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This blog describes in detail an action research project about the implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit in order to increase autonomy awareness in a group of fourth grade students.
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Research article
Implementation of inquiry-based learning to increase autonomy awareness
Abstract
This article focuses on an action research project with a fourth-grade elementary science class that showed no improvement in terms of autonomy awareness due to a traditional teacher-centered methodology. The primary objective of the project was to increase learner autonomy awareness through the implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit. Multiple data sources were used to highlight and assess instances of increased autonomy awareness. The results showed that learners increased their autonomy awareness leading me to changes in my science teaching approach in terms of methodology, tasks, materials and classroom interactions. The intervention gave students the opportunity to ask more questions, discover scientific knowledge themselves, and communicate more with other peers, thus increasing their autonomy awareness within a student-centered classroom atmosphere.
Key words: Inquiry-based learning, autonomy awareness, student-centered learning, learning styles.
Introduction
At Gimnasio de Los Cerros School, students follow a Spanish-English bilingual program which includes a science course from grade K to six which is divided in four major units: life science, earth science, physical science, and human body. This science course has been taught for many years by means of a traditional teacher-centered methodology of lectures and readings which places students in a passive rather than an active role that hinders autonomous learning. The current science classes are teacher-focused and revolve around giving out information about what is known. The emphasis is on the student's ability to recall facts and master the material in the science textbooks so that they may proceed to the next grade level. Students have become only recipients of science knowledge and therefore they are not given opportunities to study science in a way that encourages them to start becoming more autonomous learners. Memorizing facts and information is not the most important skill in today's world. Facts are constantly changing and thanks to our digital age, we are overwhelmed with information. The traditional learning approach used to teach science does not provide students the skills needed for this new age of information and does not exercise the ability to examine and make sense of this avalanche of data.
During my experience teaching science classes in English to students from grades K to five at this bilingual school, I have observed what I consider a serious problem: this traditional teacher-centered methodology used to teach science lessons does not help to develop students’ autonomy awareness as expected and it does not help to promote interest and positive attitudes toward science in students, since they do not take an active role in their science learning by asking questions or by carrying out science hands-on activities that lead them to have real experiences that enhance classroom learning, improved understanding and enjoyment of science. Due to this fact, and taking into account that students who actively make observations, collect, analyze and synthesize information, and draw conclusions are more likely to increase their autonomy awareness and develop the critical skills that they will need later on, I decided to carry out a qualitative and quantitative action research study in order to find out whether the implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body could help students increase their autonomy awareness within a more student-centered environment.
Background literature
I started my action research project by checking some prior research studies relevant to the current study on the subject of how inquiry-based learning has been used to improve students’ levels of learner autonomy. The first project I studied is titled “Inquiry Within: Implementing inquiry-based science in the classroom”, by Douglas Llewellyn (2001) and it was carried out at Saucon Valley School in San Diego, California. This project provides clear-cut insights along with practical suggestions on how to develop critical thinking skills and learner autonomy in fourth grade students by implementing inquiry-based hands-on science activities. His project starts taking the readers through constructing an understanding of inquiry and the characteristics of an inquiry-based classroom; then, it addresses what constitutes an inquiry investigation and the teaching strategies that enhance inquiry-based learning.
This project explores the meaning of inquiry through a constructivist approach that allows students to build scientific knowledge while becoming more autonomous learners. It follows a 4th grade class through a unit of study characterized by student-generated questions. It lays the foundation for autonomous learning strategies and shows how constructivism complements inquiry-based learning. It also compares traditional and inquiry-based classrooms as well as investigations with other hands-on science activities through a grid that divides instructional strategies into demonstrations, activities, teacher-initiated inquiries, and student-initiated inquiries. I found this project helpful to my study because it compares inquiry with the scientific method and scientific problem solving, and it introduces The Learning Cycle, a five-step approach to designing lessons that facilitate inquiry and autonomous learning. After that, the project presents a rubric for assessing and monitoring the four stages of development in becoming an inquiry-based teacher and presents questioning strategies that enable inquiry-based learning. Finally, this project presents how a beginning elementary school teacher describes her journey into implementing inquiry-based science activities; she describes her experiences including the joys, the challenges, and the rewards of teaching through inquiry and the impact it has on students’ autonomy awareness.
The second study is titled “The use of inquiry-based education in the science classroom” by Douglas Cuchiarelli (2001) and it was carried out at Gunston elementary school in Arlington, U.S.A. This project starts by comparing two distinct types of assignments that can be handed out in a science class. The first one is the “cookbook” lab or activity in which the students follow procedures and answer questions at the end of the assignment. It makes clear that sometimes those types of assignments are necessary because they facilitate efficient comprehension of information, but points out that the drawback to using “cookbook” lab assignments is that the students are not taking any ownership over what they are learning and this affects their autonomy awareness. Therefore, the information they receive from the activity is not meaningful to them since these assignments do not encourage students’ questions.
Then the projects focuses on inquiry-based education, in which the teacher must make the students feel like scientists completing this experiment for the first time. The teacher allows learners to find problems in their procedures and make necessary corrections. It also stresses that in order for the science assignments to be authentic, the students must feel like they are contributing to the scientific community. Finally, the project presents examples of different inquiry-based hands-on activities that can be included in an inquiry-based science unit to make students more autonomous learners.
I found these two studies particularly useful for my own project because they deal with important aspects related to the increase of the students’ autonomy awareness and the improvement of students’ critical skills, by studying science following an inquiry-based approach that uses inquiry-based hands-on science activities in the science classroom.
Purpose, rationale, and hypothesis
The main purpose of this action research study is to show an increase in the level of autonomy awareness of a group of fourth-grade students by means of implementing an inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body in the current science program. Some specific objectives of the study include making learners more aware of their learning goals and the content of the science materials that they use by means of a student-centered methodology rather than a teacher-centered one; getting students to inquire more than they are used to about science topics and making learners more aware of their own preferred learning styles.
My intention with this action research project is to contribute to the field of teaching and learning science in English, since this study will shed light about important issues related to how the level of autonomy awareness can be increased by means of applying an inquiry-based learning approach to science rather than a traditional teacher-centered methodology. What is expected from this action research project is that students demonstrate an increased level of their autonomy awareness by showing more awareness of their learning goals and the content of the science materials that they use (Nunan, 1997); by fostering inquiry, which implies involvement in activities that lead to understanding, since involvement in learning implies developing skills and attitudes that permit students to seek resolutions to questions and issues while they construct new knowledge (Exline, 2008); and by being able to identify better their own preferred learning styles.
The implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit full of inquiry activities related to the systems of the human body will give students the opportunity to ask more questions, to discover scientific knowledge themselves, and to communicate more with other peers and the teacher, thus increasing their autonomy awareness (Sheerin, 1997) as well as developing their thinking skills while learning science in their second language within a student-centered classroom atmosphere.
This study is relevant for the students, because it will help them improve in terms of learner autonomy. Learning to be autonomous is one of the most important objectives students must accomplish nowadays because the development of this skill makes them able to make decisions in an independent way after analyzing many possibilities, and because it is very helpful for students to be successful in any project or task they have to face in their daily lives (Luke, 2006).
This action research project is also pertinent for the educational institution for which I work, because it will lead teachers of the science department to reflect on the importance of including inquiry-based science activities in the units of the current science program to help students become more autonomous while developing critical thinking skills.
Students who use inquiry to learn science engage in many of the same activities and thinking processes as scientists who are seeking to expand human knowledge of the natural world. The activities and thinking processes used by scientists will become more familiar to the educators seeking to introduce inquiry into their science classrooms. Both students and teachers will be able to use inquiry to learn how to do science, learn about the nature of science, and learn science content (Olson, 2000).
Methods
Participants
The inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body was applied to a group of twenty-two fourth grade students ages nine to ten during their science classes at Gimnasio de Los Cerros school in Bogotá, Colombia. These grade four students were selected because they have studied science, math and social studies in English for four years following a traditional teacher-centered approach. They participated in the action research project within their current science classes after they agreed to take part voluntarily with their parents’ permission granted in a consent letter that was sent to them before starting the study.
This group of students has studied English as a second language for four years following a literacy approach which includes listening and speaking (oral language), reading, writing; and the process of critical thinking, which is an integral part of each of these elements. They have a low-intermediate level of English language proficiency. They belong to emotionally stable families who have an upper-middle social class and can afford to give their children everything they need to study. A good number of these students have had the opportunity to travel to English-speaking countries mainly to the United States and some of them have relatives or friends who speak English as a first or as a second language.
Materials/Apparatus/Measures
The data collected for this action research project was large in scope and it was collected using data collection instruments that included a pre-test, a post-test, a pre-survey, a post-survey, students’ portfolios which contained the students’ work and results in the different inquiry-based tasks, and teacher field notes.
The sources of data for this action research project were the students and me, the science teacher. In order to get data from students, I applied tests and surveys and asked students to keep portfolios that included the whole collection of the students’ work along the intervention (Hopkins, 2008). The data from me, the teacher researcher, came especially from field notes that I took throughout the research project.
The pre-test and the post-test were administered and scored in a consistent manner. Both tests were designed in such a way that the questions, the test conditions, and the scoring procedures and interpretations were administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner so that they were valid and relevant. The tests were composed of seven multiple-choice questions and three open questions about the most important issues related to the systems of the human body. In order to score the tests, criterion-referenced score interpretation was used in which interpretations compared test-takers to a criterion or a formal definition of the scientific content, regardless of the scores of other examinees (Brown, 1990).
The content validity of these two standard achievement tests was evaluated by making sure that the test items matched the instructional objectives proposed in the science program for fourth grade and the content contained in the unit about the systems of the human body in the students’ Scott Foresman Science textbooks for this grade. Internal consistency of the tests was high as the questions were taken from the Scott Foresman Science series for grade four which means that they were written by experienced science teachers, pretested, and selected on the basis of the results of a quantitative item analysis (Foresman, 2004)..
The pre-survey and the post-survey that were used to collect data about students’ progress in terms of inquiry, learning styles and learner autonomy tended to be strong on validity or the degree to which the study accurately reflected or assessed these specific concepts that I was attempting to measure (Burns, 1999), and also tended to be strong on reliability or the extent to which these instruments yielded the same result on repeated trials.
The survey format put a strain on validity since the students’ real feelings were hard to grasp in terms of such dichotomies as "totally agree/disagree," "neutral,” “disagree,” “totally disagree” etc., these were only approximate indicators of what I had in mind when I created the survey questions. Reliability, on the other hand, was a clearer matter. The two surveys presented all students with a standardized stimulus, and so they went a long way toward eliminating unreliability in my observations (Schwalbach, 2003). Careful wording, format, content, etc., also reduced significantly the students’ own unreliability. In general, the surveys were reliable because they measured things consistently and they were valid since they measured what they said they were measuring.
The field notes used allowed me to make a written account of the inquiry-based lessons about the systems of the human body that were taught to this group of forth grade students while they were taking place. The notes were taken as soon as the events were happening in these science sessions so that the information collected was fresh and not distorted (Jimenez, 2006). The field notes were in the form of a record of work (Burns, 1999) of the students in the science lessons in which information such as date, time, class, objectives, work done, way the work was done by the students, homework, participation, things that worked well, and things that did not work very well were all included. This record-keeping provided valuable data about the intervention to draw conclusions about how the inquiry-based learning unit increased the level of autonomy awareness in this group of forth grade students thus contributing to validity and relevance.
When the students’ portfolio was created, I made sure that it was appropriate and fair for the students as this was essential in terms of validity and reliability. Validity and reliability were considered for both the individual pieces and the entire portfolio and it was evaluated for these traits since the portfolio was a collection of students’ work and assessments. Both the audience and the purpose of the portfolio played a major role in determining content validity (Freeman, 1998). This instrument had high content validity because it was developed for a specific science
class working toward a certain purpose and specific objectives.
To evaluate the content validity I asked myself if the portfolio matched the instructional purpose and objectives of the inquiry-based project and whether the portfolio assessed what I set out to assess from the beginning. To ensure content validity, I set the purpose of the portfolio in line with project objectives, matched the contents of the portfolio to the purpose, and established clear criteria in relation to the original objectives (McFarland, 1997). In general, the students’ portfolios had high content validity because they integrated instruction and assessment as the work that students produced in the classroom and at home showed improvement in terms of autonomy awareness.
Procedure
In order to accomplish the objectives proposed for this action research project, I followed three stages in which I used different data collection instruments. In the pre-stage, the instruments that helped me to confirm that there was a problem were:
1. a pre-test
2. a pre-survey
First, the group of students took a pre-test of ten multiple choice questions and three open questions about the different systems of the human body. The purpose of this pre-test was to check how much students knew about this topic, after studying it for about four years following a traditional teacher-centered approach which did not foster autonomy in students, before starting the inquiry-based unit.
The second step was to give students a pre-survey of thirty-eight questions about aspects related to inquiry-based learning and autonomy awareness. The purpose of giving students this pre-survey was to revise how much students knew about the inquiry-based learning approach compared to the traditional method they had used to learn science and also to know how autonomous they were before applying the inquiry-based learning unit which was more student-centered and fostered more autonomy in students.
During the while-stage, the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body took place. It was a total of eight lessons that started with the skeletal system and ended with the nervous system. All the lessons had an inquiry-based learning methodology which followed these steps:
• Students engaged with a scientific question, event or phenomenon.
• Students explored ideas through hands-on experience, formulated and tested hypotheses, solved problems, and created explanations for what they observed.
• Students analyzed and interpreted data, synthesized their ideas, built models, and clarified concepts and explanations with the teacher and other sources of scientific knowledge.
• Students extended their new understanding and abilities and applied what they had learned to new situations.
• Students extended their new understanding and assessed what they had learned and how they had learned it.
The purpose of the inquiry-based lessons was to create a more student-centered class environment in which students had more opportunities to ask questions and discover knowledge by themselves using different resources in order to demonstrate how a methodology like this would increase their autonomy awareness more than the traditional methodology they had used so far. At the end of this document you will find a description of the inquiry-based lessons that were taught.
Students made a portfolio in which they collected all the work they did along the process. While students carried out the inquiry-based activities, the teacher took field notes in order to monitor students’ performance in terms of autonomy awareness and record any increase due to the implementation of the activities.
Finally, in the post-stage, I designed a post-test and a post-survey in order to confirm whether these fourth grade students had increased their level of autonomy awareness. Once students finished the inquiry-based learning unit, they were given a post-test about the different systems of the human body. The purpose was to check if they had shown improvement in terms of knowledge about the topic after studying the unit following an inquiry-based learning approach, in order to compare the results with those obtained in the pre-.test and measure to what extent they had improved. Then students took a post-survey of thirty-eight questions which provided valuable information on the way students perceived different aspects related to inquiry-based learning and autonomy awareness after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit. The purpose of giving students this post-survey was to check how much students had changed their views about aspects that dealt with autonomy awareness compared to those they had following a traditional teacher-centered methodology instead of a more student-centered one that encouraged students to explore and discover knowledge themselves with the teacher assuming the role of a facilitator.
Table 1
Project Program
Week Date Tasks
Pre-stage
1 Monday, April 20.
Tuesday, April 21.
Thursday, April 23. Pre-test activity.
Pre-survey.
Inquiry-based unit introduction (The skeletal system)
While-stage
2 Monday, April 27. The muscular system
Tuesday, April 28. The respiratory system
Wednesday, April 29. The circulatory system
While-stage Thursday April 30. The heart.
3 Monday, May 4. The digestive system
Tuesday, May 5. The nervous system
Wednesday, May 6. Inquiry-based unit review
Post-stage
4 Monday, May 11. Post-test
Wednesday, May 13 Post-survey
As a conclusion, I would say that the methodology I applied and the instruments I designed were appropriate for the study, and they helped me to collect useful data to achieve the main aim of this action research project.
Results
Tables and graphs were created using simple descriptive techniques to note frequency counts or percentages in order to describe and display the data that was collected. The following are some tables and graphs that were used to show comparisons that were made once the data had been categorized.
Comparison of pre-test results and post-test results.
Figure 1. Pre-test VS Post-test Results.
Once the results of the pre-test and the post-test were compared, it was found that students showed improvement in terms of knowledge about the topic after studying the unit following an inquiry-based learning approach which encourages a student-centered methodology rather than a teacher-centered one. The results showed a significant increase in the students’ knowledge about the topic (73.0 %) compared with the one they had before applying the unit (38.4 %)
Comparison between results on how students perceived the science class as a teacher-centered class before and after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit.
Figure 2. The Teacher Class is Teacher-centered.
The results of the first five questions of the pre-survey and the post-survey were compared and the outcome was that after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit, the number of students who thought that the class revolved around the teacher decreased in 10 marks. The number of students who disagreed increased in 9 marks.
It is evident that students noticed a change towards a more student-centered environment which fosters more autonomy after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit.
Comparison of results on how students perceived themselves in terms of inquiry before and after the intervention.
Table 2
Pre-survey on Students’ Opinion if They Were Encouraged to Ask Questions.
