up to Structured Inquiry, Guided Inquiry and then the highest level of Open Inquiry for the higher grades that can do most of the thinking for themselves. All four of these inquiry based learning approaches give the students some accountability of their own learning.

Hi Kevin, As others have stated, inquiry based learning is very beneficial for all grade levels. I feel as though some of the high levels of inquiry are more beneficial for the higher elementary, middle and high school age levels, there are many of the lower levels of inquiry that are more appropriate for the K-2 grade levels. I think that in order to incorporate inquiry based learning in these grades you need to have a focus of using confirmation in the kindergarten levels and then moving towards a structured and guided approach for the 1st and 2nd graders. With these particular levels of inquiry based learning the teacher is providing some guidance for the investigations, but not completely leaving it open to the children's decisions. The fact that they have a portion of the investigation that is solely theirs is very important for them to build their education levels and further their learning in science and defining skills.

Kevin- I am in an Elementary School Science class, as an undergraduate at UNI. I have loved learning about all of the inquiries there are in science! I believe that inquiry based learning is very beneficial for students especially in the lower elementary grades. Kevin, there are also different types of inquiry based learning, The lowest level is Confirmation Lab; this is where the teacher provides the problem, procedures and the results. The next level is Structured Inquiry; the teacher here is responsible for providing the problem and the procedures then the student is responsible for providing the results. Guided Inquiry is where the teacher only provides the problem and the questions and the students are in charge of making the procedures and coming up with the results. The highest level of inquiry is Open Inquiry; this is where the students’ make the question they come up with the procedures to answer the question, and they finalize their results on their own! I know others had mentioned some of the inquiry based learning’s but I thought it would be beneficial for you to see and have them mapped out! I also like that Keaton stated the 5E lesson plan/model! Because I too have loved getting to use this method and learning more about the 5E’s! The 5E’s would also help in planning a specific inquiry/lesson for your students! Good luck!

Kevin- I am in an Elementary School Science class, as an undergraduate at UNI. I have loved learning about all of the inquiries there are in science! I believe that inquiry based learning is very beneficial for students especially in the lower elementary grades. Kevin, there are also different types of inquiry based learning, The lowest level is Confirmation Lab; this is where the teacher provides the problem, procedures and the results. The next level is Structured Inquiry; the teacher here is responsible for providing the problem and the procedures then the student is responsible for providing the results. Guided Inquiry is where the teacher only provides the problem and the questions and the students are in charge of making the procedures and coming up with the results. The highest level of inquiry is Open Inquiry; this is where the students’ make the question they come up with the procedures to answer the question, and they finalize their results on their own! I know others had mentioned some of the inquiry based learning’s but I thought it would be beneficial for you to see and have them mapped out! I also like that Keaton stated the 5E lesson plan/model! Because I too have loved getting to use this method and learning more about the 5E’s! The 5E’s would also help in planning a specific inquiry/lesson for your students! Good luck!

Hi Kevin - I am an undergraduate student at the University of Northern Iowa studying elementary education. Additionally, I grew up in the era of No Child Left Behind from the beginning of my k-12 education to the end. I first want to reflect on what my experience in science was through NCLB. No Child Left Behind told me what was important across the curriculum. Specifically in science, I was told what experiments to do, what we were testing, how to set them up, and then I was presented with the data I should have collected from the experiment. The experiments didn't peak my interest in the least; therefore, my interest in pursuing a STEM major went out the window before I truly understood what it meant to be a scientist. As I learn the future of education through my degree, I believe inquiry based education must start early to engage students in critical thinking and exploration. When students have a say in their education, they have ownership and an authentic investment in seeing it through. At younger ages (k-2), it may be best to engage in guided inquiry. This enables teachers introduce and focus students on a particular phenomena, and it allows children to engage in higher order thinking skills through authentic experiences.

Hi Kevin! Inquiry based learning is important, even in the younger elementary grades. When students engage in inquiry based learning they are developing problem solving abilities and critical thinking skills. Students learn to take ownership over their own learning. Inquiry-based learning provides student the opportunity to practice using creativity and collaboration. To help students learn the routines of science inquiry, you can begin the year with structured inquiry. The structured inquiry model allows the teacher retain more control over the experiment. As you and the students become more comfortable with the procedures of inquiry, you can gradually release control. Guided and open inquiry models allow for increased student autonomy. When creating science inquiry lessons, you should have students explore natural phenomena they encounter in everyday life. This will increase engagement as students can apply their background knowledge to the creation, exploration, and explanation of an experiment. What a great question! I hope this helped!

Hi Kevin, As has been stated previously, inquiry based learning is very important in the elementary grades. Rather than just having students learn outcomes, it allows them to dig deeper into the concepts by letting them explore and understand the processes. When inquiry based learning is first introduced in early elementary, it can’t just be introduced all at once to the students and have them be responsible for all aspects of inquiry, that would just cause confusion and frustration. Inquiry based learning must be introduced gradually. Starting with the teacher providing all aspects of inquiry. The students can then find the solutions by themselves, working all the way up to Open Inquiry, where students are responsible for coming up with their question, the steps for the experiment, and the solution.

I firmly believe that inquiry based learning is the best way to teach/learn science. Starting by having your students ask questions about science or what they are working on creates an environment to explore more than just one avenue of science. Using just facts only allows students to discover that specific avenue of science. In my classroom, I will have my students start individually asking questions about science or what we are working on. Then I will have them transition into small groups. Finally, I will have them come together as a large group and we will explore all of our questions about science. I believe this is a great way to teach/learn science because it allows students to discover science from where they are at.

