Week 7

Week 7. Sustained Inquiry: Exploration of Living Things
Learning science, like learning most any thing, happens over time as ideas and processes are revisited, re-explored, and reinforced or modified. Inquiry, a multifaceted process of problem solving through investigation and experimentation, often takes longer than the time allotted in the school day for “science.” 
During this week you will be engaged in sustained inquiry—investigations in which students revisit their explorations daily and weekly. As defined in the text, sustained inquiry refers to extended investigation of a scientific phenomenon over a period of time. For school science, this typically means an investigation that includes multiple activities during the course of several days or weeks. You will experience a couple.
Alongside, as future teachers, you need to develop teaching skills --- how to write and teach science lesson. To begin with, you will practice how to write effective objectives. 

Sustained Inquiry

:

Prolonged investigation of a scientific phenomenon. For elementary and middle school science, this typically means an investigation that includes multiple activities over the course of several days or weeks.

Inquiry

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The type of exploration that lies at the heart of scientific activity. According to the National Science Education Standards, inquiry is "a multifaceted activity that involves making observations; posing questions; … planning investigations; … using tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data; proposing answers, explanations, and predictions; and communicating the results" (National Research Council, 1996, p. 23).

Objectives

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Aims, Goals, and Objectives as Part of the Pedagogical System and Instructional Planning Design. 


These words are all important for teachers to know. It is important to know what an objective is and what an objective needs to include in a lesson plan. For teaching science, it is important to know inquiry and sustained inquiry. Sustained inquiry is a little more involved and is typically used for multiple lessons in elementary schools and middle schools. It is important for students to learn and explore on their own and inquiry lessons allow students to do that.