Question N° Agree Neutral Disagree
6 10 4 8
7 19 3 0
8 13 7 2
42 14 10
Table 3
Post-survey on Students´ Opinion if They Were Encouraged to Ask Questions.
Question N° Agree Neutral Disagree
6 17 2 3
7 22 0 0
8 18 3 1
57 5 4
The results showed that after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit, the number of students who thought that they asked more questions increased in 15 marks. The number of students who disagreed decreased in 6 marks.
It is evident that students noticed a change towards a class environment which fostered more inquiry.
Comparison of results on how students perceived themselves in terms of learning autonomy before and after the intervention.
Figure 3. Degree of Autonomy Awareness Students Perceive.
The results showed that after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit, the number of students who thought that they were aware of different aspects related to their learner autonomy increased in 101 marks. The number of students who disagreed with the statements decreased in 54 marks as well as the number of students who were neutral which decreased in 47 marks.
It is evident that students perceived they increased their level of autonomy awareness after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit.
Comparison of results on how students perceived their preferred learning styles before and after the inquiry-based learning unit.
Figure 4. Pre-survey VS Post-survey Preferred Learning Styles
After the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit, the number of students who agreed with some preferred learning styles increased in 1 mark. The number of students who were neutral decreased in 9 marks and the number of students who disagreed with some preferred learning styles increased in 8 marks. The most preferred learning styles were auditory, visual, and reading and writing.
The number of students who identified auditory, visual, and reading and writing as their most preferred learning styles increased in 7 marks, and the number of students who were neutral decreased in 9 marks. It is evident that students were able to identify their preferred learning styles more accurately after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit.
In order to move beyond describing, categorizing, coding and comparing to make sense of the data I had collected, I got to a point in the data analysis process that demanded a certain amount of creative thinking since it was time to articulate underlying concepts and developing theories about why particular patterns of behaviors, interactions or attitudes had emerged.
I came back to the data I had collected several times and I posed questions about it, rethought the connections among the data and developed explanations of the bigger picture underpinning my action research project. Then I discussed the data patterns and themes with some of the school’s science teachers trying to find new discoveries or interpretations.
Discussion
The main hypothesis of this action research project was whether the implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit could increase learner autonomy awareness. The results certainly support this hypothesis since students’ autonomy awareness increased due to the inquiry-based learning activities that encouraged students to search for information and discover knowledge on their own in and out of the classroom. My understanding of the impact of inquiry-based learning in students’ autonomy awareness led me to reflect on theoretical ideas, particularly related to teaching science as an inquiry-generating process which is influenced by a wide range of classroom factors. This understanding which proved to be very effective with this group of fourth grade students, also led me to changes in my science teaching approach in terms of methodology, tasks, materials and classroom interactions that other science teachers and I had overlooked because of our tendency to teach in a traditional teacher-driven way.
In this action research study, where I implemented an inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body in order to increase the level of autonomy awareness in a group of twenty-two fourth grade students, my data collection and analysis revealed that:
1. The implementation of an inquiry-based learning approach to teach a unit about the systems of the human body led students to learn the basic concepts related to this topic successfully.
2. The inquiry-based learning unit promoted a student-centered classroom environment that favored the increase of autonomy awareness in most of the students.
3. The implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit encouraged students to inquire more than they used to about the subject matter of study leading to an increase of their autonomy awareness.
4. Students’ autonomy awareness increased due to the inquiry-based learning activities that encouraged students to search for information and discover knowledge on their own in and out of the classroom.
5. The implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit required students to look for information by observing, listening, reading, moving and touching, and this helped students identify their preferred learning styles better.
6. Despite attempts to make some students research more deeply about the systems of the human body at home, they did not do it as expected and this was reflected especially in their portfolios.
7. Despite attempts to improve students writing to solve open-ended questions, their different levels of language skill and proficiency made it difficult to show improvement in this aspect.
8. The students cooperated in joint inquiry-based activities and interacted generally and the classroom atmosphere was relaxed and motivating.
Regarding some recommendations for those who are interested in doing the second cycle of this study, they deal mainly with the data analysis process since this aspect turned out to be the most difficult one for me to deal with in the completion of my research project as it is the area of action research that is the least well defined making the issue of how action research data should be analyzed a very challenging one for any teacher researcher, including me (Burns, 1999).
First of all, I would recommend any other teacher researcher who decides to work on a similar project not to separate the processes of data collection and data analysis the way I did, because, in my practice, this proved to be difficult and unnecessary. In my case, I began analysis only when I had collected all the data, leaving aside an essential feature of action research which is the flexibility that results from cycling back and forth from data collection to analysis to further data collection and so on (Somekh, 2006).
Another aspect related to data analysis that I would like to recommend to other teacher researchers is to take into account from the beginning, that once there has been some overall examination of the data, it is absolutely important to develop categories or codes to identify the broad trends that have emerged from making some kind of sense of the data collected more specifically (Cohen, 2005). I took too long to start coding or attempting to reduce the large amount of data that I had collected with the data collection instruments I used, such as tests, surveys, portfolios and field notes, to more manageable categories of concepts, themes or types which would have made it easier for me to later compare the data and build interpretations. My recommendation for other researchers is to assemble all the data that can illuminate the research question, skim the data considering any and all categories for sorting, and creating their categories whenever they see repetition or a pattern emerges, giving a name to each category until they complete a list of them.
The idea that data collection, action and analysis are interrelated and recycle into each other when doing action research summarizes my recommendations for those teacher researchers who are willing to carry out the second cycle of this action research project. It is difficult as well as unnecessary to separate the process of data collection and analysis in an action research project like the one I already developed.
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Abstract
This article focuses on an action research project with a fourth-grade elementary science class that showed no improvement in terms of autonomy awareness due to a traditional teacher-centered methodology. The primary objective of the project was to increase learner autonomy awareness through the implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit. Multiple data sources were used to highlight and assess instances of increased autonomy awareness. The results showed that learners increased their autonomy awareness leading me to changes in my science teaching approach in terms of methodology, tasks, materials and classroom interactions. The intervention gave students the opportunity to ask more questions, discover scientific knowledge themselves, and communicate more with other peers, thus increasing their autonomy awareness within a student-centered classroom atmosphere.
Key words: Inquiry-based learning, autonomy awareness, student-centered learning, learning styles.
Introduction
At Gimnasio de Los Cerros School, students follow a Spanish-English bilingual program which includes a science course from grade K to six which is divided in four major units: life science, earth science, physical science, and human body. This science course has been taught for many years by means of a traditional teacher-centered methodology of lectures and readings which places students in a passive rather than an active role that hinders autonomous learning. The current science classes are teacher-focused and revolve around giving out information about what is known. The emphasis is on the student's ability to recall facts and master the material in the science textbooks so that they may proceed to the next grade level. Students have become only recipients of science knowledge and therefore they are not given opportunities to study science in a way that encourages them to start becoming more autonomous learners. Memorizing facts and information is not the most important skill in today's world. Facts are constantly changing and thanks to our digital age, we are overwhelmed with information. The traditional learning approach used to teach science does not provide students the skills needed for this new age of information and does not exercise the ability to examine and make sense of this avalanche of data.
During my experience teaching science classes in English to students from grades K to five at this bilingual school, I have observed what I consider a serious problem: this traditional teacher-centered methodology used to teach science lessons does not help to develop students’ autonomy awareness as expected and it does not help to promote interest and positive attitudes toward science in students, since they do not take an active role in their science learning by asking questions or by carrying out science hands-on activities that lead them to have real experiences that enhance classroom learning, improved understanding and enjoyment of science. Due to this fact, and taking into account that students who actively make observations, collect, analyze and synthesize information, and draw conclusions are more likely to increase their autonomy awareness and develop the critical skills that they will need later on, I decided to carry out a qualitative and quantitative action research study in order to find out whether the implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body could help students increase their autonomy awareness within a more student-centered environment.
Background literature
I started my action research project by checking some prior research studies relevant to the current study on the subject of how inquiry-based learning has been used to improve students’ levels of learner autonomy. The first project I studied is titled “Inquiry Within: Implementing inquiry-based science in the classroom”, by Douglas Llewellyn (2001) and it was carried out at Saucon Valley School in San Diego, California. This project provides clear-cut insights along with practical suggestions on how to develop critical thinking skills and learner autonomy in fourth grade students by implementing inquiry-based hands-on science activities. His project starts taking the readers through constructing an understanding of inquiry and the characteristics of an inquiry-based classroom; then, it addresses what constitutes an inquiry investigation and the teaching strategies that enhance inquiry-based learning.
This project explores the meaning of inquiry through a constructivist approach that allows students to build scientific knowledge while becoming more autonomous learners. It follows a 4th grade class through a unit of study characterized by student-generated questions. It lays the foundation for autonomous learning strategies and shows how constructivism complements inquiry-based learning. It also compares traditional and inquiry-based classrooms as well as investigations with other hands-on science activities through a grid that divides instructional strategies into demonstrations, activities, teacher-initiated inquiries, and student-initiated inquiries. I found this project helpful to my study because it compares inquiry with the scientific method and scientific problem solving, and it introduces The Learning Cycle, a five-step approach to designing lessons that facilitate inquiry and autonomous learning. After that, the project presents a rubric for assessing and monitoring the four stages of development in becoming an inquiry-based teacher and presents questioning strategies that enable inquiry-based learning. Finally, this project presents how a beginning elementary school teacher describes her journey into implementing inquiry-based science activities; she describes her experiences including the joys, the challenges, and the rewards of teaching through inquiry and the impact it has on students’ autonomy awareness.
The second study is titled “The use of inquiry-based education in the science classroom” by Douglas Cuchiarelli (2001) and it was carried out at Gunston elementary school in Arlington, U.S.A. This project starts by comparing two distinct types of assignments that can be handed out in a science class. The first one is the “cookbook” lab or activity in which the students follow procedures and answer questions at the end of the assignment. It makes clear that sometimes those types of assignments are necessary because they facilitate efficient comprehension of information, but points out that the drawback to using “cookbook” lab assignments is that the students are not taking any ownership over what they are learning and this affects their autonomy awareness. Therefore, the information they receive from the activity is not meaningful to them since these assignments do not encourage students’ questions.
Then the projects focuses on inquiry-based education, in which the teacher must make the students feel like scientists completing this experiment for the first time. The teacher allows learners to find problems in their procedures and make necessary corrections. It also stresses that in order for the science assignments to be authentic, the students must feel like they are contributing to the scientific community. Finally, the project presents examples of different inquiry-based hands-on activities that can be included in an inquiry-based science unit to make students more autonomous learners.
I found these two studies particularly useful for my own project because they deal with important aspects related to the increase of the students’ autonomy awareness and the improvement of students’ critical skills, by studying science following an inquiry-based approach that uses inquiry-based hands-on science activities in the science classroom.
Purpose, rationale, and hypothesis
The main purpose of this action research study is to show an increase in the level of autonomy awareness of a group of fourth-grade students by means of implementing an inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body in the current science program. Some specific objectives of the study include making learners more aware of their learning goals and the content of the science materials that they use by means of a student-centered methodology rather than a teacher-centered one; getting students to inquire more than they are used to about science topics and making learners more aware of their own preferred learning styles.
My intention with this action research project is to contribute to the field of teaching and learning science in English, since this study will shed light about important issues related to how the level of autonomy awareness can be increased by means of applying an inquiry-based learning approach to science rather than a traditional teacher-centered methodology. What is expected from this action research project is that students demonstrate an increased level of their autonomy awareness by showing more awareness of their learning goals and the content of the science materials that they use (Nunan, 1997); by fostering inquiry, which implies involvement in activities that lead to understanding, since involvement in learning implies developing skills and attitudes that permit students to seek resolutions to questions and issues while they construct new knowledge (Exline, 2008); and by being able to identify better their own preferred learning styles.
The implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit full of inquiry activities related to the systems of the human body will give students the opportunity to ask more questions, to discover scientific knowledge themselves, and to communicate more with other peers and the teacher, thus increasing their autonomy awareness (Sheerin, 1997) as well as developing their thinking skills while learning science in their second language within a student-centered classroom atmosphere.
This study is relevant for the students, because it will help them improve in terms of learner autonomy. Learning to be autonomous is one of the most important objectives students must accomplish nowadays because the development of this skill makes them able to make decisions in an independent way after analyzing many possibilities, and because it is very helpful for students to be successful in any project or task they have to face in their daily lives (Luke, 2006).
This action research project is also pertinent for the educational institution for which I work, because it will lead teachers of the science department to reflect on the importance of including inquiry-based science activities in the units of the current science program to help students become more autonomous while developing critical thinking skills.
Students who use inquiry to learn science engage in many of the same activities and thinking processes as scientists who are seeking to expand human knowledge of the natural world. The activities and thinking processes used by scientists will become more familiar to the educators seeking to introduce inquiry into their science classrooms. Both students and teachers will be able to use inquiry to learn how to do science, learn about the nature of science, and learn science content (Olson, 2000).
Methods
Participants
The inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body was applied to a group of twenty-two fourth grade students ages nine to ten during their science classes at Gimnasio de Los Cerros school in Bogotá, Colombia. These grade four students were selected because they have studied science, math and social studies in English for four years following a traditional teacher-centered approach. They participated in the action research project within their current science classes after they agreed to take part voluntarily with their parents’ permission granted in a consent letter that was sent to them before starting the study.
This group of students has studied English as a second language for four years following a literacy approach which includes listening and speaking (oral language), reading, writing; and the process of critical thinking, which is an integral part of each of these elements. They have a low-intermediate level of English language proficiency. They belong to emotionally stable families who have an upper-middle social class and can afford to give their children everything they need to study. A good number of these students have had the opportunity to travel to English-speaking countries mainly to the United States and some of them have relatives or friends who speak English as a first or as a second language.
Materials/Apparatus/Measures
The data collected for this action research project was large in scope and it was collected using data collection instruments that included a pre-test, a post-test, a pre-survey, a post-survey, students’ portfolios which contained the students’ work and results in the different inquiry-based tasks, and teacher field notes.
The sources of data for this action research project were the students and me, the science teacher. In order to get data from students, I applied tests and surveys and asked students to keep portfolios that included the whole collection of the students’ work along the intervention (Hopkins, 2008). The data from me, the teacher researcher, came especially from field notes that I took throughout the research project.
The pre-test and the post-test were administered and scored in a consistent manner. Both tests were designed in such a way that the questions, the test conditions, and the scoring procedures and interpretations were administered and scored in a predetermined, standard manner so that they were valid and relevant. The tests were composed of seven multiple-choice questions and three open questions about the most important issues related to the systems of the human body. In order to score the tests, criterion-referenced score interpretation was used in which interpretations compared test-takers to a criterion or a formal definition of the scientific content, regardless of the scores of other examinees (Brown, 1990).
The content validity of these two standard achievement tests was evaluated by making sure that the test items matched the instructional objectives proposed in the science program for fourth grade and the content contained in the unit about the systems of the human body in the students’ Scott Foresman Science textbooks for this grade. Internal consistency of the tests was high as the questions were taken from the Scott Foresman Science series for grade four which means that they were written by experienced science teachers, pretested, and selected on the basis of the results of a quantitative item analysis (Foresman, 2004)..
The pre-survey and the post-survey that were used to collect data about students’ progress in terms of inquiry, learning styles and learner autonomy tended to be strong on validity or the degree to which the study accurately reflected or assessed these specific concepts that I was attempting to measure (Burns, 1999), and also tended to be strong on reliability or the extent to which these instruments yielded the same result on repeated trials.
The survey format put a strain on validity since the students’ real feelings were hard to grasp in terms of such dichotomies as "totally agree/disagree," "neutral,” “disagree,” “totally disagree” etc., these were only approximate indicators of what I had in mind when I created the survey questions. Reliability, on the other hand, was a clearer matter. The two surveys presented all students with a standardized stimulus, and so they went a long way toward eliminating unreliability in my observations (Schwalbach, 2003). Careful wording, format, content, etc., also reduced significantly the students’ own unreliability. In general, the surveys were reliable because they measured things consistently and they were valid since they measured what they said they were measuring.
The field notes used allowed me to make a written account of the inquiry-based lessons about the systems of the human body that were taught to this group of forth grade students while they were taking place. The notes were taken as soon as the events were happening in these science sessions so that the information collected was fresh and not distorted (Jimenez, 2006). The field notes were in the form of a record of work (Burns, 1999) of the students in the science lessons in which information such as date, time, class, objectives, work done, way the work was done by the students, homework, participation, things that worked well, and things that did not work very well were all included. This record-keeping provided valuable data about the intervention to draw conclusions about how the inquiry-based learning unit increased the level of autonomy awareness in this group of forth grade students thus contributing to validity and relevance.
When the students’ portfolio was created, I made sure that it was appropriate and fair for the students as this was essential in terms of validity and reliability. Validity and reliability were considered for both the individual pieces and the entire portfolio and it was evaluated for these traits since the portfolio was a collection of students’ work and assessments. Both the audience and the purpose of the portfolio played a major role in determining content validity (Freeman, 1998). This instrument had high content validity because it was developed for a specific science
class working toward a certain purpose and specific objectives.