I am just learning about inquiry learning for elementary students. I think that if implemented correctly it should really help a student to start reasoning and to start thinking critically when it comes to science. I am used to science experiments when I was in school and they would give us step by step directions to come to a final thought. I felt like I was learning but now that I am older and I start to think about the topic I was taught, I realize that I do not really know much more than what was given to me. I can follow steps and be content that I learned something new but not really making any other connections which is what science should be about. Like you, I want to be a resource to my students and provide them with something to get their brains thinking. I hope to learn more about inquiry and what science experiments are more beneficial. It is good to know that others have the same questions as I do.

Inquiry-based learning is very beneficial for younger elementary students! Having the students engage in activities that they can relate to helps them understand the science context behind it better, instead of just giving them some definitions and concepts. This allows them to actually learn as they are doing.

Kevin,

I am also learning about inquiry-based learning in a Science methods course. I personally think that inquiry based learning is beneficial because it allows the students to take more charge with their learning and isn't so set in stone. This allows the instructor to learn alongside their students since you don't know where each lesson will take the class. I recently learned about the KLEWS method with inquiry-based learning. It is similar to KWL but specifically for science classes. It allows the students to write down what they think they Know, what they are Learning, what is the supporting Evidence, what they are Wondering and leastly, what are the Science concepts that they are using. I believe this model is excellent to use because it allows students to go more in depth with their thinking.

Hi Kevin! I am an undergraduate at the University of Northern Iowa studying elementary education. Right now, I am taking a science course that deals with how to teach science to elementary students are we are actually on our unit that is about inquiry. Science has never been my strong subject and as a child, I don't remember doing a lot of science experiments in the classroom. But science looks a lot different today than it did 15 years ago. I believe that inquiry-based learning is very beneficial to all students but especially lower elementary. First, it is very hands-on and lower elementary students need hands-on activities that will engage them and excite them. I know from prior experience that children learn better when they are actively engaged and participating in instruction. Inquiry-based instruction does the trick. Using inquiry-based instruction gets the students thinking on their toes and figuring out what is actually happening in their experiment and why it is happening. Students are able to plan an investigation, predict what is going to happen, carry out the investigation while observing, and finally find evidence as to what happened and if your prediction was correct. There are four different types of inquiry; confirmation, structured, guided, and open. In a lower elementary class, I would use structured or guided. The difference between these two are simple. Structured inquiry is where the teacher poses a question and the steps to complete the investigation while the students have to observe what happens and explain what their thinking is. Guided inquiry is where the teacher poses a question and the students get to plan and carry out the investigation. Throughout all inquiry, students are asking and answering questions which are very important because it keeps the students engaged and thinking. Inquiry-based science instruction is hands-on, engaging, encouraging, ongoing, and requires interacting with others. Inquiry-based science instruction is very important and will show its great effects of being beneficial to both the students and the teacher. 

Hi Kevin! I am currently talking Methods of teaching Science as an undergraduate at the University of Northern Iowa. We currently just learned about the inquires there are in science. I loved learning about them. I personally believe that inquiry based learning is very beneficial for students, especially in lower elementary. In science they are different types of inquiry based learning. The lowest level is Limited/Confirmation lab, this is where the teacher provides the problem, procedures and the results for the students. This is very helpful for your students who are just learning about science. The next level is structured inquiry, this is when the teacher is responsible for providing the problem and procedures and the students provide the results. Guided Inquiry is where the teacher only provides the problem and questions and the students are in charge of making the procedures and results. The highest level of inquiry is Open Inquiry, this is where the students' make the question then they come up with the procedures to answer the question, and then they finalize their own results. I know you were very interested in learning about inquiry based learning but I think the others are very beneficial for you to see.  This would help you plan a lesson for a specific lesson! I attached a link at the bottom that helped me understand the different levels. I wish you the best of luck!

https://inquiryineducation.wordpress.com/4-levels-of-inquiry/

Hi Kevin! I am a senior at the Univeristy of Northern Iowa! I am in my Methods of Science class and we have tealked a lot about inquiry based learning. Inquiry based learning is absolutely beneficial for grades K-2. It is beneficial for all grades! Inquiry based learning is a very active form of learning. Inquiry based learning helps our students to develop information processing skills and problem solving skills as well. This not only helps them in school but these processing skills and problem solving skills will help them throughout their entire life. In grades K-2 inquiry based learning could be anything from exploring possible solutions to a question or problem to evaluating and assessing their understadnings with the help of using evidence. 

It is crucial for inquiry to be introduced to students at the k-2 age. Inquiry has several different forms, and should exist in k-2 classrooms. Depending on the grade, students and their background knowledge the different kinds of inquiry may be more efficient. The four types of inquiry are open, guided, directed and confirmation labs. These styles of inquiry progress from the most to least student lead, and at a younger age students may need extra guidence. At these younger ages students may need help faciliating discussion and thinking, and as an educator you can guide discussion about the topic, question, procedure and analysis of a given topic. In the curriculm course that I am currently in, our teacher performed an inquiry based lesson about what objects sink and float. This would be an activity that you could easily introduce in a k-2 classroom. Students would be able to formulate and record their own POE, or Predictions, Observation, and Explaination, for each fruit that either sinks or floats. Our professor made this inquiry based as she just guided discission and student wonderment about each fruit. Our class practiced using a KLEWs chart to scaffold the direction of our learning. KLEWS is similar to a KWL chart, and was a vital part of our science inquiry. Below I attached a picture of an example of a KLEWS chart, the image and more information can be found in the previous link. The following scholarly article discusses the relevance of inquiry based in k-6 classrooms that I found very beneficial! 

