An Introduction to Learning Scientific Inquiry Skills
The Checks Lab
Developing Inquiry Skills
In this science activity, you will develop scientific process skills by putting a storyline together using checks (data). You will generate hypotheses and test them using the checks as clues in constructing the life of your professor. Think about the importance of evidence and drawing conclusions.
Purpose:
In this laboratory activity, you will develop the following skills (1) make hypotheses by reading and analyzing data, and (2) find patterns in data, such as making a timeline. You will be able to (3) think critically by making inferences, (4) make conclusions, and (5) actively engage in developing many of the science skills needed to do inquiry.
Materials:
Envelope of mystery clues
Sheet of paper for taking notes
Procedures:
· Each group will receive the checks clues and a sheet of paper. (Hint: develop a time line by arranging clues in sequence).
· Take out “three” clues first and answer the driving question:
· 1. “How did Mrs. Ceppaglia come to be your science instructor?”
· Take out “three” more clues;
2. Did your hypotheses change
· 4. Did your ideas of who Mrs.Ceppaglia is change or become more clear?
· Take out last four clues;
5. Did your hypothesis change?
· After all check clues have been seen make hypotheses to find out:
1. Where did Mrs. Ceppaglia live prior to coming to RDHS?
2. What experiences did she have in her life?
3. What events happened in her life that she ended up at RDHS? Create a final timeline.
Answer the Following Questions:
Answer and discuss specific questions based the data and findings from your group.
1. How does this laboratory activity explain the importance of data collection? Do scientists discover things in order?
2. Is order important to understand how things come to be? What does that have to do with scientific inquiry?
3. How does this laboratory activity explain the importance of hypotheses and making conclusions? Are conclusions fixed or do they change as more information is discovered?
4. Were all the clues useful? Why or why not? Were all the clues equally helpful?
5. What information did you learn, or what more did you want to learn from this activity? What additional information do you need?
6. Do you believe everybody came up with the same conclusion based on the same data or were the interpretations of the data different between students? How does this relate to science?