To evaluate the content validity I asked myself if the portfolio matched the instructional purpose and objectives of the inquiry-based project and whether the portfolio assessed what I set out to assess from the beginning. To ensure content validity, I set the purpose of the portfolio in line with project objectives, matched the contents of the portfolio to the purpose, and established clear criteria in relation to the original objectives (McFarland, 1997). In general, the students’ portfolios had high content validity because they integrated instruction and assessment as the work that students produced in the classroom and at home showed improvement in terms of autonomy awareness.
Procedure
In order to accomplish the objectives proposed for this action research project, I followed three stages in which I used different data collection instruments. In the pre-stage, the instruments that helped me to confirm that there was a problem were:
1. a pre-test
2. a pre-survey
First, the group of students took a pre-test of ten multiple choice questions and three open questions about the different systems of the human body. The purpose of this pre-test was to check how much students knew about this topic, after studying it for about four years following a traditional teacher-centered approach which did not foster autonomy in students, before starting the inquiry-based unit.
The second step was to give students a pre-survey of thirty-eight questions about aspects related to inquiry-based learning and autonomy awareness. The purpose of giving students this pre-survey was to revise how much students knew about the inquiry-based learning approach compared to the traditional method they had used to learn science and also to know how autonomous they were before applying the inquiry-based learning unit which was more student-centered and fostered more autonomy in students.
During the while-stage, the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body took place. It was a total of eight lessons that started with the skeletal system and ended with the nervous system. All the lessons had an inquiry-based learning methodology which followed these steps:
• Students engaged with a scientific question, event or phenomenon.
• Students explored ideas through hands-on experience, formulated and tested hypotheses, solved problems, and created explanations for what they observed.
• Students analyzed and interpreted data, synthesized their ideas, built models, and clarified concepts and explanations with the teacher and other sources of scientific knowledge.
• Students extended their new understanding and abilities and applied what they had learned to new situations.
• Students extended their new understanding and assessed what they had learned and how they had learned it.
The purpose of the inquiry-based lessons was to create a more student-centered class environment in which students had more opportunities to ask questions and discover knowledge by themselves using different resources in order to demonstrate how a methodology like this would increase their autonomy awareness more than the traditional methodology they had used so far. At the end of this document you will find a description of the inquiry-based lessons that were taught.
Students made a portfolio in which they collected all the work they did along the process. While students carried out the inquiry-based activities, the teacher took field notes in order to monitor students’ performance in terms of autonomy awareness and record any increase due to the implementation of the activities.
Finally, in the post-stage, I designed a post-test and a post-survey in order to confirm whether these fourth grade students had increased their level of autonomy awareness. Once students finished the inquiry-based learning unit, they were given a post-test about the different systems of the human body. The purpose was to check if they had shown improvement in terms of knowledge about the topic after studying the unit following an inquiry-based learning approach, in order to compare the results with those obtained in the pre-.test and measure to what extent they had improved. Then students took a post-survey of thirty-eight questions which provided valuable information on the way students perceived different aspects related to inquiry-based learning and autonomy awareness after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit. The purpose of giving students this post-survey was to check how much students had changed their views about aspects that dealt with autonomy awareness compared to those they had following a traditional teacher-centered methodology instead of a more student-centered one that encouraged students to explore and discover knowledge themselves with the teacher assuming the role of a facilitator.
Table 1
Project Program
Week Date Tasks
Pre-stage
1 Monday, April 20.
Tuesday, April 21.
Thursday, April 23. Pre-test activity.
Pre-survey.
Inquiry-based unit introduction (The skeletal system)
While-stage
2 Monday, April 27. The muscular system
Tuesday, April 28. The respiratory system
Wednesday, April 29. The circulatory system
While-stage Thursday April 30. The heart.
3 Monday, May 4. The digestive system
Tuesday, May 5. The nervous system
Wednesday, May 6. Inquiry-based unit review
Post-stage
4 Monday, May 11. Post-test
Wednesday, May 13 Post-survey
As a conclusion, I would say that the methodology I applied and the instruments I designed were appropriate for the study, and they helped me to collect useful data to achieve the main aim of this action research project.
Results
Tables and graphs were created using simple descriptive techniques to note frequency counts or percentages in order to describe and display the data that was collected. The following are some tables and graphs that were used to show comparisons that were made once the data had been categorized.
Comparison of pre-test results and post-test results.
Figure 1. Pre-test VS Post-test Results.
Once the results of the pre-test and the post-test were compared, it was found that students showed improvement in terms of knowledge about the topic after studying the unit following an inquiry-based learning approach which encourages a student-centered methodology rather than a teacher-centered one. The results showed a significant increase in the students’ knowledge about the topic (73.0 %) compared with the one they had before applying the unit (38.4 %)
Comparison between results on how students perceived the science class as a teacher-centered class before and after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit.
Figure 2. The Teacher Class is Teacher-centered.
The results of the first five questions of the pre-survey and the post-survey were compared and the outcome was that after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit, the number of students who thought that the class revolved around the teacher decreased in 10 marks. The number of students who disagreed increased in 9 marks.
It is evident that students noticed a change towards a more student-centered environment which fosters more autonomy after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit.
Comparison of results on how students perceived themselves in terms of inquiry before and after the intervention.
Table 2
Pre-survey on Students’ Opinion if They Were Encouraged to Ask Questions.
Question N° Agree Neutral Disagree
6 10 4 8
7 19 3 0
8 13 7 2
42 14 10
Table 3
Post-survey on Students´ Opinion if They Were Encouraged to Ask Questions.
Question N° Agree Neutral Disagree
6 17 2 3
7 22 0 0
8 18 3 1
57 5 4
The results showed that after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit, the number of students who thought that they asked more questions increased in 15 marks. The number of students who disagreed decreased in 6 marks.
It is evident that students noticed a change towards a class environment which fostered more inquiry.
Comparison of results on how students perceived themselves in terms of learning autonomy before and after the intervention.
Figure 3. Degree of Autonomy Awareness Students Perceive.
The results showed that after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit, the number of students who thought that they were aware of different aspects related to their learner autonomy increased in 101 marks. The number of students who disagreed with the statements decreased in 54 marks as well as the number of students who were neutral which decreased in 47 marks.
It is evident that students perceived they increased their level of autonomy awareness after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit.
Comparison of results on how students perceived their preferred learning styles before and after the inquiry-based learning unit.
Figure 4. Pre-survey VS Post-survey Preferred Learning Styles
After the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit, the number of students who agreed with some preferred learning styles increased in 1 mark. The number of students who were neutral decreased in 9 marks and the number of students who disagreed with some preferred learning styles increased in 8 marks. The most preferred learning styles were auditory, visual, and reading and writing.
The number of students who identified auditory, visual, and reading and writing as their most preferred learning styles increased in 7 marks, and the number of students who were neutral decreased in 9 marks. It is evident that students were able to identify their preferred learning styles more accurately after the implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit.
In order to move beyond describing, categorizing, coding and comparing to make sense of the data I had collected, I got to a point in the data analysis process that demanded a certain amount of creative thinking since it was time to articulate underlying concepts and developing theories about why particular patterns of behaviors, interactions or attitudes had emerged.
I came back to the data I had collected several times and I posed questions about it, rethought the connections among the data and developed explanations of the bigger picture underpinning my action research project. Then I discussed the data patterns and themes with some of the school’s science teachers trying to find new discoveries or interpretations.
Discussion
The main hypothesis of this action research project was whether the implementation of an inquiry-based learning unit could increase learner autonomy awareness. The results certainly support this hypothesis since students’ autonomy awareness increased due to the inquiry-based learning activities that encouraged students to search for information and discover knowledge on their own in and out of the classroom. My understanding of the impact of inquiry-based learning in students’ autonomy awareness led me to reflect on theoretical ideas, particularly related to teaching science as an inquiry-generating process which is influenced by a wide range of classroom factors. This understanding which proved to be very effective with this group of fourth grade students, also led me to changes in my science teaching approach in terms of methodology, tasks, materials and classroom interactions that other science teachers and I had overlooked because of our tendency to teach in a traditional teacher-driven way.
In this action research study, where I implemented an inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body in order to increase the level of autonomy awareness in a group of twenty-two fourth grade students, my data collection and analysis revealed that:
1. The implementation of an inquiry-based learning approach to teach a unit about the systems of the human body led students to learn the basic concepts related to this topic successfully.
2. The inquiry-based learning unit promoted a student-centered classroom environment that favored the increase of autonomy awareness in most of the students.
3. The implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit encouraged students to inquire more than they used to about the subject matter of study leading to an increase of their autonomy awareness.
4. Students’ autonomy awareness increased due to the inquiry-based learning activities that encouraged students to search for information and discover knowledge on their own in and out of the classroom.
5. The implementation of the inquiry-based learning unit required students to look for information by observing, listening, reading, moving and touching, and this helped students identify their preferred learning styles better.
6. Despite attempts to make some students research more deeply about the systems of the human body at home, they did not do it as expected and this was reflected especially in their portfolios.
7. Despite attempts to improve students writing to solve open-ended questions, their different levels of language skill and proficiency made it difficult to show improvement in this aspect.
8. The students cooperated in joint inquiry-based activities and interacted generally and the classroom atmosphere was relaxed and motivating.
Regarding some recommendations for those who are interested in doing the second cycle of this study, they deal mainly with the data analysis process since this aspect turned out to be the most difficult one for me to deal with in the completion of my research project as it is the area of action research that is the least well defined making the issue of how action research data should be analyzed a very challenging one for any teacher researcher, including me (Burns, 1999).
First of all, I would recommend any other teacher researcher who decides to work on a similar project not to separate the processes of data collection and data analysis the way I did, because, in my practice, this proved to be difficult and unnecessary. In my case, I began analysis only when I had collected all the data, leaving aside an essential feature of action research which is the flexibility that results from cycling back and forth from data collection to analysis to further data collection and so on (Somekh, 2006).
Another aspect related to data analysis that I would like to recommend to other teacher researchers is to take into account from the beginning, that once there has been some overall examination of the data, it is absolutely important to develop categories or codes to identify the broad trends that have emerged from making some kind of sense of the data collected more specifically (Cohen, 2005). I took too long to start coding or attempting to reduce the large amount of data that I had collected with the data collection instruments I used, such as tests, surveys, portfolios and field notes, to more manageable categories of concepts, themes or types which would have made it easier for me to later compare the data and build interpretations. My recommendation for other researchers is to assemble all the data that can illuminate the research question, skim the data considering any and all categories for sorting, and creating their categories whenever they see repetition or a pattern emerges, giving a name to each category until they complete a list of them.
The idea that data collection, action and analysis are interrelated and recycle into each other when doing action research summarizes my recommendations for those teacher researchers who are willing to carry out the second cycle of this action research project. It is difficult as well as unnecessary to separate the process of data collection and analysis in an action research project like the one I already developed.
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Field notes summary
The following is a summary of the field notes I took all along the research process.
Monday, April 20, 2009.1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 1: Pre-test
N° of students: 22
1. Prayer: a student was asked to lead the prayer
2. Brief introduction to students of the inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body.
3. Reasons for the pre-test: students were told that this was just a diagnostic test and that at the end of the inquiry-based science unit they would be given a post-test to check their progress.
4. Instructions on how to answer the pre-test.
5. A student was asked to explain what they were expected to do to check understanding.
6. Students answered the pre-test.
7. Students were told that in the next class they would answer a survey about the science class.
8. Students were told that they had 10 minutes left to finish.
9. The pre-tests were collected.
Remarks:
-Some students seemed to be worried because they didn't know the answers.
-Others looked around trying to remember information from last year.
-Some asked questions to the teacher.
-Most of them had more difficulty dealing with part B which included open questions.
-A few students answered beforehand and were asked to draw a picture of the skeletal system with the main parts on the back of the worksheet.
-Two students started crying because they couldn't answer part B. They were reminded that it was just a diagnostic test.
-Other students got stuck in part B, so they were asked to draw the picture of the skeletal system.
_____________________________________________
Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
2:45 - 3:30 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 2: Pre-survey (in Spanish)
N° of students: 22
1. Prayer: a different student was asked to lead the prayer.
2. Students were asked if they knew what a survey was.
3. The teacher complemented students answers and explained the purpose of the pre-survey.
4. A student read the instructions for the pre-survey
5. Another student was asked to explain in his own words the instructions to check understanding
6. Students answered the pre-survey individually.
7. Some students asked questions about some statements in the survey.
8. The teacher walked around the classroom answering any questions if necessary.
9. Students finished answering the pre-survey.
10. The teacher collected the pre-survey worksheets.
Remarks:
-A few students started answering the questions out loud and the teacher reminded them that they had to answer individually and quietly not to influence other students.
-A few students were answering too fast, so the teacher advised them to read more carefully and avoid rushing.
_________________________________________
Thursday 23, 2009.
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Inquiry-based learning lesson 3: The Skeletal system
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students received the folders to keep their portfolio documents.
3. Students read the instructions about their portfolios.
4. Students asked questions about the way they were expected to keep their portfolios.
5. The teacher started the lesson with this question: What are the main parts of the skeletal sytem?
6. Students worked in pairs and reflected on the question.
7. The teacher gathered responses and subsequent questions from students.
8. The teacher showed students a sheet of paper with pictures of the main parts of the skeletal system and asked them to propose an activity to design a model of the skeletal system.
9. Students proposed cutting out the pictures and then putting the parts together to make a model of the skeletal system.
10. Students cut out the parts and built a model of the skeletal system.
11. Students were asked to work in groups. They collected data from their books in order to label the main parts of the skeletal system.
12. Students presented their findings and then filed them in their portfolios.
13. Students were asked to check at home this website and do some of the activities related to the skeletal system: http://www.studystack.com/matching-1680
______________________________________________
Monday, April 27, 2009.
1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 4: The muscular system
N° of students: 22.
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students were reminded about the importance of their portfolios. They checked what they were expected to have in them.
3. Students asked questions about the muscular system.
4. The teacher wrote the main aspects students wanted to know about this system:
-How do the skeletal system and the muscular system work together?
-What are voluntary and involuntary muscles?
-What kind of tissue do we have in our muscular system?
5. Students were shown pictures about the muscular system in the computers.
6. Students searched in their books, in documents they had brought from home and in this website: www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/3djigsaw_02/index.shtlm/?muscles in order to answer the questions.
7. Students worked in groups and compared their answers to get to an agreement on the right answers.
8. Students sat in a circle and shared their findings. They wrote their answers to the questions.
Remarks:
-Students started checking information they had put in their portfolios. They were willing to use what they had put in them.
-They found it very interesting and motivating to be allowed to ask questions about what they wanted to learn about the muscular system.
-Students chose different ways in which they could gather information to answer the questions (science textbook, documants in their portfolios, internet).
-Lots of oral participation when asking and answering their questions.
-Students took time thinking about what they wanted to know about the muscular system.
-The questions challenged them and they were very willing to find out the answers to them.
-Discussion in the groups was active and they got to agreements on the best answers based on evidence they found in different sources.
__________________________________________
Tuesday, April 28, 2009.
2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 5: The respiratory system.
N° of students: 22.
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students asked what they wanted to know about the respiratory system and the teacher wrote the main questions on the board.
3. Students were told that they would watch a video about the respiratory system. They were asked to pay close attention since they would have to do an exercise based on the video.
4. Students went to the auditorium and watched the video.
5. students went back to the classroom and were given a worksheet in which they had to complete a text about the respiratory system by filling in blanks with the correct words based on the video, information in their science textbook and materials they were asked to include in their portfolios.
6. Students worked in groups and completed half of the paragraph that described the flow of oxygen from the nose to the lungs.
7. Students were given a sheet of paper with the instructions on how to conduct an experiment related to the information they had gathered about the respiratory system. they were told that the first step had been done for them.
8. Students worked in groups and completed the experiment on their own with the teacher guiding them when necessary.
9. Students recorded their observations in a chart.
Remarks:
-Students were very willing to show to the teacher what they had brought for their portfolios about the respiratory system.
-They were more eager to ask questions than in the previous lesson.
-They were very happy whenthey were told that they would watch a video about the respiratory system at the auditorium.
-They were very attentive when they watched the video.
-Some of them relied only in the video to complte the paragraph about the respiratory system.
-most students used their textbooks and documents in their portfolios to complete the text.
-A few students found the task difficult to complete. The teacher encouraged them to use their books and other sources to get the information they needed.
-Students were very excited when they were asked to do the experiment.
-Most students looked at the pictures that accompanied the instructions to carry out the experiment.
-A few students took tim eto read the instructions carefully to fully understand how to do the experiment.
-Some students got more involved than others in the experiment.
-Students were very happy when they got to complete the experiment.
-Some students insisted they wanted to take the experiment home.
____________________________________________
Wednesday, April 29, 2009.
9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 6: The circulatory system
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students checked their portfolios and they completed the exercise they had started last class in which they had to fill in the blanks showing the flow of oxygen in the respiratory system.
3. They finished completing the second half of the paragraph based on what they remembered about the video; using their textbooks and other materials they had in their portfolios about the respiratory system.