Hi Kevin,

I am currently studying Early Childhood education and taking a Science Methods course.  We have also been talking a lot on inquiry based learning and the different types of inquiry based learning.  I personally haven't seen it done yet in schools but from what I've learning in my class and videos we've watched the inquiry based learning can be very beneficial because instead of the traditional lecture based science class students are able to explore a science question hands on.  Students benefit a lot more when they experience something first hand try to figure out their own answers and not just read about or have the teacher directly state answers.  A good way to incorporate it for example in elementary school would be to incorporate guided inquiry.  In this type of inquiry a teacher would pose the science question that he/she wants the class to explore and provide the materials.  The students would then brainstorm their ideas and come up with ways to solve the problem.  They could work in teams or as a large group with this inquiry.  Students would also come up with their own reasoning as well as to why something may be happening in their investigation.  

Hi Kevin!

I am working a lot with inquiry-based learning and how to incorporate it in a classroom with my courses right now. I found this link that is awesome. It is from a social studies magazine, but it incorporates inquiry-based learning and science.

https://www.socialstudies.org/publications/ssyl/march-april2018/using-c3-framework-to-explore-the-economics-of-constructing-a-dwelling

Even if you don't use this lesson exactly, I like the six phases that are outlined in here that can be transferred into all inquiry based lessons. Also, I think it is easy to underestimate what early childhood kiddos can do. In this article second graders are building a model house and they learn so much from it. Having students create their own compelling question really does keep them involved in the process and gives them some responsibility for answering their question.

I believe that inquiry-based learning can be very beneficial for younger elementary school grades. It helps them take their natural wonders about the world and use the scientific process to help them explain these wonders. About a year ago, I had the opportunity to teach inquiry based science units to second graders. One of these units was about matter and how you can recognize the states of matter through their properties. I started off with the lesson by bringing many different objects that were solids, liquids, and gases. I asked them to sort them in groups to see how they would do it. They started out by grouping solid objects by size and color but when they got to liquids, gases, and baking soda they were very perplexed. They eventually wanted to sort them by their states of matter even though many of them didn’t really understand this concept yet. We then went into the process of writing down what makes these things similar and what properties they have. The students had a lot of trouble with the baking soda. They thought it was a liquid because it moved around in it’s container but once I gave them a magnifying glass they explained that it was just tiny rocks. As the unit went on we dealt more and more with states of matter and we eventually talked about how states can change. Many people don’t believe that students this young can do inquiry-based science but if you support them and give them an opportunity to explore they will start to come up with their own hypothesis on how the world works and that is exactly what “real scientists” do isn’t it?

Hi Kevin, I believe that inquiry based learning in science is very important, especially at the younger elementary level. Even though there are some terms in which younger students may not understand, demonstrating them or having them do them will help them to get a feel for the process of a scientific experiment. A teacher will be able to introduce terms later in the educational process, or could even do so within the experiment. This will allow students to get a real idea of what it looks like, rather than simply reading about an idea or being told about it. Overall I feel as though inquiry is an important part of sciences, especially in younger grades. 

As for incorporating this into the classroom, I feel as though an experiement with the germination of a seed would work perfectly with this. Students can make predictions about what will happen to the seed and come up with their own ideas. This will introduce them to the scientific process while giving them hands on experience. 

I think it is very important to start students off with inquiry based learning. Even at the Kindergarten level students can use more teacher guidance for lessons but it is much better than the traditional style of learning. The traditional style of learning really limited how stuents understood content. Inquiry based learning is taking a different apprach that helps students look at learning and science in a completely new way. Our hope as educators is to have all students walk away from the class with a strong understnading and I think inquiry based learning is a much better strategy. For really young students the teacher would probably have to create the lab or inquiry more for the students to follow but that doesn't mean the students can't use prior knowledge and resources to try and answer the question. I would probably create the question and give them a scenario to possibly solve the question. But I would also give them a lot of different ways to test their ideas. I would like students to come up with their own ideas for why something happens and then try and work together in groups to figure out how to test their ideas. Students can do a lot more beneficial learning when they are thinking and testing and coming to their own conclusion. They are much more likely to remember something that they thought of and tested than something a teacher just told them. 

Hi Kevin, I am currently attending the University of Northern Iowa and in my last year. Currently we are learning about how inquiry-based learning can be an advantage to helping students learn. I think there are a couple ways to look at inquiry-based learning in elementary. Being in the education field we know that not all students think the same exact way and not all learn as quickly as others. My sister is a middle school science teacher. After talking to her and reading a few articles I have come up with the following analysis. There are few things to keep in mind. As I previously stated, kids learn at different speeds. A lot of times many feel like they will not come up with the right answer. It is in my opinion that students be grouped together based on their abilities and knowledge. Then come up with different examples each group can work through. One of the biggest downfalls to this style of learning is that the kids at such a young age don’t have the ability to have previous knowledge to use. This could cause them doubt, but if we come up with multiple examples they know that they won’t be compared to another groups and allows them to relax. Another key to having young students use this method is to have a somewhat of a structure they can follow. If they don't have anywhere to start they are behind before they start. As the students get older, the structure can be slowly lost while they get more prone to strategically thinking. What I have also learned is that the sooner we can get students using the inquiry-based system, the better off they are in the future. If we only learn problem solving through a book with a set of instructions on how to think, they can be set up for failure when they are out on their own as college students and even adults in the work force. Life doesn't have a single correct answer to every problem, kids must learn how to think their way through a problem, and to me, inquiry-based learning is the best method. 

