Discovering Science through Inquiry - Teacher Created Materials

Encourage investigation and advance understanding of science topics in meaningful and engaging ways. Discovering Science through Inquiry kit provides a complete inquiry model for a key science concept, through background information, and guided instruction for teachers. Each kit follows the 5 E model of instruction: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate.

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Each kit includes:

16 Inquiry Cards
Teacher's Guide
Inquiry Handbook
Interactive whiteboard compatible Teacher Resource CD

Science curriculum can be very challenging to grasp! Just reading about science doesn’t generate a full understanding of the essential ideas that students need to learn in order to be successful. Discovering Science through Inquiry is designed to encourage investigation and advance understanding of science concepts in meaningful and engaging ways that spur students' curiosity through inquiry-based exploration.

An interactive resource, Discovering Science through Inquiry, motivates and engages students with hands-on activities and inquiry-based experiments. In addition, each kit provides a complete inquiry model for its key science concept and supports teachers with background information and clear, guided instruction. Aligned to McREL science standards, this program is based on current research for science inquiry and instructional practices to meet the needs of diverse learners. The materials within these kits are designed to motivate students through engaging content and to develop students’ scientific literacy skills. Following the 5 E model of instruction—engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate–each kit in the series provides corresponding components to help achieve student success.

Scientific Inquiry Cards are provided to encourage students to delve into the topic and build on the concepts they have learned, making connections to other related concepts and new situations. These colorful Inquiry Cards provide students with rich extension opportunities, including writing activities, leveled questions, and scientific research activities. Teachers receive step-by-step procedures for using the cards with students, as well as inquiry discussion questions, and a differentiation section with suggestions for using leveled questions.

Each kit includes an Inquiry Handbook to guide students through exploration of scientific concepts. This handbook features background information for each topic, hands-on activities and experiments, and science journal pages. Written at grade level, the student background information provided is also available on the Teacher Resource CD at three additional reading levels to help meet the needs of all students. The various student activities and experiments are inquiry based, student centered, and directly related to the focus of the lesson. Using a lesson plan from the Teacher’s Guide and the corresponding Inquiry Handbook pages, teachers and students can explore science topics and begin making connections to related concepts, often within groups or teams. Discovering Science through Inquiry also includes graphic organizers and vocabulary-development activities to help students better understand the scientific concepts—important for English language learners and below-level students.

Exciting video clips are provided on the interactive whiteboard-compatible Teacher Resource CD to aid in the introduction of challenging science concepts and encourage discussion. The easy-to-follow Teacher's Resource Guide helps teachers through a smooth transition to inquiry-based learning. Lesson pages, for example, provide a materials list, a brief overview, and step-by-step procedures at each important stage of the 5 Es.

Various activities within each lesson provide opportunities for both informal and formal assessment, including science journal responses, multiple-choice questions, comprehension questions, and open-ended questions to monitor students’ progress. Other assessment features of each kit include a diagnostic pre-/post-test and a culminating activity with project and performance assessment rubrics.

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