4. Students were given a chart to write their observations about the experiment they did in the previous class. They completed the chart individually and then answered some questions about the experiment in groups.
5. Students were asked about the importance of self-evaluation. They were given a self-evaluation sheet to evaluate their individual performance in the experiment activity they carried out in groups.
6. The teacher asked, "Where does the oxygen go from the air sacs in the lungs?" Based on the students' responses the teacher introduced the circulatory system.
7. Students thought about the mechanism that helped take the oxygen to the cells in the body.
8. Students asked lots of questions about the circulatory system and the teacher encouraged other students to answer them based on what they already knew about it or on information in their textbooks.
9. Students got to the conclusion that the main organ of the circulatory system was the heart.
10. As a homework Students were asked to investigate about the main parts of the heart and how it worked. They were asked to bring any information they found to include it in their portfolios.
Remarks:
-Students were very attentive and willing to participate in class.
-Students enjoyed completing the chart about the experiment based on their observations. They discussed actively with their peers when they answered the questions about the experiment in groups.
-Some students asked questions about vocabulary they needed to complete the chart. They were encouraged to look for the words they needed in their textbooks and in the materials they had in their portfolios.
-Students mentioned that they had liked the self-evaluation and they wished other teachers gave them the same opportunity.
-Students were surprised when the teacher asked them to answer the questions some of their classmates were asking about the circulatory system. Some of them started getting the answers from their textbooks.
_______________________________________________
Thursday, April 30, 2009.
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 7: The heart.
N° of students: 22
1. A student was asked to say the prayer.
2. Brief review about the heart. Students said what they knew about it based on what they did for homework.
3. Students analized a poster that showed the main parts of the heart.
4. Based on the poster, students suggested how the heart works. The teacher only povided prompts for students to keep on explaining.
5. Some students asked questions about the heart. Other students were encouraged to answer those questions based on the poster and any other information they had brought from home.
6. After analizing the poster and listening to various explanations from students, they were asked to put all their materials away and were given a pisture of the heart to label the main parts.
7. Students who had trouble identifying the left and the right side of the heart were asked to raise their left arm and then the right one, and then to identify the two sides on the picture.
8. Students labeled their pictures individually and then compared their answers in pairs.
9. Students were asked to get as much information as they could about the digestive system for the following lesson. They were reminded that they could bring pictures, photos, drawings, magazines, posters, or anything they wanted to include in their portfolios.
remarks:
-Students were satisfied when the teacher started checking the homework and everything they had brought in their portfolios.
-Students anjoyed answering other students' questions using the information they had.
-Some students had trouble labelling the picture of the heart because they confused the left side with the right side.
-A few students had trouble labeling the picture because it looked different from the one in the poster at the bginning of the class. The teacher got them to understand that the distribution was the same by means of asking them questions and showing them some other pictures.
_____________________________________________
Monday, May 4, 2009.
1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 8: The digestive system
N° of students: 22.
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students showed the teacher what they had found about the digestive system as homework.
3. Students were asked to look at their workbooks page 48. They read the instructions and a few of them asked questions about what they were expected to do.
4. Other students were asked to explain them what they had to do. Students had to read some statements about the digestive system and say if they agreed or disagreed with them but they had to provide evidence based on information from the materials they brought for their portfolios or they could look for information on their books pages 152-153.
5. Students worked in groups of three to gather the information they needed.
6. While students were working in groups, the teacher called each group to his desk and showed them a short video that showed how nutrients were absorbed in the small intestine.
7. Students gave their answers and then were asked to explain the path food follows after it enters the mouth. Students explained the process based on what they had just read and the pictures they had.
8. Students were able to get to the conclusion that most of the digestion takes place in the small intestine because it is there that the nutrients pass to the blood to be taken to the whole body.
9. Students read tthe statements in their workbooks and students from different groups gave the evidence to support each answer and said where exactly they had found the evidence.
Remarks:
-Students were willing to start the class. Some of them were waiting for the tacher at the door with their portfolios to show him what they had brought about the digestive system.
-Some students wanted to form their own groups. The teacher told them about the importance of working with other students different from their best friends.
-When students were working in groups, some of them led the discussion asking, "Do you agree or disagree (with the statement)? The others pointed to the part of the book or the materials they had where the evidence was.
-After watching the video that showed how the nutrients were absorbed in the small intestine, students were even more enthusiastic trying to answer the questions in their small groups.
- Students were very happy when they confirmed that their answers to the workbook exercise were right. Most of them were very willing to participate.
______________________________________________
Tuesday, May 5, 2009.
2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 9: The nervous system
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students were told that they would do an experiment in which they would watch some pictures of animals with the names of each animal on top. They would work in pairs and time each other to observe how long each one of them took to name all the animals.
3. Students worked in pairs. They looked at the pictures of animals with the names on top of them and recorded how long each one of them took to name all the animals.
4. Students shared their results with the class.
5. Students were asked to do the same, but this time the words on top of the animals did not match the animals. They were asked to ignore the words and name only the animals.
6. Students worked in pairs again and recorded how long it took each one of them to name the animals ignoring the words.
7. Students had more trouble this time naming the animals since the words did not match the pictures so they took longer naming all the animals.
8. The teacher asked students what part of their bodies was responsible for the change in how long it took them to name the animals.
9. Students answered that the brain was. Students were encouraged to ask questions related to the brain. Some students said it was part of the nervous system.
10. Students said what they knew about the nervous system and its parts.
11. Students watched an interactive presentation about the nervous system at this website: http://kidshealth.org/misc/movie/bodybasics/bodybasics_brain.html
12. The program asked them to repeat the names of the main parts of the nervous system and they did so.
13. Some students were asked to read aloud the brief explanation about the function of each part of the nervous system.
14. Students were asked to discuss in small groups the conclusion they could draw from the experiment based on what they had observed about the nervous system.
15. Students concluded that since different parts of the brain control different actions, there was interference of one part of the brain on another when trying to name the animals with the mismatching words on them.
16. Students were told that in the next class there would be a general review of all the systems of the human body studied so far. They were asked to review at home all the materials they had collected throughout the inquiry-based unit and to include in their portfolios any other material they found.
Remarks:
-Students liked the idea of going out of the classroom to the auditotorium to do the experiment.
-Some students were very anxious about the experiment and they couldn't wait to get started.
-A few students had trouble timing their peers since they did not have a cronometer. The teacher asked them how they could time their classmates without a cronometer. A student suggested that they could count while closing and opening their right hand.
-Students realized that it took them more time to name the animals when the words did not match the pictures.
-Students were very involved in the activity in which they had to repeat the names of the main parts of the nervous system and almost all of them wanted to participate reading aloud the definitions of the different parts.
___________________________________________________
Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 10: Unit review
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students showed to the teacher the materials they brought to include in their portfolios after reviewing at home the different systems of the human body.
3. Students were told that they were going to review the whole inquiry-based unit by answering some exercises in their workbooks.
4. Students worked in small groups and were told that they had to answer the exercises they had in their workbooks on pages 46 to 48 on their own by reading the instructions carefully, discussing before writing their answers, and using their textbooks or any other materials they had in their portfolios.
5. Students answered the exercises following these steps:
-First, they read the statements about the systems of the human body (skeletal, muscular, respiratory, circulatory, digestive and nervous).
-Second, they placed a check mark in a circle to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with each statement.
-Third, they reread al the statements.
-Fourth, they placed a check mark in the Correct circle if the information they gathered supported their choice, and then wrote how the information found supported their choice.
-Finally, they placed a check mark in the Incorrect circle if the information they gathered did not support their choice, and they wrote an explanation of why their choice was wrong.
6. Students answered the unit review.
7. Students shared their findings with the class and made any necessary corrections.
8. Students were told that in the next lesson they would have the opportunity to demonstrate how much they had learned in the inquiry-based lesson by taking a post-test.
9. Students were asked to study at home their answers to the unit review and to check all the materials they had in their portfolios so that they improved the results they obtained in the pre-test.
10. Students were encouraged to bring to class any other materials they found at home while preparing for the post-test to include them in their portfolios.
Remarks:
-Students were very enthusiastic about showing the teacher the pictures and documents they had collected while reviewing the unit at home.
-Students were happy when they were allowed to form their own groups.
-Some students had difficulty to understand some of the instructions to answer the workbook exercises. The teacher asked other students in the same group to explained them what they had to do.
-Anytime students asked questions about the content, they were told to search in their documents, pictures and textbooks for the information they needed.
-Students were very excited about the post-test in the next lesson.
_____________________________________________________
Thursday, May 7, 2009.
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 11: Post-test
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students were given the post-test sheets face down.
3. Before turning their sheets to start the test, students were advised to read the instructions and each of the statements carefully.
4. Students answered the post-test individually.
5. Students finished answering the post-test and their test sheets were collected.
Remarks:
-Students were eager to take the post-test. They seemed to be very confident.
-Some students mentioned that they had prepared for the post-test using their textbooks; others used the internet and others the materials they had in their portfolios.
-This time, students did not complain and did not ask as many questions as they did when they took the pre-test.
-Only a few students asked questions about the content of the post-test. They were advised to reread the statements more carefully.
-Some students commented that they had found the post-test very easy.
____________________________________________________
Monday, May 11, 2009.
1:15 - 2:00 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 12: Post-survey (in Spanish)
N° of students: 22
1. Prayer: a different student was asked to lead the prayer.
2. Students were asked if they remembered what a survey was.
3. The teacher reminded students that they had taken a pre-survey at the beginning of the inquiry-based unit. He complemented students answers and explained the purpose of the post-survey.
4. A student read the instructions for the post-survey.
5. Another student was asked to explain in his own words the instructions to check understanding.
6. Students answered the post-survey individually.
7. Some students asked questions about some statements in the survey.
8. The teacher walked around the classroom answering any questions if necessary.
9. Students finished answering the post-survey.
10. The teacher collected the post-survey worksheets.
Remarks:
-Students were much more relaxed this time answering the survey compared with the pre-survey at the beginning of the unit.
-A few students started answering the questions out loud and the teacher reminded them that they had to answer individually and quietly not to influence other students.
-A few students were answering too fast, so the teacher advised them to read more carefully and to avoid rushing.
Monday, April 20, 2009.1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 1: Pre-test
N° of students: 22
1. Prayer: a student was asked to lead the prayer
2. Brief introduction to students of the inquiry-based learning unit about the systems of the human body.
3. Reasons for the pre-test: students were told that this was just a diagnostic test and that at the end of the inquiry-based science unit they would be given a post-test to check their progress.
4. Instructions on how to answer the pre-test.
5. A student was asked to explain what they were expected to do to check understanding.
6. Students answered the pre-test.
7. Students were told that in the next class they would answer a survey about the science class.
8. Students were told that they had 10 minutes left to finish.
9. The pre-tests were collected.
Remarks:
-Some students seemed to be worried because they didn't know the answers.
-Others looked around trying to remember information from last year.
-Some asked questions to the teacher.
-Most of them had more difficulty dealing with part B which included open questions.
-A few students answered beforehand and were asked to draw a picture of the skeletal system with the main parts on the back of the worksheet.
-Two students started crying because they couldn't answer part B. They were reminded that it was just a diagnostic test.
-Other students got stuck in part B, so they were asked to draw the picture of the skeletal system.
_____________________________________________
Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
2:45 - 3:30 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 2: Pre-survey (in Spanish)
N° of students: 22
1. Prayer: a different student was asked to lead the prayer.
2. Students were asked if they knew what a survey was.
3. The teacher complemented students answers and explained the purpose of the pre-survey.
4. A student read the instructions for the pre-survey
5. Another student was asked to explain in his own words the instructions to check understanding
6. Students answered the pre-survey individually.
7. Some students asked questions about some statements in the survey.
8. The teacher walked around the classroom answering any questions if necessary.
9. Students finished answering the pre-survey.
10. The teacher collected the pre-survey worksheets.
Remarks:
-A few students started answering the questions out loud and the teacher reminded them that they had to answer individually and quietly not to influence other students.
-A few students were answering too fast, so the teacher advised them to read more carefully and avoid rushing.
_________________________________________
Thursday 23, 2009.
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Inquiry-based learning lesson 3: The Skeletal system
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students received the folders to keep their portfolio documents.
3. Students read the instructions about their portfolios.
4. Students asked questions about the way they were expected to keep their portfolios.
5. The teacher started the lesson with this question: What are the main parts of the skeletal sytem?
6. Students worked in pairs and reflected on the question.
7. The teacher gathered responses and subsequent questions from students.
8. The teacher showed students a sheet of paper with pictures of the main parts of the skeletal system and asked them to propose an activity to design a model of the skeletal system.
9. Students proposed cutting out the pictures and then putting the parts together to make a model of the skeletal system.
10. Students cut out the parts and built a model of the skeletal system.
11. Students were asked to work in groups. They collected data from their books in order to label the main parts of the skeletal system.
12. Students presented their findings and then filed them in their portfolios.
13. Students were asked to check at home this website and do some of the activities related to the skeletal system: http://www.studystack.com/matching-1680
______________________________________________
Monday, April 27, 2009.
1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 4: The muscular system
N° of students: 22.
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students were reminded about the importance of their portfolios. They checked what they were expected to have in them.
3. Students asked questions about the muscular system.
4. The teacher wrote the main aspects students wanted to know about this system:
-How do the skeletal system and the muscular system work together?
-What are voluntary and involuntary muscles?
-What kind of tissue do we have in our muscular system?
5. Students were shown pictures about the muscular system in the computers.
6. Students searched in their books, in documents they had brought from home and in this website: www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/3djigsaw_02/index.shtlm/?muscles in order to answer the questions.
7. Students worked in groups and compared their answers to get to an agreement on the right answers.
8. Students sat in a circle and shared their findings. They wrote their answers to the questions.
Remarks:
-Students started checking information they had put in their portfolios. They were willing to use what they had put in them.
-They found it very interesting and motivating to be allowed to ask questions about what they wanted to learn about the muscular system.
-Students chose different ways in which they could gather information to answer the questions (science textbook, documants in their portfolios, internet).
-Lots of oral participation when asking and answering their questions.
-Students took time thinking about what they wanted to know about the muscular system.
-The questions challenged them and they were very willing to find out the answers to them.
-Discussion in the groups was active and they got to agreements on the best answers based on evidence they found in different sources.
__________________________________________
Tuesday, April 28, 2009.
2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 5: The respiratory system.
N° of students: 22.
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students asked what they wanted to know about the respiratory system and the teacher wrote the main questions on the board.
3. Students were told that they would watch a video about the respiratory system. They were asked to pay close attention since they would have to do an exercise based on the video.
4. Students went to the auditorium and watched the video.
5. students went back to the classroom and were given a worksheet in which they had to complete a text about the respiratory system by filling in blanks with the correct words based on the video, information in their science textbook and materials they were asked to include in their portfolios.
6. Students worked in groups and completed half of the paragraph that described the flow of oxygen from the nose to the lungs.
7. Students were given a sheet of paper with the instructions on how to conduct an experiment related to the information they had gathered about the respiratory system. they were told that the first step had been done for them.
8. Students worked in groups and completed the experiment on their own with the teacher guiding them when necessary.
9. Students recorded their observations in a chart.
Remarks:
-Students were very willing to show to the teacher what they had brought for their portfolios about the respiratory system.
-They were more eager to ask questions than in the previous lesson.
-They were very happy whenthey were told that they would watch a video about the respiratory system at the auditorium.
-They were very attentive when they watched the video.
-Some of them relied only in the video to complte the paragraph about the respiratory system.
-most students used their textbooks and documents in their portfolios to complete the text.
-A few students found the task difficult to complete. The teacher encouraged them to use their books and other sources to get the information they needed.
-Students were very excited when they were asked to do the experiment.
-Most students looked at the pictures that accompanied the instructions to carry out the experiment.
-A few students took tim eto read the instructions carefully to fully understand how to do the experiment.
-Some students got more involved than others in the experiment.
-Students were very happy when they got to complete the experiment.
-Some students insisted they wanted to take the experiment home.
____________________________________________
Wednesday, April 29, 2009.
9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 6: The circulatory system
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students checked their portfolios and they completed the exercise they had started last class in which they had to fill in the blanks showing the flow of oxygen in the respiratory system.
3. They finished completing the second half of the paragraph based on what they remembered about the video; using their textbooks and other materials they had in their portfolios about the respiratory system.
4. Students were given a chart to write their observations about the experiment they did in the previous class. They completed the chart individually and then answered some questions about the experiment in groups.
5. Students were asked about the importance of self-evaluation. They were given a self-evaluation sheet to evaluate their individual performance in the experiment activity they carried out in groups.
6. The teacher asked, "Where does the oxygen go from the air sacs in the lungs?" Based on the students' responses the teacher introduced the circulatory system.
7. Students thought about the mechanism that helped take the oxygen to the cells in the body.
8. Students asked lots of questions about the circulatory system and the teacher encouraged other students to answer them based on what they already knew about it or on information in their textbooks.