Hi Kevin! I am taking a science methods course with University of Northern Iowa. I would say that using inquiry-based teaching is crucial to an elementary science classroom. This is especially true for younger students, who are just developing their understanding of science. I read the article, 'Inquiry Made Easy,' written by Wendy Pierce, she states, 'Although I believe students should have the opportunity to experience open-ended inquiries, I understand the complexities of teaching. Approaching new teaching strategies slowly will likely create lasting science reform.' Meaning, the more effort we put into our lesson plans, the longer this technique will stick around. This is technique lets students have a better understanding of the material because they are coming up with the questions, doing the experiments, and recording their findings. It develops an interest in science, which I wish I would have had in elementary. I remember the long, drawn out science classes that consisted of just simply writing down notes and memorizing them for the test. Then after the unit, the information would fly out of my head. If students are allowed to do inquiry-based practices, they will have that information in their head for longer than just a unit. They can see a question on the test, and think back to the experiment that they did a week ago. I practiced inquiry-based teaching of science over the summer. I worked as an elementary lead teacher at a daycare. We did a simple experiment of filling two cups with water, adding baking soda to each, and a string that had one end in each cup. We had the students predict what would happen, observe what we happening each day, and if their predictions were right. Once the baking soda created crystals on the string, we had them ask questions on why this was or what they wanted to try next. After that experiment, they wanted to try more. I think one of the most important things of inquiry-based instruction is that it gets kids excited about science. You can try very basic inquiries for younger children, and they will be focused and wanting to know more!

Hi Kevin! I am also taking a Science Methods course, but in my undergrad classes. We are learning a lot about inquiry based learning and how we can incorporate that into our lessons. There are essentially four different levels of inquiry based learning. The lowest level is called Confirmation Lab. The teacher essentially provides everything; the problem, the procedure, and the results. The next level is Structured Inquiry. In this, the teacher provides the problem and the procedures, but the students provides the results. The next level is Guided Inquiry. The teacher provides the problem or the question, but the students provide the procedures and results. The last, and the highest, level is Open Inquiry. The students are now in charge of everything; the problem, the procedure, and the results. This is what you will mainly see in grades 3 and up. This can be difficult in K-2, but can definitely be used. Based off all this information, inquiry in the classroom is extremely important to a child's learning. Their thought process in the moment is what leads them to carry out that process by themselves or in groups. If it is their question they are trying to figure out, they may feel more connected and want to figure out the answer more. This gives them accountability to their own learning and keeps them engaged throughout the whole process. No matter the grade, inquiry based learning can be used in each classroom and is extremely beneficial. 

Hi Kevin, I am currently taking a Teaching Elementary School Science course at the University of Northern Iowa. I personally think inquiry-based learning is very important for the younger elementary grades. Rather than the typical teaching methods of giving the students the outcomes, inquiry-based learning allows students to dive deeper into the concepts by having them explore and understand the process. I have recently learned a lot about inquiry-based learning, especially the different levels of inquiry. The lowest level of inquiry is the confirmation lab where the teacher provides the problem and/or question, procedures and results. The next level is structured inquiry where the teacher provides the problem/question and the procedure, but the students provide the results. Guided inquiry is another level where the teacher only provides the problem/question and then the procedures and results are provided by the students. The last level is open inquiry where the students provide all the problem/question, procedures, and results. I would recommend using structured and guided inquiry in the primary grade levels, (K-2). I think structured inquriy would work best with kindergarteners, because they might need some help and direction on the problem and procedures. Guided inquiry can be effective in 1st and 2nd grade classrooms, because the students might need help on providing a problem or question, but can execute the procedure. From my personal experience in elementary school, I was more engaged when I was investigating to find the answers to my own questions. It also helped me remember the content for future reference. Lastly, I think it is essential to have students explore natural phenomena that they will encounter in everyday life. By doing this, they will increase their engagement and add to their previous knowledge to the exploration and explanation of an investigation. I hope that my post and others are useful for you! 

Hi Kevin! 

Inquiry-based learning is a topic that has been newly discussed in a course I am currently enrolled in. I am an undergraduate student at the University of Northern Iowa majoring in Elementary Education. The course in which I am enrolled is a science methods course for pre-service teachers. We have been discussing a lot about inquiry based learning and the positive effects it has on students. When providing students with inquiry-based learning students are able to deepen their understanding, make research meaningful, and it empowers student voice. I have attached a link which discusses more benefits of using inquiry-based learning. 

Benefits of inquiry-based learning: https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/10-benefits-of-inquiry-based-learning/

There are many different ways to incorporate inquiry-based learning into the classroom for all ages. As an educator, I have a list of five strategies that help education professionals incorporate this learning strategy into the classroom.

1. Study your lesson plans.

2.Think of an Essential Question.

3. Plan for different learning skills

4. Gather all of your responses. 

5. Set expectations.

Teaching strategies for incorporating inquiry based learning: http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-use-inquiry-based-learning

Being in my Teaching Elementary School Science, I have come to learn that inquiry-based science adopts an investigative approach to teaching and learning where students are provided with opportunities to investigate a problem, search for possible solutions, make observations, ask questions, test out ideas, and think creatively and use their intuition. In this sense, inquiry-based science involves students doing science where they have opportunities to explore possible solutions, develop explanations for the phenomena under investigation, elaborate on concepts and processes, and evaluate or assess their understandings in the light of available evidence. This approach to teaching relies on teachers recognizing the importance of presenting problems to students that will challenge their current conceptual understandings so they are forced to reconcile anomalous thinking and construct new understandings.

These first few weeks in the course, our professor has engaged us in inquiry-based learning. Even as college students, the inquiry experienced we've been involved with has challenged our thinking by engaging us in investigating scientifically orientated questions where we learn to give priority to evidence, evaluate explanations in the light of alternative explanations and learn to communicate and justify our decisions. It hasn't been all that easy, but you can see how engaging everyone becomes, we even have to like bring our creative elementary school self out to help. I would say that at any age teaching  inquiry based lessons requires a teacher to excite and engage students' attention so that they want to investigate the topic.However, teaching it in the lower grades, the way teachers actually teach it has to be more hands-on, directive or guided, and concrete. 

Hi Kevin! I am an undergraduate at UNI taking a course on the Methods of Teaching Science. We have been talking a lot about inquiry-based learning, the different levels that comes with it, and the benefits of it. There are five different levels of inquiry in science education. Each of these comes with different levels of freedom for the student. The first level is limited/confirmation inquiry, in this level of inquiry the teacher has most of the control over the procedure that is taking place. The next level is Structured inquiry. In this level the teacher again has most of the control, however the students have a small say in what the results are from the investigation they took place in. The next level is guided inquiry. In this stage, the students start to have more control of the procedures they are going to be doing, the results they come up with, and the conclusion they decide upon. The next level is Teacher-directed inquiry. In this level the students have a lot of control, but do not get to decide what the topic is going to be. In the last level of inquiry, student-direted inquriy, the student and teacher pick the topic of the lesson, and the students have control of the rest. I believe that the benefit to the last form of inquiry is that it leaves the students to really explore what they are learning about. They aren't just given all of the information; instead they really have to explore and work to figure out the answer. This is why I believe inquiry-based learning is so important. It lets the students really explore the investigation and take control of their own learning. You could easily incorporate student-directed inquiry into all of those grade levels. However, it may be difficult for them to come up with the topic since they are younger, so teacher-directed would also be great for them. It depends on the students background knowledge of the concepts they are learning and their ability to formulate questions. 

Hi Kevin, my name is Macie. I am a senior at the University of Northern Iowa. In my science methods class we have been talking a lot about inquiry based learning. We have even done some experiences where we (as the students) are the ones doing the experiments. Inquiry based learning, I think, is very beneficial for students in the lower elementary grades. This gives the students a chance to be more involved with their learning, and really take charge in what they are learning. It also lets the students be more creative because they have to be the ones to ask questions and plan an experiment. I think we could easily incorporate inquiry based learning into every grade, it might be more difficult with younger grades like kindergarten and first grade, but this will also help to introduce the students to inquiry based learning right from the start. With the younger grades students might need more guidance in getting to some specific questions and knowing how to plan and set up an experiment.

Hello Kevin! I saw your post about why we should use inquiry-based learning in the classroom and how it was effective! I thought I would share some insight on what I've learned so far. I am currently a senior at the University of Northern Iowa and taking my Science Methods course. We are currently learning about scientific inquiry, and after learning about it, I am excited to incorporate into my future classroom as a lower elementary teacher. I'll start off by explaining what is it and ways you could use this in classrooms. The different levels are open, guided, directed, confirmation inquiries. Confirmation is mainly teacher focused and also the teacher to show the students the way during that project. The next one is directed, this is where the teacher provides the information and the procedures and let the student find the answers and results. The third level is guided where the teacher provides the question and allows the students to conduct the procedures and results. Lastly, is the Open inquiry, this is where the students from start to finish conduct all of the posing of questions to answer their own questions that could be backed up with data. For a lower level of elementary, it will be more of confirmation and direct because I want the students to find the information that we will be discussing. I want to incorporate this into all age levels because it allows students to have their own data and questions and be able to be hands on. With young kids, they tend to learn and do best when they are involved with their hands or doing an activity this type of learning can help support their learning and keep them interested in the topic. I've attached a picture to this to give you some words that come to mind when I think of science inquiry and ways it could spark an idea for you to be able to use.  

I am currently an undergraduate at the University of Northern Iowa with a major in Elementary Education. I am in an Elementary Education Science Methods class and we have been talking about inquiry-based learning. I have learned in my class that inquiry-based lessons are a very beneficial tool for elementary grade students. Inquiry-based learning allow students to be engaged throughout the whole lesson by making predictions, analyzing data, and participating in discussions about their reasonings and evidence. Discussions promote collaborative learning for students and give them a chance to view other ideas and reasonings. Teachers are then able to expand student learning by asking students questions that promote deeper thinking. Overall, inquiry-based learning present students with the opportunity to develop problem solving skills as well as a meaningful understanding of the science concepts being taught.

Kevin, I am an undergraduate student taking an elemenrary science methods course and we are learning about the how great inquiry-based learning is!  There is a model called the 5-E which has been mentioned in previous replies to your post and it is very helpful in lesson planning!  Inquiry-based learning is the complete oposite on how I was taught in school, so science was never one of my favorite subjects.  When I become a teacher I plan to base my science lessons or incorportate inquiry-based in all of my lessons for my future students. Inquiry-based is where students are able to explore on their own, instead of the teacher telling them what they should know. 