9. Students got to the conclusion that the main organ of the circulatory system was the heart.
10. As a homework Students were asked to investigate about the main parts of the heart and how it worked. They were asked to bring any information they found to include it in their portfolios.
Remarks:
-Students were very attentive and willing to participate in class.
-Students enjoyed completing the chart about the experiment based on their observations. They discussed actively with their peers when they answered the questions about the experiment in groups.
-Some students asked questions about vocabulary they needed to complete the chart. They were encouraged to look for the words they needed in their textbooks and in the materials they had in their portfolios.
-Students mentioned that they had liked the self-evaluation and they wished other teachers gave them the same opportunity.
-Students were surprised when the teacher asked them to answer the questions some of their classmates were asking about the circulatory system. Some of them started getting the answers from their textbooks.
_______________________________________________
Thursday, April 30, 2009.
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 7: The heart.
N° of students: 22
1. A student was asked to say the prayer.
2. Brief review about the heart. Students said what they knew about it based on what they did for homework.
3. Students analized a poster that showed the main parts of the heart.
4. Based on the poster, students suggested how the heart works. The teacher only povided prompts for students to keep on explaining.
5. Some students asked questions about the heart. Other students were encouraged to answer those questions based on the poster and any other information they had brought from home.
6. After analizing the poster and listening to various explanations from students, they were asked to put all their materials away and were given a pisture of the heart to label the main parts.
7. Students who had trouble identifying the left and the right side of the heart were asked to raise their left arm and then the right one, and then to identify the two sides on the picture.
8. Students labeled their pictures individually and then compared their answers in pairs.
9. Students were asked to get as much information as they could about the digestive system for the following lesson. They were reminded that they could bring pictures, photos, drawings, magazines, posters, or anything they wanted to include in their portfolios.
remarks:
-Students were satisfied when the teacher started checking the homework and everything they had brought in their portfolios.
-Students anjoyed answering other students' questions using the information they had.
-Some students had trouble labelling the picture of the heart because they confused the left side with the right side.
-A few students had trouble labeling the picture because it looked different from the one in the poster at the bginning of the class. The teacher got them to understand that the distribution was the same by means of asking them questions and showing them some other pictures.
_____________________________________________
Monday, May 4, 2009.
1:15 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 8: The digestive system
N° of students: 22.
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students showed the teacher what they had found about the digestive system as homework.
3. Students were asked to look at their workbooks page 48. They read the instructions and a few of them asked questions about what they were expected to do.
4. Other students were asked to explain them what they had to do. Students had to read some statements about the digestive system and say if they agreed or disagreed with them but they had to provide evidence based on information from the materials they brought for their portfolios or they could look for information on their books pages 152-153.
5. Students worked in groups of three to gather the information they needed.
6. While students were working in groups, the teacher called each group to his desk and showed them a short video that showed how nutrients were absorbed in the small intestine.
7. Students gave their answers and then were asked to explain the path food follows after it enters the mouth. Students explained the process based on what they had just read and the pictures they had.
8. Students were able to get to the conclusion that most of the digestion takes place in the small intestine because it is there that the nutrients pass to the blood to be taken to the whole body.
9. Students read tthe statements in their workbooks and students from different groups gave the evidence to support each answer and said where exactly they had found the evidence.
Remarks:
-Students were willing to start the class. Some of them were waiting for the tacher at the door with their portfolios to show him what they had brought about the digestive system.
-Some students wanted to form their own groups. The teacher told them about the importance of working with other students different from their best friends.
-When students were working in groups, some of them led the discussion asking, "Do you agree or disagree (with the statement)? The others pointed to the part of the book or the materials they had where the evidence was.
-After watching the video that showed how the nutrients were absorbed in the small intestine, students were even more enthusiastic trying to answer the questions in their small groups.
- Students were very happy when they confirmed that their answers to the workbook exercise were right. Most of them were very willing to participate.
______________________________________________
Tuesday, May 5, 2009.
2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 9: The nervous system
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students were told that they would do an experiment in which they would watch some pictures of animals with the names of each animal on top. They would work in pairs and time each other to observe how long each one of them took to name all the animals.
3. Students worked in pairs. They looked at the pictures of animals with the names on top of them and recorded how long each one of them took to name all the animals.
4. Students shared their results with the class.
5. Students were asked to do the same, but this time the words on top of the animals did not match the animals. They were asked to ignore the words and name only the animals.
6. Students worked in pairs again and recorded how long it took each one of them to name the animals ignoring the words.
7. Students had more trouble this time naming the animals since the words did not match the pictures so they took longer naming all the animals.
8. The teacher asked students what part of their bodies was responsible for the change in how long it took them to name the animals.
9. Students answered that the brain was. Students were encouraged to ask questions related to the brain. Some students said it was part of the nervous system.
10. Students said what they knew about the nervous system and its parts.
11. Students watched an interactive presentation about the nervous system at this website: http://kidshealth.org/misc/movie/bodybasics/bodybasics_brain.html
12. The program asked them to repeat the names of the main parts of the nervous system and they did so.
13. Some students were asked to read aloud the brief explanation about the function of each part of the nervous system.
14. Students were asked to discuss in small groups the conclusion they could draw from the experiment based on what they had observed about the nervous system.
15. Students concluded that since different parts of the brain control different actions, there was interference of one part of the brain on another when trying to name the animals with the mismatching words on them.
16. Students were told that in the next class there would be a general review of all the systems of the human body studied so far. They were asked to review at home all the materials they had collected throughout the inquiry-based unit and to include in their portfolios any other material they found.
Remarks:
-Students liked the idea of going out of the classroom to the auditotorium to do the experiment.
-Some students were very anxious about the experiment and they couldn't wait to get started.
-A few students had trouble timing their peers since they did not have a cronometer. The teacher asked them how they could time their classmates without a cronometer. A student suggested that they could count while closing and opening their right hand.
-Students realized that it took them more time to name the animals when the words did not match the pictures.
-Students were very involved in the activity in which they had to repeat the names of the main parts of the nervous system and almost all of them wanted to participate reading aloud the definitions of the different parts.
___________________________________________________
Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 10: Unit review
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students showed to the teacher the materials they brought to include in their portfolios after reviewing at home the different systems of the human body.
3. Students were told that they were going to review the whole inquiry-based unit by answering some exercises in their workbooks.
4. Students worked in small groups and were told that they had to answer the exercises they had in their workbooks on pages 46 to 48 on their own by reading the instructions carefully, discussing before writing their answers, and using their textbooks or any other materials they had in their portfolios.
5. Students answered the exercises following these steps:
-First, they read the statements about the systems of the human body (skeletal, muscular, respiratory, circulatory, digestive and nervous).
-Second, they placed a check mark in a circle to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with each statement.
-Third, they reread al the statements.
-Fourth, they placed a check mark in the Correct circle if the information they gathered supported their choice, and then wrote how the information found supported their choice.
-Finally, they placed a check mark in the Incorrect circle if the information they gathered did not support their choice, and they wrote an explanation of why their choice was wrong.
6. Students answered the unit review.
7. Students shared their findings with the class and made any necessary corrections.
8. Students were told that in the next lesson they would have the opportunity to demonstrate how much they had learned in the inquiry-based lesson by taking a post-test.
9. Students were asked to study at home their answers to the unit review and to check all the materials they had in their portfolios so that they improved the results they obtained in the pre-test.
10. Students were encouraged to bring to class any other materials they found at home while preparing for the post-test to include them in their portfolios.
Remarks:
-Students were very enthusiastic about showing the teacher the pictures and documents they had collected while reviewing the unit at home.
-Students were happy when they were allowed to form their own groups.
-Some students had difficulty to understand some of the instructions to answer the workbook exercises. The teacher asked other students in the same group to explained them what they had to do.
-Anytime students asked questions about the content, they were told to search in their documents, pictures and textbooks for the information they needed.
-Students were very excited about the post-test in the next lesson.
_____________________________________________________
Thursday, May 7, 2009.
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 11: Post-test
N° of students: 22
1. A student said the prayer.
2. Students were given the post-test sheets face down.
3. Before turning their sheets to start the test, students were advised to read the instructions and each of the statements carefully.
4. Students answered the post-test individually.
5. Students finished answering the post-test and their test sheets were collected.
Remarks:
-Students were eager to take the post-test. They seemed to be very confident.
-Some students mentioned that they had prepared for the post-test using their textbooks; others used the internet and others the materials they had in their portfolios.
-This time, students did not complain and did not ask as many questions as they did when they took the pre-test.
-Only a few students asked questions about the content of the post-test. They were advised to reread the statements more carefully.
-Some students commented that they had found the post-test very easy.
____________________________________________________
Monday, May 11, 2009.
1:15 - 2:00 p.m.
Inquiry-based lesson 12: Post-survey (in Spanish)
N° of students: 22
1. Prayer: a different student was asked to lead the prayer.
2. Students were asked if they remembered what a survey was.
3. The teacher reminded students that they had taken a pre-survey at the beginning of the inquiry-based unit. He complemented students answers and explained the purpose of the post-survey.
4. A student read the instructions for the post-survey.
5. Another student was asked to explain in his own words the instructions to check understanding.
6. Students answered the post-survey individually.
7. Some students asked questions about some statements in the survey.
8. The teacher walked around the classroom answering any questions if necessary.
9. Students finished answering the post-survey.
10. The teacher collected the post-survey worksheets.
Remarks:
-Students were much more relaxed this time answering the survey compared with the pre-survey at the beginning of the unit.
-A few students started answering the questions out loud and the teacher reminded them that they had to answer individually and quietly not to influence other students.
-A few students were answering too fast, so the teacher advised them to read more carefully and to avoid rushing.
Appendices
Click here to access the appendices.
Appendix 1
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Pre-test
Name: ______________________________________ Class _____
Date: _____________________________________
A. Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark “X” next to the correct answer.
1. Which can muscle cells form?
_____blood cells and bone cells
_____bone cells and cardiac muscles
_____bone tissue and involuntary muscles
¬¬¬_____cardiac muscles and skeletal muscles
2. Which are jobs of the skeletal system?
_____makes calcium, fights disease
_____helps you move, protects your organs
_____helps you breathe, makes your heart beat
¬¬¬_____protects you from disease, makes muscle
3. Which of these kinds of muscle is voluntary?
_____heart
_____skeletal
_____breathing
¬¬¬_____digestion
4. How does a pair of skeletal muscles work together?
_____Both muscles contract at the same time
_____Both muscles relax and then work together
_____When one muscle contracts, the other relaxes
¬¬¬_____When one muscle is voluntary, the other is involuntary
5. Which describes the path of air through the body after it enters the nose or mouth?
_____from bronchial tubes, to trachea, to lungs
_____from pharynx, to trachea, to bronchial tubes
_____from trachea, to bronchial tubes, to pharynx
¬¬¬_____from windpipe, to bronchial tubes, to trachea
6. Which is true of nerve cells, or neurons?
_____they are involuntary muscle cells
_____they are only found in the spinal cord
_____they are also called connective tissue
¬¬¬_____they are in the brain and in the spinal cord
7. What is digestion?
_____what happens in the heart and lungs
_____the process of making blood in bones
_____making sure the body has enough oxygen
¬¬¬_____the process of breaking food into a form cells can use
8. Which are organs of the digestive system?
_____esophagus, small intestine
_____connective tissue, tongue
_____spinal cord, large intestine
¬¬¬_____voluntary muscles, stomach
9. Which tells what the brain does?
_____brings oxygen to the blood
_____helps support the body
_____sends messages to body systems
¬¬¬_____breaks down nutrients so the cells can use them
10. What system is the brain and the spinal cord part of?
_____digestive system
_____circulatory system
_____respiratory system
¬¬¬_____central nervous system
B. Write the answers to the questions on the lines.
1. How do skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles differ?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. How do the respiratory and circulatory systems provide oxygen to the body and rid it of carbon dioxide?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Describe the path of blood through the body.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Appendix 2
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Post-test
Name: ______________________________________ Class _____
Date: _____________________________________
C. Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark “X” next to the correct answer.
11. Which can muscle cells form?
_____blood cells and bone cells
_____bone cells and cardiac muscles
_____bone tissue and involuntary muscles
¬¬¬_____cardiac muscles and skeletal muscles
12. Which are jobs of the skeletal system?
_____makes calcium, fights disease
_____helps you move, protects your organs
_____helps you breathe, makes your heart beat
¬¬¬_____protects you from disease, makes muscle
13. Which of these kinds of muscle is voluntary?
_____heart
_____skeletal
_____breathing
¬¬¬_____digestion
14. How does a pair of skeletal muscles work together?
_____Both muscles contract at the same time
_____Both muscles relax and then work together
_____When one muscle contracts, the other relaxes
¬¬¬_____When one muscle is voluntary, the other is involuntary
15. Which describes the path of air through the body after it enters the nose or mouth?
_____from bronchial tubes, to trachea, to lungs
_____from pharynx, to trachea, to bronchial tubes
_____from trachea, to bronchial tubes, to pharynx
¬¬¬_____from windpipe, to bronchial tubes, to trachea
16. Which is true of nerve cells, or neurons?
_____they are involuntary muscle cells
_____they are only found in the spinal cord
_____they are also called connective tissue
¬¬¬_____they are in the brain and in the spinal cord
17. What is digestion?
_____what happens in the heart and lungs
_____the process of making blood in bones
_____making sure the body has enough oxygen
¬¬¬_____the process of breaking food into a form cells can use
18. Which are organs of the digestive system?
_____esophagus, small intestine
_____connective tissue, tongue
_____spinal cord, large intestine
¬¬¬_____voluntary muscles, stomach
19. Which tells what the brain does?
_____brings oxygen to the blood
_____helps support the body
_____sends messages to body systems
¬¬¬_____breaks down nutrients so the cells can use them
20. What system is the brain and the spinal cord part of?
_____digestive system
_____circulatory system
_____respiratory system
¬¬¬_____central nervous system
D. Write the answers to the questions on the lines.
4. How do skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles differ?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
5. How do the respiratory and circulatory systems provide oxygen to the body and rid it of carbon dioxide?
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. Describe the path of blood through the body.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Appendix 3
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Pre-Survey (Pre-Encuesta)
Name: _________________________________________ Class: _______
Date: _______________________________________
Piensa en la manera cómo has aprendido en las clases de Science hasta este momento. Marca en la tabla una “X” de 1 a 5 en el cuadro que escojas sabiendo que (1) es totalmente falso y que (5) es totalmente verdadero.
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
El profesor es el que habla la mayoría del tiempo
El profesor es el que tiene el control de la clase
El profesor es el que hace las preguntas
El profesor da las explicaciones
El profesor da las instrucciones o las lee
El profesor te anima a preguntar
El profesor te deja hacer preguntas
Haces preguntas en clase
El profesor te ayuda a que aprendas
El profesor te enseña a investigar
Trabajas en parejas o en grupos
Tú aprendes por ti mismo con la ayuda del profesor
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
Tienes oportunidades de descubrir el conocimiento
Tú colaboras en el aprendizaje de los temas
Reflexionas en cómo aprendiste algo
Te animan a aprender por ti mismo
Te animan a ser responsable de tu aprendizaje
Te dejan escoger y proponer temas para aprender
Te dejan usar tu propio método para aprender o trabajar mejor
Te dejan escoger materiales a ti mismo para aprender
Te dejan ser como un mini-científico que investiga y explora
Desarrollas habilidades de pensamiento
Te dejan calificar tu propio trabajo y señalar tus fortalezas y debilidades
Haces experimentos, observas y manipulas objetos
Buscas información tu mismo en diferentes partes
Desarrollas estrategias para aprender mejor
Te dan la oportunidad de mostrar lo que sabes y puedes
Investigas para dar respuesta a tus preguntas
Te gusta tomar el control de tu propio aprendizaje
Te encargas de aprender por ti mismo
Conoces tu estilo de aprendizaje
Usas estrategias para aprender mejor
Aprendes mejor escuchando
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
Aprendes mejor viendo
Aprendes mejor tocando
Aprendes mejor moviéndote
Aprendes mejor leyendo y escribiendo
Aprendes mejor hablando con otros
Appendix 4
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Post-Survey (Post-Encuesta)
Name: _________________________________________ Class: _______
Date: _______________________________________
Piensa en la manera cómo has aprendido acerca de los sistemas del cuerpo humano durante estas tres semanas en la clase de Science.
Marca en la tabla una “X” de 1 a 5 en el cuadro que escojas sabiendo que (1) es totalmente falso y que (5) es totalmente verdadero.