Kevin,

I am also in currently in a Science Methods course for my undergraduate. We learned about inquiry based learning and all of this is very new to me. I wish that this would have been implemented when I was in school. Before inquiry based learning became a 'thing' there was the teacher who gave the experiment and then told us there was one outcome and how it was supposed to go. Inquiry based learning is about letting the students figure out for themselves what the solution is. Obviously younger grades you have to make modifications to some of the things you are trying to teach. You might have to come up with the question you want your students to investigate, but the students figure the solution out by themselves. I think this is an awesome way for students to learn, and I think that I would enjoy science much more if I was allowed to explore and do experiments to solve a problem. This is a ways for students to become more involved in their learning and to take charge and think of ways to solve problems, while providing evidence. 

As an Early Childhood Education major looking at the effectiveness of inquiry based learning on younger students has been of special interest to me as well. In my curriculum class we talked about Project Based Learning. This is the idea of taking what children are already interested in and creating a project based on that and even letting the students guide and determine what happens in the project. To me, Inquiry-based learning is basically the same thing just geared specifically toward science. I got the opportunity to do a PBL project with a group of three and four year olds last year and was amazed by how much they learned while having experiences that answered their own questions. I was also amazed by how many standards we were able to cover even though they were the ones guiding the direction the project took. I think that if we give young children the opportunity in science to ask the questions that they have about science we would see the same kind of growth and I believe we would still be able to teach the science standards and concepts that are required. I think this is a great way to teach young children and to get them interested in learning about science for the rest of their lives. Below I have included the citation for the textbook we used to guide our project based learning project. 

Helm, J. H., & Katz, L. G. (2016). Young investigators: The project approach in the early years. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Hi Kevin,

I am currently in a Science Methods course for my undergraduate degree and we recently learned about inquiry based learning. After reading some other responses I would have to agree with having the questions be lead by you but let the students carry out the work and experiments. If the class you are teaching seems to have a great understanding of creating questions based on the topic, let them lead from the very beginning and create the questions themselves. In my class, we just did an experiment over things that float and things that don't. I think that would be a great topic to do for lower level and base it on age appropriate questions and objects. You can also tie in childrens books and do activities that would be beneficial for the age level you are teaching!

Best of luck,

Jessica 

Hi Kevin! My name is Annika, and I am an undergrad at UNI in a science method course. Inquiry based learning is so beneficial and effecgive for all students! In today’s society, our workforce demands individuals be inquisitive and be able to solve complex problems. Inquiry implies a need to know, where students seek answers and want to find resolutions. Educators can nurture these inquisitive minds so that students can carry this mind set with them throughout their life. One advantage is that students who are actively involved in the classroom develop problem-solving skills which can be applied to their schoolwork as well as later in life. An inquiry-based approach can also be used in any classroom and in any age group. Older students will benefit from more sophisticated questioning, but inquiry can be implemented into everyday activities with younger students. Inquiry-based learning works extremely well in a collaborative environment. Since inquiry is based on questioning, you will need at least two people to work with, one to ask and one to answer. Collaboration is so imporant, esspecially at a young age! Also struggling students who do not do well in a teacher-led classroom respond well to an inquiry-based learning environment. It helps builds their confidence and self-esteem. I was able to find a inquiry based lesson plan for Kindergarteners that I think would be helpful for you to do with young kids! Here is the link:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-resources/lesson-plans/create-shade

Hello Kevin! I currently am a student at the University of Northern Iowa and studying to be a teacher.  I am 100% on board with inquary based learning.  I think that it is the best way for students to really learn what we are teaching in our science classes.  The hands on and student driven structure behind the inquary classrooms are the key parts to it.  When we really invest and dive into the inquary based learning a really feel like this is where the students will get the best long term retainment of what we are teaching, much more so than just a simple lecture.  I am really excited, as a future educator, to teach in an inquary based classroom and to have that be the basis of my teaching.

Hi Kevin, I am a senior at UNI studying Early Childhood Education.  I am in a Teaching Elementary School Science class currently.  We have been learning that students can use models such as Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER).  Predictions are also another way that students have to think about the possible results and use their own reasoning before they see any results.  The results may solidify their thinking or change it dramaticly based on the results.  Within the classroom, I would recommend given students the space to do some pre-evidence thinking in which they can use previous experiences to think about what might happen.       

Hi Kevin!

I am also taking a Science Methods course which has me researching the benefits of inquiry-based learning.  From the experience I have collected, I have realized that allowing younger students to research and explore a certain topic of interest allows them to take pride in their work and yearn to solve their problem.  As the teacher, you can either provide the students with a broad topic and have them choose a specific topic within the topic, or have them explore anything they are interested in and create something from the topic.  From this type of experience, you, as the teacher, can incorporate math, reading and writing, technology skills, and of course meet NGSS science standards.  This type of learning is so beneficial both for your students and yourself as your students can explore what they love, and you can discover what your students' strengths and weaknesses are.

I believe inquiry-based learning is great. It gives students the opportunity to develop stronger relationships with their classmates, improves their communication skills, and increases their confidence they have in their own ideas and their ability to help the group. Inquiry-based learning is beneficial because it put the student's questions, observations and ideas at the center of their own learning experience. These components will help inquiry-based learning in the classroom: external support, educator guidance and support, understanding of audience, open-mindedness and spontaneity.

Inquiry based learning is benifical for all grade levels. With the lower elementary kiddos I would not let them do so much on their own but have it be more teacher directed. Ask them some open ended questions that they can find the answer to. Don't make the questions to hard but enough to provoke thinking. It is also important that you provide them with all the materials that they need to answer those questions. For young kids I find it beneficial that they do many hands on acitivites, they learn the most that way. It also keeps them engaged in the lesson so they are constantly learning as well. 