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
El profesor es el que habla la mayoría del tiempo
El profesor es el que tiene el control de la clase
El profesor es el que hace las preguntas
El profesor da las explicaciones
El profesor da las instrucciones o las lee
El profesor te anima a preguntar
El profesor te deja hacer preguntas
Haces preguntas en clase
El profesor te ayuda a que aprendas
El profesor te enseña a investigar
Trabajas en parejas o en grupos
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
Tú aprendes por ti mismo con la ayuda del profesor
Tienes oportunidades de descubrir el conocimiento
Tú colaboras en el aprendizaje de los temas
Reflexionas en cómo aprendiste algo
Te animan a aprender por ti mismo
Te animan a ser responsable de tu aprendizaje
Te dejan escoger y proponer temas para aprender
Te dejan usar tu propio método para aprender o trabajar mejor
Te dejan escoger materiales a ti mismo para aprender
Te dejan ser como un mini-científico que investiga y explora
Desarrollas habilidades de pensamiento
Te dejan calificar tu propio trabajo y señalar tus fortalezas y debilidades
Haces experimentos, observas y manipulas objetos
Buscas información tu mismo en diferentes partes
Desarrollas estrategias para aprender mejor
Te dan la oportunidad de mostrar lo que sabes y puedes
Investigas para dar respuesta a tus preguntas
Te gusta tomar el control de tu propio aprendizaje
Te encargas de aprender por ti mismo
Conoces tu estilo de aprendizaje
Usas estrategias para aprender mejor
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
Aprendes mejor escuchando
Aprendes mejor viendo
Aprendes mejor tocando
Aprendes mejor moviéndote
Aprendes mejor leyendo y escribiendo
Aprendes mejor hablando con otros
Appendix 5
Student’s portfolio
The following is a sample of a student’s portfolio. Each student will be asked to bring a folder on the first day of the inquiry-based unit and they will keep the folders at school and continually add to them. Students will put in samples as describe below and they will order them according to the dates when the work is completed. At the beginning of the portfolio, I will write a note to students and parents explaining what the portfolio is and how he is expected to put it together. With each sample of work, I will put a description sheet which basically will describe the activity and evaluate how well the child completed the task in terms of autonomy awareness, that is to say, if he identified strategies that he could use to achieve the goal of the task and if he identified his preferred learning style to achieve it.
In each descriptor I will write:
- The date of the activity
- A description of the activity and a brief outline of the topic we are studying
- The purpose of the activity and the objectives we were working towards.
- A list of outcomes the children are expected to achieve or skills they have shown in terms of autonomy awareness.
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Student’s portfolio
Student’s name: ________________________________________________________
Class: _________________ Date: __________________________________________
Dear student,
During this inquiry-based science unit about the systems of the human body, your teacher will use your portfolio as a means to collect samples of all the work you do in twelve lessons for three weeks. Your portfolio is a folder in which you will keep in chronological order everything you do in science class or at the laboratory (class notes, questions you ask, pictures you draw, reading materials, worksheets, flip chart activities, inquiry activities, experiment reports, projects, book exercises, workbook exercises, quizzes, concept webs, vocabulary lists, graphic organizers, summaries, or any other activity that you do in or out of class).
This folder will allow your teacher to see if you increase your ability to identify strategies that help you learn better and identify your own preferred learning style, after he makes you aware of the learning goals and the content of the materials that you use during this unit about the systems of the human body.
.
You will collect in your portfolio all the work samples that you do in science class for three weeks. Since some of the work during this unit about the systems of the human body is hands on and concrete, and this type of work can be difficult to put in your portfolio, you will use worksheets to complement your hands-on activities that are done in the classroom. Here's some ideas of what you can put into your portfolio:
Work samples – all classwork and other worksheet type activities that reflect what you learn during this unit. These samples should cover the following areas:
What are the skeletal and muscular systems?
-Parts of organ systems
-The skeletal system
-Building strong bones
-The human skeleton
-The muscular system
-Voluntary muscles
-Involuntary muscles
-Muscle tissue
What are the respiratory and circulatory systems?
-The respiratory system
-Parts of the respiratory system
-How pumps and passages in the heart work together
-The heart
What are the digestive and nervous systems?
-The digestive system
-Parts of the digestive system
-The central nervous system
-The spinal cord
-The brain
Lesson quizzes, chapter quizzes, and unit assessment -all classwork and other worksheet type activities that reflect what you learn during this unit. These samples should cover the following areas:
What are the skeletal and muscular systems?
-Parts of organ systems
-The skeletal system
-Building strong bones
-The human skeleton
-The muscular system
-Voluntary muscles
-Involuntary muscles
-Muscle tissue
What are the respiratory and circulatory systems?
-The respiratory system
-Parts of the respiratory system
-How pumps and passages in the heart work together
-The heart
What are the digestive and nervous systems?
-The digestive system
-Parts of the digestive system
-The central nervous system
-The spinal cord
-The brain
Photos, pictures, videos - of things you make or activities you are involved in with a written description to accompany them. These samples should cover the following areas:
-What are the skeletal and muscular systems?
-Parts of organ systems
-The skeletal system
-Building strong bones
-The human skeleton
-The muscular system
-Voluntary muscles
-Involuntary muscles
-Muscle tissue
-What are the respiratory and circulatory systems?
-The respiratory system
-Parts of the respiratory system
-How pumps and passages in the heart work together
-The heart
-What are the digestive and nervous systems?
-The digestive system
-Parts of the digestive system
-The central nervous system
-The spinal cord
-The brain
Checklists and self-assessment tools – your teacher will give you some simple ones that your parents can understand.
Science objectives
_____ I know that complex animals have specialized organs to carry out life processes.
_____ I know that living things are composed of cells.
_____ I know the major organs of the human body.
_____ I understand the functions of various body systems.
_____ I know that the human body is made of systems with structures and functions that
are related.
_____ I know that similar cells form different kinds of structures.
_____ I know that it is important to keep accurate records and descriptions to provide
information and clues on causes of discrepancies in related experiments.
_____ I know that, through the use of science processes and knowledge, people can
solve problems, make decisions, and form new ideas.
Skeletal and muscular systems
_____ I know that bones support the body and protect internal organs.
_____ I know that many bones produce different kinds of blood cells.
_____ I know that joints, places where bones connect, are classified according to the
kind of movement they allow.
_____ I know that voluntary muscles can be consciously controlled.
_____ I know that involuntary muscles are not under conscious control.
_____ I know that three types of muscle tissue are smooth, cardiac, and skeletal.
Respiratory and circulatory systems
_____ I know that oxygen is carried from the lungs to the rest of the body by the blood.
_____ I know that oxygen-poor blood is pumped back to the heart and then to the lungs.
_____ I know that the heart has four chambers, two ventricles and two atria.
Digestive and nervous systems
_____ I know that the large intestine is a digestive organ that absorbs liquid and stores
body waste.
_____ I know the path of food as it travels through the body.
_____ I know that the central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.
_____ I know that a nerve is made of a bundle of nerve cells, or neurons.
_____ I know that signals travel from one nerve cell extension to another.
Oral recounts – If the teacher does or says something that you think is important about the systems of the human body, do a verbal recall of it and write your words describing what you experienced and learned.
Selected work and work you do on your own – you can choose pictures, photos, videos, or pieces of your own work you wish to put into your portfolio and then the teacher will ask you to describe why you chose it. These samples should cover the areas mentioned above:
Sample Student Portfolio Rubric
Points Required items Concepts/Autonomy awareness Reflection Overall Presentation
6.5-7 All required items are included, with a significant number of additions. Items clearly demonstrate that the desired learning outcomes for the inquiry-based unit have been achieved. The student has gained a significant understanding of the concepts and applications demonstrating a remarkable increase of his autonomy awareness. Reflections illustrate the ability to effectively identify strategies used to achieve the goals of the tasks and to identify the preferred learning style to achieve them. Items are clearly introduced, well organized, and creatively displayed, showing connection between them.
5-6.4 All required items are included, with a few additions. Items clearly demonstrate most of the desired learning outcomes for the inquiry-based unit. The student has gained a general understanding of the concepts and applications demonstrating an increase of his autonomy awareness. Reflections illustrate the ability to effectively identify strategies used to achieve the goals of the tasks and to identify the preferred learning style to achieve them.
Items are introduced and well organized, showing connection between them.
3-4.9 All required items are included. Items demonstrate some of the desired learning outcomes for the inquiry-based unit. The student has gained some understanding of the concepts and attempts to apply them demonstrating some increase of his autonomy awareness. Reflections illustrate the ability to effectively identify strategies used to achieve the goals of the tasks and to identify the preferred learning style to achieve them. Items are introduced and somewhat organized, showing some connection between them.
1-2.9 A significant number of required items are missing. Items do not demonstrate basic learning outcomes for the inquiry-based unit. The student has limited understanding of the concepts and does not demonstrate an increase of his autonomy awareness. Reflections illustrate the ability to effectively identify strategies used to achieve the goals of the tasks and to identify the preferred learning style to achieve them.
Items are not introduced and lack organization.
0 No work submitted
Based on Pierette Pheeney, in The Science Teacher, October 1998.
Appendix 6
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Field notes format
Teacher: ___________________________________________ Date: _____________
Time: _________ Class: _________ Lesson N°: ________
Notes to self Observations
Inquiry-based process
Pre-stage
While-stage
Post-stage
Autonomy awareness
Pre-stage
While-stage
Post-stage
Inquiry-based process
Pre-stage
While-stage
Post-stage
Autonomy awareness
Pre-stage
While-stage
Post-stage
Appendix 7
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
LESSON PLANS
Inquiry-based learning methodology
All the inquiry-based lessons will:
• Start with an open-ended question or demonstration (as opposed to beginning a lesson with definitions and explanations).
• Gather responses and subsequent questions from students with little comment or direction.
• Require students to collaborate on designing experiments or methods of inquiry.
• Require Student teams to conduct experiments or gather data.
• Re-evaluate questions based on new data and re-experiment or collect new data based on revised questions.
• Require students to present findings as an oral presentation, a poster presentation or an evaluative write-up.
Autonomy awareness
All the inquiry-based lessons will:
-Make learners aware of the pedagogical goals and content of the materials they are using in the inquiry-based unit.
-Have learners identify strategy implications of pedagogical inquiry-based tasks and identify their own preferred learning styles / strategies.
Lesson N° Lesson/Activity Pacing Objectives Vocabulary/skills assessment Resources
1 Pre-test 45 minutes To measure how much students already know about the systems of the human body Voluntary muscles
Involuntary muscles
Neuron
Pathogens
Infectious disease
Immune system
vaccine Pre-test Pre-test sheets
2 Survey 45 minutes To find out how much students know about inquiry- based science and autonomy awareness Survey Survey sheet
3 The skeletal system 45 minutes -To identify that bones support the body and protect internal organs.
-To identify that many bones produce different kinds of blood cells.
-To identify that joints, places where bones connect, are classified according to the kind of movement they allow. Bones
Internal organs
Blood cells
Joints
Ball-and-socket joint
Hinge joint
Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Student’s
Book.
4 The muscular system 45 minutes -To identify that voluntary muscles can be consciously controlled.
knows that involuntary muscles are not under conscious control.
-To identify that three types of muscle tissue are smooth, cardiac, and skeletal.
Voluntary muscles
Involuntary muscles
Muscle tissue
Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science DVD grade 5
5 The respiratory system 45 minutes -To identify that oxygen is carried from the lungs to the rest of the body by the blood.
Pharynx
Air sacs
Diaphragm
Trachea
Bronchial tubes
Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Workbook
6 The circulatory system 45 minutes -To identify that oxygen-poor blood is pumped back to the heart and then to the lungs.
Oxygen-rich blood
Oxygen-poor blood
Arteries
Veins Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Student’s
Book.
7 The heart 45 minutes -To identify that the heart has four chambers, two ventricles and two atria.
Pump
Chambers
Atrium
Ventricle
Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Pictures of the human heart
8 The digestive system 45 minutes -To identify that the large intestine is a digestive organ that absorbs liquid and stores body waste.
-To describe the path of food as it travels through the body.
Nutrients
Break down
Digestion
Small intestine
Large intestine
Waste Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Workbook
9 The nervous system 45 minutes -To identify that the central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.
-To identify that a nerve is made of a bundle of nerve cells, or neurons.
-To identify that signals travel from one nerve cell extension to another.
Central nervous system
Spinal cord
Brain
Neuron
Electrical signals Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Student’s
Book.
Graphic organizer
10 Inquiry-based unit review 45 minutes To review the main concepts about the systems of the human body to prepare students for the unit post-test Bones
Internal organs
Blood cells
Joints
Ball-and-socket joint
Hinge joint
Voluntary muscles
Involuntary muscles
Muscle tissue
Pharynx
Air sacs
Diaphragm
Trachea
Bronchial tubes
Oxygen-rich blood
Oxygen-poor blood
Arteries
Veins
Central nervous system
Spinal cord
Brain
Neuron
Electrical signals Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Inquiry-based unit review sheet
11 Post-test 45 minutes To find out how much students learnt about the systems of the human body compared to what they knew before the inquiry-based unit started Voluntary muscles
Involuntary muscles
Neuron
Pathogens
Infectious disease
Immune system
vaccine Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Post-test sheet
12 Survey 45 minutes To find out how much students improve their autonomy awareness by means of the inquiry-based unit Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Survey sheet
Appendix 8
Project program
Through an inquiry-based unit project, students will increase their autonomy awareness during three weeks within their science classes in the classroom and at the science laboratory. The assignments will be completed individually, in pairs, and in teams and are due on specific dates, unless otherwise noted.
Assignments for the inquiry based unit project
Week Date Tasks for the inquiry-based lessons Production which has to be included in the portfolio
1 April 20-24 Directed inquiry lessons
-Skeletal and muscular systems
-Parts of organ systems
-The skeletal system
-Building strong bones
-The human skeleton
-The muscular system
-Voluntary muscles
-Involuntary muscles
-Muscle tissue
Skeletal and muscular systems
knows that bones support the body and protect internal organs.
knows that many bones produce different kinds of blood cells.
knows that joints, places where bones connect, are classified according to the kind of movement they allow.
knows that voluntary muscles can be consciously controlled.
knows that involuntary muscles are not under conscious control.
knows that three types of muscle tissue are smooth, cardiac, and skeletal.
2 May 4-8 Guided inquiry lessons
-Respiratory and circulatory systems?
-The respiratory system
-Parts of the respiratory system
-How pumps and passages in the heart work together
-The heart
Respiratory and circulatory systems
knows that oxygen is carried from the lungs to the rest of the body by the blood.
knows that oxygen-poor blood is pumped back to the heart and then to the lungs.
knows that the heart has four chambers, two ventricles and two atria.
3 May 18-22 Full inquiry lessons
-Digestive and nervous systems?
-The digestive system
-Parts of the digestive system
-The central nervous system
-The spinal cord
-The brain
Digestive and nervous systems
knows that the large intestine is a digestive organ that absorbs liquid and stores body waste.
knows the path of food as it travels through the body.
knows that the central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.
knows that a nerve is made of a bundle of nerve cells, or neurons.
knows that signals travel from one nerve cell extension to another.
4. May 26-27 Final oral presentations
Present orally one of the systems of the human body and answer questions about the topics you developed in your inquiry-based unit project.
All the inquiry-based lessons will:
• Start with an open-ended question or demonstration (as opposed to beginning a lesson with definitions and explanations).
• Gather responses and subsequent questions from students with little comment or direction.
• Require students to collaborate on designing experiments or methods of inquiry.
• Require Student teams to conduct experiments or gather data.
• Re-evaluate questions based on new data and re-experiment or collect new data based on revised questions.
• Require students to present findings as an oral presentation, a poster presentation or an evaluative write-up.
All the inquiry-based lessons will:
-Make learners aware of the pedagogical goals and content of the materials they are using in the inquiry-based unit.
-Have learners identify strategy implications of pedagogical inquiry-based tasks and identify their own preferred learning styles / strategies
Appendix 9
Pre-survey results
Question N° 5 4 3 2 1 Positive Neutral Negative
1 6,10,15,17 2,8,12,14,16,20,22 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,18,21 19 4 11 9 2
2 3,4,5,8,9,10,11,13,14,15,17,
18,20,22 6,12,1,21 2,7,19 16 18 3 1
3 2,4,7,17 14,22 10,1,3,5,6,8,11,13,18,20 9,12,16,19,21 15 6 10 6
4 1,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12,14,15,
17,20,21,22 6,7,13,16,18,19 2 21 1 0
5 3,6,11,13,14,15,17 4,5,9,18,21,22 2,7,1,8,10,12,19,20 16 13 8 1
Total 44 25 31 8 2 69 31 10
6 5,9,22 1,2,6,12,14,17,21 3,4,11,18 10,19,20 7,8,13,15,16 10 4 8
7 5,1,4,6,7,9,10,11,12,14,15,
16,17,18,19,
20,21,22 2 3,8,13 19 3 0
8 11,13,17,19,22 1,6,7,8,12,14,18,20 3,4,9,10,15,16,21 2,5 13 7 2
9 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,
14,17,18,19,
20,21,22 13 15,16 20 2 0
10 1,3,5,9,11,12,15,17,19,21,22 4,6,7,10,14,16,18,20 2,8,13 19 3 0
11 4,5,12,14,22 9,12,13,16 1,3,6,7,10,11,15,17,
18,20,21 19 2,8 9 11 2
12 6,8,10,11,15,17,19,22 1,2,3,5,12,20,21 13,14,18 16 4,7,9 15 3 4
13 5,7,10,11,15,16,17,18,20 1,2,3,6,21,22 4,12,14 8,9,19 13 15 3 4
14 4,5,11,1 7,8,12,13,16,17,20,22 2,3,6,9,10,14,15,18,21 19 12 9 1
15 4,5,7,8,10,11,12,17,20, 3,6,14,15,21,22 2,9,13,16,18 1 19 15 5 2
16 7,9,10,11 4,6,8,14,17,20,21,22 1,3,13,16,18 2,5,12,19 15 12 5 5
17 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,10,11,15,16,17 5,9,12,13,1418,21,22 20 19 20 1 1
18 3,10,17,22 4,14 6,9,13,20 5,11,18,21 1,2,7,8,12,15,16,19 6 4 12
19 4,6,7,9,11,12 3,5,14,17,20,22 1,8,10,16,18 13,21 2,15,19 12 5 5
20 10 6,9,13,14,16,22 4,11,17,20,21 2,8 1,3,5,7,12,15,18,19 7 5 10
21 4,5,10,12,22 1,6,7,9,13,20,21 11,14,16,17,18 2,3,8,15,19 12 5 5
22 6,7,8,9,11,12,15,18,19,22 1,2,4,16,17 3,5,10,13,14,20,21 15 7 0
23 5,7,10 9,13,17,21,22 1,8,11,18 2,4,6,20 3,12,14,15,16,19 8 4 10
24 5,9,11,12,15,22 4,8,10,13,14,16,21 1,2,3,6,7,17,18,19,20 13 9 0
25 10.12.16 17,18,20,22 5,6,8,9,13,19,21 1,2,3,7,11,14,15 4 7 7 8
26 8,11,17,19,22 1,4,5,6,7,9,10,12,13,15,16,21 3,14,18,20 2 17 4 1
27 1,3,4,5,10,17,21,22 13,18 6,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,19 16,20 2 10 9 3
28 3,8,9,10,12,18 13,21,22 1,4,5,7,11,14,16,20 2,6,15 17,19 9 8 5
29 7,12,15,16 1,6,9,10,11,17,18,20,21 3,8,13,19,22 5,14 2,4 13 5 4
30 10,12 5,16 3,8,11,18,20,21,22 1,2,13,14,19 4,6,7,9,15,17 4 7 11
31 4,8,11,19 1,6,9,13,17,18,20,21,22 2,7,10,16 3,12,14 5,15 13 4 5
32 4,6,7,8,10,11,14,16,17,18,22 12 1,3,5,9,13,21 2 15,19,20 12 6 4
Total 185 152 145 53 59 337 145 112
33 3,7,11,13,15,17,19 1,4,8,12,14,16,18,20,21 2,22 6,9,10 5 16 2 4
34 4,7,8,11,12,14,15,19 3,5,6,13,17 1,2,10,16,20,21,22 18 9 13 7 2
35 19 8,17,21 5,6,12,14,22 1,2,3,9,11,13,18 4,7,10,15,16,20 4 5 13
36 11,18,19,20 4,6,14,17 3,8,22 1,9,10,21 2,5,7,12,13,15,16 8 3 11
37 3,4,7,8,9,10,11,15,20 16,17,19,22 1,2,6,13,14,21 5,12 18 13 6 3
38 5,11,13 4,6,14,18,22 1,3,8,9,10,16,20 19 2,7,12,15,17,21 8 7 7
Total 32 30 30 18 22 62 30 40
Appendix 10
Post-survey results
Question N° 5 4 3 2 1 Positive Neutral Negative
1 2,10,12,15,17 5,6,14,16,20 3,7,8,9,11,13,18,21,22 19 1,4 10 9 3
2 4,5,9,10,11,13,15,17,20,22 2,3,6,12,14,16,21 1,7,8,18,19 17 5 0
3 7,3 2,5,6,8,10,11,13,19,20 14,15,16,18,21,
22 1,4,9,12,17 2 9 11
4 3,5,8,10,12,15,16,17,21,22 2,7,13,14,20 1,6,9,11,18 4,19 15 5 2
5 11,14,15 3,6,8,16,17,19,22 2,5,7,10,12,13,18,20,21 1,4 9 10 9 3
Total 30 24 37 9 10 54 37 19
6 5,8,12,17,19 3,4,7,9,10,11, 13,15,18,20,21,22
1,6 2,14,16 17 2 3
7 1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,13,14,
15,16,17,20,21,22 2,3,11,12,18,19 22 0 0
8 1,4,6,8,13,16,19,22 3,7,9,12,14,15,17,18,20,21 5,10,11 2 18 3 1
9 1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,
14,15,16,17,18,19,20,
21 3,13,22 2 21 0 1
10 4,5,10,12,13,17,22 3,6,7,8,9,11,14,15,16,18,
19,20,21 1,2 20 2 0
11 1,4,8,17,21,22 3,5,6,9,13,14,20 2,7,10,11,12,15,16,18,
19 13 9 0
12 1,6,9,10,12,17,20 3,4,11,13,15,18,19,21,22 8,14,16 2,5 7 16 3 3
13 2,4,5,7,9,11,12,14,16,
17,20,22 1,3,6,10,21 13,18 19 8,15 17 2 3
14 4,6,10,12,15 5,7,9,11,17,19,20,22 1,3,8,14,16,18 2,13,21 13 6 3
15 4,5,7,9,12,17,20 3,10,13,14,16,18,19,21,22 2,6,8,11 1,15 16 4 2
16 4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,17,19,22 3,10,14,15,16,18,20,21 1,13 2 19 2 1
17 1,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,15,17,19,20,22 9,14,18,21 2,3,12,16 13 17 4 1
18 12,13,22 2,3,4,6,8,10,11,19,21 1,5,9,14,17,18,20 7,15,16 12 7 3
19 5,6,7,10,12,17,22 1,3,4,9,11,14,16,20 2,13,18,21 15,19 8 15 4 3
20 4,9,12,16,17,21,22 2,3,6,10,18,20 8,11,13 1,5,14 7,15,19 13 3 6
21 4,5,6,10,12,14,17,21,22 7,11,13,16 1,2,3,18,19 8,9,15,20 13 5 4
22 4,7,8,12,13,15,16,17,22 1,3,5,6,9,10,11,14,19,20 18,21 2 19 2 1
23 10,22 5,13,15,17,18,19,20 1,6,9,11,12,16,21 2,7,14 3,4,8 9 7 6
24 4,5,6,9,10,19,20,22 1,2,7,8,11,12,14,17,18,21 3,13,15 16 18 3 1
25 4,6,12,17,19,20,22 1,2,3,5,9,10,11,13,16,18,
21 7,8,14 15 18 3 1
26 4,5,6,8,10,12,13,16,17,18,22 1,3,7,9,11,14,15,19,20,21 2 21 0 1
27 4,9,11,12,15,17,18,22 1,3,5,6,7,8,21 2,10,13,14,16,20 19 15 6 1
28 5,6,9,10,11,12,17,22 1,2,3,4,7,13,18,19,21 8,14,16,20 15 17 4 1
29 5,11 6,7,9,10,13,16,17,19,20 2,3,8,12,18,21 1,14,15,22 4 11 6 5
30 12 5,6,9,11,13,16,17,18,20,22 2,7,8,10,14,19,21 3 1,4,15 11 7 4
31 5,6,7,8,11,12,16,17,18,19,20,22 3,4,9,10,13,21 1,2 14 15 18 2 2
32 4,6,7,10,11,12,16,17,19,20,22 3,5,8,9,13,14,18,21 1,2 15 19 2 1
Total 220 218 98 32 26 438 98 58
33 8,11,12,15,16,17 1,4,6,7,9,13,14,18,19,20,
21,22 2, 3 5,10 18 1 3
34 6,8,11,12,17,19 2,3,7,13,14,16,18,21,22 4,9, 1,20 5,10,15 15 2 5
35 8,7 5,9,17,22 1,2,4,11,13,14,16,18,19,21 3,6,10,12,
15,20 2 4 16
36 7,8,11 14,19 9,17,18 1,2,4,6,13,21,22 3,5,10,12,
15,16,21 5 3 14
37 4,7,8,9,10,11,12,15,16,20,22 6,13,17,18,19 2,5,14 1,3 21 16 3 3
38 8,11,19 4,5,12,14 3,6,7,13,16,17,18,20 1,9,22 2,10,15,21 7 8 7
Total 31 32 21 25 23 63 21 48
Appendix 11
Research Project Timeline
(José Augusto Lugo)
Activity/Month January February March April May June
Step 1: Initiation September 2008-February 2009
Identifying the problem
Researching upon the problem
Defining/narrowing the question
Gathering the information
Selecting suitable sources
Writing the literature review (draft 1)
Step 2: Preliminary Investigation
Step 3: Literature review (Second week of March)
Final version of literature review
Step 4: Design of action plan Updating timeline
(first week of March)
Step 5: Implementation Getting familiar with data collection instruments
Selecting/modifying/designing data collection instruments
Applying data collection instruments
Monitoring/observing the data collection process
Step 6: Monitoring/data collection
Step 7:
A: Analysis of data Data analysis Data analysis
B: Interpretation of data Interpretation of data Interpretation
of data
Step 8: Reflection & decision making More conclusions
Recommendations for further work
Iniciation of research cycle II
Step 9: Sharing findings Sharing findings
Appendix 1
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Pre-test
Name: ______________________________________ Class _____
Date: _____________________________________
A. Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark “X” next to the correct answer.
1. Which can muscle cells form?
_____blood cells and bone cells
_____bone cells and cardiac muscles
_____bone tissue and involuntary muscles
¬¬¬_____cardiac muscles and skeletal muscles
2. Which are jobs of the skeletal system?
_____makes calcium, fights disease
_____helps you move, protects your organs
_____helps you breathe, makes your heart beat
¬¬¬_____protects you from disease, makes muscle
3. Which of these kinds of muscle is voluntary?
_____heart
_____skeletal
_____breathing
¬¬¬_____digestion
4. How does a pair of skeletal muscles work together?
_____Both muscles contract at the same time
_____Both muscles relax and then work together
_____When one muscle contracts, the other relaxes
¬¬¬_____When one muscle is voluntary, the other is involuntary
5. Which describes the path of air through the body after it enters the nose or mouth?
_____from bronchial tubes, to trachea, to lungs
_____from pharynx, to trachea, to bronchial tubes
_____from trachea, to bronchial tubes, to pharynx
¬¬¬_____from windpipe, to bronchial tubes, to trachea
6. Which is true of nerve cells, or neurons?
_____they are involuntary muscle cells
_____they are only found in the spinal cord
_____they are also called connective tissue
¬¬¬_____they are in the brain and in the spinal cord
7. What is digestion?
_____what happens in the heart and lungs
_____the process of making blood in bones
_____making sure the body has enough oxygen
¬¬¬_____the process of breaking food into a form cells can use
8. Which are organs of the digestive system?
_____esophagus, small intestine
_____connective tissue, tongue
_____spinal cord, large intestine
¬¬¬_____voluntary muscles, stomach
9. Which tells what the brain does?
_____brings oxygen to the blood
_____helps support the body
_____sends messages to body systems
¬¬¬_____breaks down nutrients so the cells can use them
10. What system is the brain and the spinal cord part of?
_____digestive system
_____circulatory system
_____respiratory system
¬¬¬_____central nervous system
B. Write the answers to the questions on the lines.
1. How do skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles differ?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. How do the respiratory and circulatory systems provide oxygen to the body and rid it of carbon dioxide?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. Describe the path of blood through the body.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Appendix 2
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Post-test
Name: ______________________________________ Class _____
Date: _____________________________________
C. Read each question and choose the best answer. Then mark “X” next to the correct answer.
11. Which can muscle cells form?
_____blood cells and bone cells
_____bone cells and cardiac muscles
_____bone tissue and involuntary muscles
¬¬¬_____cardiac muscles and skeletal muscles
12. Which are jobs of the skeletal system?
_____makes calcium, fights disease
_____helps you move, protects your organs
_____helps you breathe, makes your heart beat
¬¬¬_____protects you from disease, makes muscle
13. Which of these kinds of muscle is voluntary?
_____heart
_____skeletal
_____breathing
¬¬¬_____digestion
14. How does a pair of skeletal muscles work together?
_____Both muscles contract at the same time
_____Both muscles relax and then work together
_____When one muscle contracts, the other relaxes
¬¬¬_____When one muscle is voluntary, the other is involuntary
15. Which describes the path of air through the body after it enters the nose or mouth?
_____from bronchial tubes, to trachea, to lungs
_____from pharynx, to trachea, to bronchial tubes
_____from trachea, to bronchial tubes, to pharynx
¬¬¬_____from windpipe, to bronchial tubes, to trachea
16. Which is true of nerve cells, or neurons?
_____they are involuntary muscle cells
_____they are only found in the spinal cord
_____they are also called connective tissue
¬¬¬_____they are in the brain and in the spinal cord
17. What is digestion?
_____what happens in the heart and lungs
_____the process of making blood in bones
_____making sure the body has enough oxygen
¬¬¬_____the process of breaking food into a form cells can use
18. Which are organs of the digestive system?
_____esophagus, small intestine
_____connective tissue, tongue
_____spinal cord, large intestine
¬¬¬_____voluntary muscles, stomach
19. Which tells what the brain does?
_____brings oxygen to the blood
_____helps support the body
_____sends messages to body systems
¬¬¬_____breaks down nutrients so the cells can use them
20. What system is the brain and the spinal cord part of?
_____digestive system
_____circulatory system
_____respiratory system
¬¬¬_____central nervous system
D. Write the answers to the questions on the lines.
4. How do skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles differ?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
5. How do the respiratory and circulatory systems provide oxygen to the body and rid it of carbon dioxide?
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
6. Describe the path of blood through the body.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Appendix 3
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Pre-Survey (Pre-Encuesta)
Name: _________________________________________ Class: _______
Date: _______________________________________
Piensa en la manera cómo has aprendido en las clases de Science hasta este momento. Marca en la tabla una “X” de 1 a 5 en el cuadro que escojas sabiendo que (1) es totalmente falso y que (5) es totalmente verdadero.
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
El profesor es el que habla la mayoría del tiempo
El profesor es el que tiene el control de la clase
El profesor es el que hace las preguntas
El profesor da las explicaciones
El profesor da las instrucciones o las lee
El profesor te anima a preguntar
El profesor te deja hacer preguntas
Haces preguntas en clase
El profesor te ayuda a que aprendas
El profesor te enseña a investigar
Trabajas en parejas o en grupos
Tú aprendes por ti mismo con la ayuda del profesor
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
Tienes oportunidades de descubrir el conocimiento
Tú colaboras en el aprendizaje de los temas
Reflexionas en cómo aprendiste algo
Te animan a aprender por ti mismo
Te animan a ser responsable de tu aprendizaje
Te dejan escoger y proponer temas para aprender
Te dejan usar tu propio método para aprender o trabajar mejor
Te dejan escoger materiales a ti mismo para aprender
Te dejan ser como un mini-científico que investiga y explora
Desarrollas habilidades de pensamiento
Te dejan calificar tu propio trabajo y señalar tus fortalezas y debilidades
Haces experimentos, observas y manipulas objetos
Buscas información tu mismo en diferentes partes
Desarrollas estrategias para aprender mejor
Te dan la oportunidad de mostrar lo que sabes y puedes
Investigas para dar respuesta a tus preguntas
Te gusta tomar el control de tu propio aprendizaje
Te encargas de aprender por ti mismo
Conoces tu estilo de aprendizaje
Usas estrategias para aprender mejor
Aprendes mejor escuchando
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
Aprendes mejor viendo
Aprendes mejor tocando
Aprendes mejor moviéndote
Aprendes mejor leyendo y escribiendo
Aprendes mejor hablando con otros
Appendix 4
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Post-Survey (Post-Encuesta)
Name: _________________________________________ Class: _______
Date: _______________________________________
Piensa en la manera cómo has aprendido acerca de los sistemas del cuerpo humano durante estas tres semanas en la clase de Science.
Marca en la tabla una “X” de 1 a 5 en el cuadro que escojas sabiendo que (1) es totalmente falso y que (5) es totalmente verdadero.