Inquiry-based learning helps students critically think about experiments and question the whys and allow for further questions to come up within lessons. I like the incorporation of POE charts (Predict, Observe, Evidence). Students make a prediction and then go on to compare those predications to what was observed. From here, they are able to compare and ask questions as to why things were happening. Then they can make additions to experiements to change results a bit and make even more predictions from them. Inquiry-based learning is something I will have in my future classroom because I've only experienced positive things from it. And the learning that occurd during that time went beyond what I beleive I would typically have. 

Good evening Kevin, I am currently in the education program and taking EDCI 3333 and based on what I have learned so far on inquiry-based learning in the science field within the lower grades is actually quite broad becasue the engagement is already there for the inquiry-based learning instruction to begin, considering children are very curious, always asking 'Why?' Heres a website I think you wil find quite helpful when incorporating inquiry based learning to K-2. https://www.edutopia.org/video/inquiry-based-learning-teacher-guided-student-driven

Hello Brooke, I like your inclusion of the 5E into Inquiry Based Learning. I agree with you because it is an opportunity for students to engage in activities that increases their metacognitive skills, which promotes higher order thinking. Through this method of learning in science, students can learn by investigating, exploring that creates discussions to the curious young mind.

Good Article posted.

I support your article Brooke. The five E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) has been emphasized in a plethera of my courses, especially classes with field experience. I have experienced great success when using the five E model as it helps both the teacher and students better prepare and execute lessons. Great read! 

Brooke, I couldn't agree more with your explination and further contribution to how and why inquiry is important for students within the classroom. I also think that on top of that, inquiry based learning provides the educator with the opportunity to plan and consider all areas of science before connections are made within the classroom. This plays a valuable roll because it then prepares the educator for whatever could happen within the classroom. I also believe that it recognizes and establishes the importance of using others, resources, journals, and previous scientists findings and knowledge to gain a deeper understanding of the natural world around us. This is why the Next Generation Science standards play a vital roll in following the 5E lesson plan model as well as P.O.E. (predict, observe, explain) and C.E.R. (claims, evidence, resoning) within the science classroom. On the Teach Channel website there is a framework called KLEWS. This is a type of strategy that allows students to connect in inquiry-based learning through the C.E.R. model of investigation. I have attached the link to this website below. Overall, I truly believe in the importance of integrating inquiry based learning within the classroom, but believe this cam be done is so many ways like KLEWS and C.R.E.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2017/12/01/klews-supporting-cer

Hi Ella!

I'm currently a junior at the University of Northern Iowa and also majoring in Elementary Education just as you are. As I was scrolling through some of the comments, something in your reply to Kevin really caught my eye. You stated, 'One of my college science classes was largely centered around inquiry based learning. I felt like I was learning so much more because I was actually a part of my learning.' That's my absolute favorite thing about inquiry-based learning! Students can actually get their hands dirty and become immersed in the wonders of science. Instead of the teacher doing all the talking, the students can be little scientists and become the ones in charge.

As we've been carrying out investigations in my own college science class, we've really been focusing on the framework of Predict, Observe, and Explain as well as Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. Although we have the convenience of class iPads to record all of this in our science journals electronically, elementary students could so easily record their own science findings in a simple notebook. It's so awesome that they can keep track of their own scientific discoveries from the time of their very first prediction, all the way to their final claim, along with reasoning to back up their evidence. 

Below is a link that will take you to the Smithsonian Science Education Center website. In the STEMvisions Blog I've selected, a professor from Australia shares some of her knowledge on inquiry-based science from the research she's conducted over the past 20 years. She especially stresses the importance of evidence. A few of the other topics covered in the blog include:

• What is inquiry-based science?
• How does inquiry-based science help students?
• How does a teacher know if he/she is successfully teaching science using an inquiry-based approach?
• Does inquiry-based science look different in a lower-elementary classroom than in a middle-school classroom?
• What are some common misconceptions that teachers have regarding inquiry-based science?

https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/what-inquiry-based-science 

Brianna, I am an Undergraduate studying Elementary Education and I agree with you that inquiry-based learning should increase for students as they get older and once into those upper grades, there should be large amounts of open inquiry. However, I do not believe you have to limit your k-2 students to only guided-inquiry. Little kids are curious and have tons of questions about the world around them. I think if we don't give our K-2 students also a chance to openly inquire about the world, they will struggle when they get to upper grades in which open inquiry is prevalent. It is important as you stated to start off with teacher direction through structured and guided-inquiry, but also help students through open inquiry in which they perhaps have more control over the lesson. They may surprise you with what they learn and come up with! In one of my college courses, I had the privilege of teaching a unit on engineering to a small group of second graders. To start the unit, we simply gave students blocks and had they make a marble roll. They did this however they wanted, and soon developed problems that they encountered and wrote down how they fixed them. I think this type of open inquiry allowed students to have fun and really go where they wanted to with the lesson. Student's still learned about problem-solving and Engineering but it was more student controlled!

Jamie, that is amazing to hear how the students you worked with who may not have been good in other subjects or considered to be below grade level are excelling at inquiry-based learning. I am a student majoring in Early Childhood Education and am currently learning more about using inquiry-based learning. I would agree that it is beneficial to start using inquiry-based learning at a younger age. In each grade the students are using the knowledge they gain from the year before. Like having your foundation and building from that.

Hi Gabe! I am currently studying elementary education and am taking a class where we are talking quite a bit about inquiry based learning. I would agree with you that it is really important to teach even our youngest students through inquiry based science. Young kids are particularly great at wondering about the world in which we live, so I think that allowing them to question and figure out why things are the way they are at a young age is really important. I did not grow up with much inquiry base science education, and I can see how that has affected me as a young adult! I like to know the answers, but the work of science (and life) can be messy and complex. Teaching students how to think critically and try to make sense of the world cannot start too young! Additionally, I agree that guided questions can be helpful, especially at the younger ages. I was working in a first grade classroom, and the students were studying seeds and plants. The teacher would ask students for predictions, but she was cautious to not tell the students too much information. The students were in charge of observing, thinking, and making sense of the plants.  I also think an important aspect of inquiry based science is having the students see and explain the evidence they have found.  I think that this, too, can be cautiously guided so students are reminded to be thinking about why they are making the claims they are. 

In this document by Kath Murdoch, different examples of guided questions are provided.  These could be used as a good starting guide in inquiry based learning. http://www.learningnetwork.ac.nz/shared/professionalReading/KATMUR20143.pdf

Hi Alondra!

I agree with you that students are always aking questions and are curious about their surroundings. Without asking questions and being curious, learning would not be fun! And that is when inquiry based learning is a great form of instruction for elementary students. They are able to investigate and answer questions themselves. Throughout my gradeschool, I was not the biggest fan of science because I was constantly given step by step instructions on how to do a lab or experiment and we were required to follow those steps. However, many times my group members and I would get confused with the steps resulting in none of us knowing what to do. Inquiry based learning allows for like you said, the opportunity for students to explore on their on- to act on their questions and observations. This results in a higher order of thinking for students and a more fun and engaging activity. Inquiry based learning gives students hands onlearning and real life examples. The youtube video I have attached below takes you through an interesting perspective that I had never thought about while watching Harry Potter. It also then takes you through inquiry based learning and the advantages of it. It is a short, interesting video to watch if you have time! Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlwkerwaV2E

Hi Claudia, 

I agree with you that inquiry-based learning is very beneficial for students as it allows students to take responsibility when it comes to their own learning. Inquiry-based learning teaches children how to collaboratively work with other students, as it encourages students to share their ideas while engaging in critical problem solving processes. Inquiry-based learning is centered around the student, while the teacher is there if guidance is needed. An example that shows inquiry-based learning is that a teacher might present an open-ended question such as, 'Will the pop can sink or float if I put it in this tub of water?' Students will be able to make a prediction of what they think will happen and share their predictions with their classmates explaining their thought process. Students will then be able to formulate questions such as how can we find out? Because it is student driven, they are the ones who investigate and try to find answers by finding evidence to lead them to an explanation. I love the idea of inquiry-based learning as I feel like students in Elementary School could benefit from it as it builds students curiousity as they want to find out answers, while increasing their motivation and critical thinking skills. 

Ashley,

I definitely agree with you that inquiry based learning is extremely beneficial to all learners. This type of teaching allows for students to become involved in their learning and to contribute their ideas to the whole class. There are four different levels of inquiry that students can be engaged in. The first level would be confirmation lab or cookbook lab. In this lab everything possible is given to the students and the students follow the steps given and get the same results. This is the lowest level of student inquiry. The next level is structured or directed inquiry. This is where the teacher will give the students the topic/question they are to answer and the procedure and materials they are to use. This differs from comfirmation labs because the students will come up with their own explanations of the results. Then there is Guided Inquiry. In this inquiry the teacher only poses the question the students need to answer. How they conduct the experiment and how they explain their results is up to the students. The highest level of inquiry is Open Inquiry. This is where the students create all steps of the experiment, from the question to the answer. This is the level that we want students to end up at, but when using inquiry based learning for lower grades (k-2), it is important to realize they are not going to be able to jump right into Open Inquiry. We must build their knowledge of creating experiments and work together with them to grow their knowledge on how to create experiments. This will result in more critical thinking, and the students will be able to dive deeper into developing Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas.

CLICK HERE for ideas on how to successfully implement Inquiry Based Learning into the classroom.

Sam- I really liked how you discussed the KLEWS chart and its benefits. I agree with eveything that you have discussed about it, and would like to take it a step further even! I think that it is important to note that the KLEWS chart is not supposed to be done in any specific order like the KWL chart. It is meant to be a fluid chart where you can write things down in any category at any time. I think that this is important to note, because it lets students know that it is okay to go back and write down more things or skip ahead and define concepts. That is something that I really like about the KLEWS chart that makes me want to implement it in my future classroom. I also agree with yourstatement about how implementing inquiry based learning can be difficult at first. It seems like it is a daunting task, especially for new teachers. I think that once you get one inquiry based lesson under your belt though, it will become much more natural. I also think that it is very important to note that none of the various levels of inquiry are bad in any way, they each just have different purposes. Of course open inquiry is the ultimate goal and can really enhance student learning and understanding, but I think it is important to understand that open inquiry might not always be possible. There are going to be some lessons that will have to be more teacher directed for various reasons. By knowing the value of each level of inquiry teachers can truly be successful when implementing inquiry based learning in their science classroom.

I agree that inquiry is beneficial for all students. They do get that chance to experiance things on their own and come up with their own questions and connect them to their own lives. 

This is all new for me too and I am learning so much! I do love it because it is always engaging, challenging, and uses critical thinking. Inquiry based learning is something I plan on incorporating in my classroom because I feel that every student will benefit from it as well.