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
El profesor es el que habla la mayoría del tiempo
El profesor es el que tiene el control de la clase
El profesor es el que hace las preguntas
El profesor da las explicaciones
El profesor da las instrucciones o las lee
El profesor te anima a preguntar
El profesor te deja hacer preguntas
Haces preguntas en clase
El profesor te ayuda a que aprendas
El profesor te enseña a investigar
Trabajas en parejas o en grupos
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
Tú aprendes por ti mismo con la ayuda del profesor
Tienes oportunidades de descubrir el conocimiento
Tú colaboras en el aprendizaje de los temas
Reflexionas en cómo aprendiste algo
Te animan a aprender por ti mismo
Te animan a ser responsable de tu aprendizaje
Te dejan escoger y proponer temas para aprender
Te dejan usar tu propio método para aprender o trabajar mejor
Te dejan escoger materiales a ti mismo para aprender
Te dejan ser como un mini-científico que investiga y explora
Desarrollas habilidades de pensamiento
Te dejan calificar tu propio trabajo y señalar tus fortalezas y debilidades
Haces experimentos, observas y manipulas objetos
Buscas información tu mismo en diferentes partes
Desarrollas estrategias para aprender mejor
Te dan la oportunidad de mostrar lo que sabes y puedes
Investigas para dar respuesta a tus preguntas
Te gusta tomar el control de tu propio aprendizaje
Te encargas de aprender por ti mismo
Conoces tu estilo de aprendizaje
Usas estrategias para aprender mejor
Totalmente verdadero
5 Verdadero
4 Regular
3 Falso
2 Totalmente falso
1
Aprendes mejor escuchando
Aprendes mejor viendo
Aprendes mejor tocando
Aprendes mejor moviéndote
Aprendes mejor leyendo y escribiendo
Aprendes mejor hablando con otros
Appendix 5
Student’s portfolio
The following is a sample of a student’s portfolio. Each student will be asked to bring a folder on the first day of the inquiry-based unit and they will keep the folders at school and continually add to them. Students will put in samples as describe below and they will order them according to the dates when the work is completed. At the beginning of the portfolio, I will write a note to students and parents explaining what the portfolio is and how he is expected to put it together. With each sample of work, I will put a description sheet which basically will describe the activity and evaluate how well the child completed the task in terms of autonomy awareness, that is to say, if he identified strategies that he could use to achieve the goal of the task and if he identified his preferred learning style to achieve it.
In each descriptor I will write:
- The date of the activity
- A description of the activity and a brief outline of the topic we are studying
- The purpose of the activity and the objectives we were working towards.
- A list of outcomes the children are expected to achieve or skills they have shown in terms of autonomy awareness.
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Student’s portfolio
Student’s name: ________________________________________________________
Class: _________________ Date: __________________________________________
Dear student,
During this inquiry-based science unit about the systems of the human body, your teacher will use your portfolio as a means to collect samples of all the work you do in twelve lessons for three weeks. Your portfolio is a folder in which you will keep in chronological order everything you do in science class or at the laboratory (class notes, questions you ask, pictures you draw, reading materials, worksheets, flip chart activities, inquiry activities, experiment reports, projects, book exercises, workbook exercises, quizzes, concept webs, vocabulary lists, graphic organizers, summaries, or any other activity that you do in or out of class).
This folder will allow your teacher to see if you increase your ability to identify strategies that help you learn better and identify your own preferred learning style, after he makes you aware of the learning goals and the content of the materials that you use during this unit about the systems of the human body.
.
You will collect in your portfolio all the work samples that you do in science class for three weeks. Since some of the work during this unit about the systems of the human body is hands on and concrete, and this type of work can be difficult to put in your portfolio, you will use worksheets to complement your hands-on activities that are done in the classroom. Here's some ideas of what you can put into your portfolio:
Work samples – all classwork and other worksheet type activities that reflect what you learn during this unit. These samples should cover the following areas:
What are the skeletal and muscular systems?
-Parts of organ systems
-The skeletal system
-Building strong bones
-The human skeleton
-The muscular system
-Voluntary muscles
-Involuntary muscles
-Muscle tissue
What are the respiratory and circulatory systems?
-The respiratory system
-Parts of the respiratory system
-How pumps and passages in the heart work together
-The heart
What are the digestive and nervous systems?
-The digestive system
-Parts of the digestive system
-The central nervous system
-The spinal cord
-The brain
Lesson quizzes, chapter quizzes, and unit assessment -all classwork and other worksheet type activities that reflect what you learn during this unit. These samples should cover the following areas:
What are the skeletal and muscular systems?
-Parts of organ systems
-The skeletal system
-Building strong bones
-The human skeleton
-The muscular system
-Voluntary muscles
-Involuntary muscles
-Muscle tissue
What are the respiratory and circulatory systems?
-The respiratory system
-Parts of the respiratory system
-How pumps and passages in the heart work together
-The heart
What are the digestive and nervous systems?
-The digestive system
-Parts of the digestive system
-The central nervous system
-The spinal cord
-The brain
Photos, pictures, videos - of things you make or activities you are involved in with a written description to accompany them. These samples should cover the following areas:
-What are the skeletal and muscular systems?
-Parts of organ systems
-The skeletal system
-Building strong bones
-The human skeleton
-The muscular system
-Voluntary muscles
-Involuntary muscles
-Muscle tissue
-What are the respiratory and circulatory systems?
-The respiratory system
-Parts of the respiratory system
-How pumps and passages in the heart work together
-The heart
-What are the digestive and nervous systems?
-The digestive system
-Parts of the digestive system
-The central nervous system
-The spinal cord
-The brain
Checklists and self-assessment tools – your teacher will give you some simple ones that your parents can understand.
Science objectives
_____ I know that complex animals have specialized organs to carry out life processes.
_____ I know that living things are composed of cells.
_____ I know the major organs of the human body.
_____ I understand the functions of various body systems.
_____ I know that the human body is made of systems with structures and functions that
are related.
_____ I know that similar cells form different kinds of structures.
_____ I know that it is important to keep accurate records and descriptions to provide
information and clues on causes of discrepancies in related experiments.
_____ I know that, through the use of science processes and knowledge, people can
solve problems, make decisions, and form new ideas.
Skeletal and muscular systems
_____ I know that bones support the body and protect internal organs.
_____ I know that many bones produce different kinds of blood cells.
_____ I know that joints, places where bones connect, are classified according to the
kind of movement they allow.
_____ I know that voluntary muscles can be consciously controlled.
_____ I know that involuntary muscles are not under conscious control.
_____ I know that three types of muscle tissue are smooth, cardiac, and skeletal.
Respiratory and circulatory systems
_____ I know that oxygen is carried from the lungs to the rest of the body by the blood.
_____ I know that oxygen-poor blood is pumped back to the heart and then to the lungs.
_____ I know that the heart has four chambers, two ventricles and two atria.
Digestive and nervous systems
_____ I know that the large intestine is a digestive organ that absorbs liquid and stores
body waste.
_____ I know the path of food as it travels through the body.
_____ I know that the central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.
_____ I know that a nerve is made of a bundle of nerve cells, or neurons.
_____ I know that signals travel from one nerve cell extension to another.
Oral recounts – If the teacher does or says something that you think is important about the systems of the human body, do a verbal recall of it and write your words describing what you experienced and learned.
Selected work and work you do on your own – you can choose pictures, photos, videos, or pieces of your own work you wish to put into your portfolio and then the teacher will ask you to describe why you chose it. These samples should cover the areas mentioned above:
Sample Student Portfolio Rubric
Points Required items Concepts/Autonomy awareness Reflection Overall Presentation
6.5-7 All required items are included, with a significant number of additions. Items clearly demonstrate that the desired learning outcomes for the inquiry-based unit have been achieved. The student has gained a significant understanding of the concepts and applications demonstrating a remarkable increase of his autonomy awareness. Reflections illustrate the ability to effectively identify strategies used to achieve the goals of the tasks and to identify the preferred learning style to achieve them. Items are clearly introduced, well organized, and creatively displayed, showing connection between them.
5-6.4 All required items are included, with a few additions. Items clearly demonstrate most of the desired learning outcomes for the inquiry-based unit. The student has gained a general understanding of the concepts and applications demonstrating an increase of his autonomy awareness. Reflections illustrate the ability to effectively identify strategies used to achieve the goals of the tasks and to identify the preferred learning style to achieve them.
Items are introduced and well organized, showing connection between them.
3-4.9 All required items are included. Items demonstrate some of the desired learning outcomes for the inquiry-based unit. The student has gained some understanding of the concepts and attempts to apply them demonstrating some increase of his autonomy awareness. Reflections illustrate the ability to effectively identify strategies used to achieve the goals of the tasks and to identify the preferred learning style to achieve them. Items are introduced and somewhat organized, showing some connection between them.
1-2.9 A significant number of required items are missing. Items do not demonstrate basic learning outcomes for the inquiry-based unit. The student has limited understanding of the concepts and does not demonstrate an increase of his autonomy awareness. Reflections illustrate the ability to effectively identify strategies used to achieve the goals of the tasks and to identify the preferred learning style to achieve them.
Items are not introduced and lack organization.
0 No work submitted
Based on Pierette Pheeney, in The Science Teacher, October 1998.
Appendix 6
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
Field notes format
Teacher: ___________________________________________ Date: _____________
Time: _________ Class: _________ Lesson N°: ________
Notes to self Observations
Inquiry-based process
Pre-stage
While-stage
Post-stage
Autonomy awareness
Pre-stage
While-stage
Post-stage
Inquiry-based process
Pre-stage
While-stage
Post-stage
Autonomy awareness
Pre-stage
While-stage
Post-stage
Appendix 7
Inquiry-based science unit
Systems of the human body
LESSON PLANS
Inquiry-based learning methodology
All the inquiry-based lessons will:
• Start with an open-ended question or demonstration (as opposed to beginning a lesson with definitions and explanations).
• Gather responses and subsequent questions from students with little comment or direction.
• Require students to collaborate on designing experiments or methods of inquiry.
• Require Student teams to conduct experiments or gather data.
• Re-evaluate questions based on new data and re-experiment or collect new data based on revised questions.
• Require students to present findings as an oral presentation, a poster presentation or an evaluative write-up.
Autonomy awareness
All the inquiry-based lessons will:
-Make learners aware of the pedagogical goals and content of the materials they are using in the inquiry-based unit.
-Have learners identify strategy implications of pedagogical inquiry-based tasks and identify their own preferred learning styles / strategies.
Lesson N° Lesson/Activity Pacing Objectives Vocabulary/skills assessment Resources
1 Pre-test 45 minutes To measure how much students already know about the systems of the human body Voluntary muscles
Involuntary muscles
Neuron
Pathogens
Infectious disease
Immune system
vaccine Pre-test Pre-test sheets
2 Survey 45 minutes To find out how much students know about inquiry- based science and autonomy awareness Survey Survey sheet
3 The skeletal system 45 minutes -To identify that bones support the body and protect internal organs.
-To identify that many bones produce different kinds of blood cells.
-To identify that joints, places where bones connect, are classified according to the kind of movement they allow. Bones
Internal organs
Blood cells
Joints
Ball-and-socket joint
Hinge joint
Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Student’s
Book.
4 The muscular system 45 minutes -To identify that voluntary muscles can be consciously controlled.
knows that involuntary muscles are not under conscious control.
-To identify that three types of muscle tissue are smooth, cardiac, and skeletal.
Voluntary muscles
Involuntary muscles
Muscle tissue
Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science DVD grade 5
5 The respiratory system 45 minutes -To identify that oxygen is carried from the lungs to the rest of the body by the blood.
Pharynx
Air sacs
Diaphragm
Trachea
Bronchial tubes
Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Workbook
6 The circulatory system 45 minutes -To identify that oxygen-poor blood is pumped back to the heart and then to the lungs.
Oxygen-rich blood
Oxygen-poor blood
Arteries
Veins Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Student’s
Book.
7 The heart 45 minutes -To identify that the heart has four chambers, two ventricles and two atria.
Pump
Chambers
Atrium
Ventricle
Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Pictures of the human heart
8 The digestive system 45 minutes -To identify that the large intestine is a digestive organ that absorbs liquid and stores body waste.
-To describe the path of food as it travels through the body.
Nutrients
Break down
Digestion
Small intestine
Large intestine
Waste Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Workbook
9 The nervous system 45 minutes -To identify that the central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.
-To identify that a nerve is made of a bundle of nerve cells, or neurons.
-To identify that signals travel from one nerve cell extension to another.
Central nervous system
Spinal cord
Brain
Neuron
Electrical signals Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Scott Foresman Science grade 5
Student’s
Book.
Graphic organizer
10 Inquiry-based unit review 45 minutes To review the main concepts about the systems of the human body to prepare students for the unit post-test Bones
Internal organs
Blood cells
Joints
Ball-and-socket joint
Hinge joint
Voluntary muscles
Involuntary muscles
Muscle tissue
Pharynx
Air sacs
Diaphragm
Trachea
Bronchial tubes
Oxygen-rich blood
Oxygen-poor blood
Arteries
Veins
Central nervous system
Spinal cord
Brain
Neuron
Electrical signals Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Inquiry-based unit review sheet
11 Post-test 45 minutes To find out how much students learnt about the systems of the human body compared to what they knew before the inquiry-based unit started Voluntary muscles
Involuntary muscles
Neuron
Pathogens
Infectious disease
Immune system
vaccine Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Post-test sheet
12 Survey 45 minutes To find out how much students improve their autonomy awareness by means of the inquiry-based unit Scaffolded questions
Lesson review questions Survey sheet
Appendix 8
Project program
Through an inquiry-based unit project, students will increase their autonomy awareness during three weeks within their science classes in the classroom and at the science laboratory. The assignments will be completed individually, in pairs, and in teams and are due on specific dates, unless otherwise noted.
Assignments for the inquiry based unit project
Week Date Tasks for the inquiry-based lessons Production which has to be included in the portfolio
1 April 20-24 Directed inquiry lessons
-Skeletal and muscular systems
-Parts of organ systems
-The skeletal system
-Building strong bones
-The human skeleton
-The muscular system
-Voluntary muscles
-Involuntary muscles
-Muscle tissue
Skeletal and muscular systems
knows that bones support the body and protect internal organs.
knows that many bones produce different kinds of blood cells.
knows that joints, places where bones connect, are classified according to the kind of movement they allow.
knows that voluntary muscles can be consciously controlled.
knows that involuntary muscles are not under conscious control.
knows that three types of muscle tissue are smooth, cardiac, and skeletal.
2 May 4-8 Guided inquiry lessons
-Respiratory and circulatory systems?
-The respiratory system
-Parts of the respiratory system
-How pumps and passages in the heart work together
-The heart
Respiratory and circulatory systems
knows that oxygen is carried from the lungs to the rest of the body by the blood.
knows that oxygen-poor blood is pumped back to the heart and then to the lungs.
knows that the heart has four chambers, two ventricles and two atria.
3 May 18-22 Full inquiry lessons
-Digestive and nervous systems?
-The digestive system
-Parts of the digestive system
-The central nervous system
-The spinal cord
-The brain
Digestive and nervous systems
knows that the large intestine is a digestive organ that absorbs liquid and stores body waste.
knows the path of food as it travels through the body.
knows that the central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.
knows that a nerve is made of a bundle of nerve cells, or neurons.
knows that signals travel from one nerve cell extension to another.
4. May 26-27 Final oral presentations
Present orally one of the systems of the human body and answer questions about the topics you developed in your inquiry-based unit project.
All the inquiry-based lessons will:
• Start with an open-ended question or demonstration (as opposed to beginning a lesson with definitions and explanations).
• Gather responses and subsequent questions from students with little comment or direction.
• Require students to collaborate on designing experiments or methods of inquiry.
• Require Student teams to conduct experiments or gather data.
• Re-evaluate questions based on new data and re-experiment or collect new data based on revised questions.
• Require students to present findings as an oral presentation, a poster presentation or an evaluative write-up.
All the inquiry-based lessons will:
-Make learners aware of the pedagogical goals and content of the materials they are using in the inquiry-based unit.
-Have learners identify strategy implications of pedagogical inquiry-based tasks and identify their own preferred learning styles / strategies
Appendix 9
Pre-survey results
Question N° 5 4 3 2 1 Positive Neutral Negative
1 6,10,15,17 2,8,12,14,16,20,22 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,18,21 19 4 11 9 2
2 3,4,5,8,9,10,11,13,14,15,17,
18,20,22 6,12,1,21 2,7,19 16 18 3 1
3 2,4,7,17 14,22 10,1,3,5,6,8,11,13,18,20 9,12,16,19,21 15 6 10 6
4 1,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12,14,15,
17,20,21,22 6,7,13,16,18,19 2 21 1 0
5 3,6,11,13,14,15,17 4,5,9,18,21,22 2,7,1,8,10,12,19,20 16 13 8 1
Total 44 25 31 8 2 69 31 10
6 5,9,22 1,2,6,12,14,17,21 3,4,11,18 10,19,20 7,8,13,15,16 10 4 8
7 5,1,4,6,7,9,10,11,12,14,15,
16,17,18,19,
20,21,22 2 3,8,13 19 3 0
8 11,13,17,19,22 1,6,7,8,12,14,18,20 3,4,9,10,15,16,21 2,5 13 7 2
9 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,
14,17,18,19,
20,21,22 13 15,16 20 2 0
10 1,3,5,9,11,12,15,17,19,21,22 4,6,7,10,14,16,18,20 2,8,13 19 3 0
11 4,5,12,14,22 9,12,13,16 1,3,6,7,10,11,15,17,
18,20,21 19 2,8 9 11 2
12 6,8,10,11,15,17,19,22 1,2,3,5,12,20,21 13,14,18 16 4,7,9 15 3 4
13 5,7,10,11,15,16,17,18,20 1,2,3,6,21,22 4,12,14 8,9,19 13 15 3 4
14 4,5,11,1 7,8,12,13,16,17,20,22 2,3,6,9,10,14,15,18,21 19 12 9 1
15 4,5,7,8,10,11,12,17,20, 3,6,14,15,21,22 2,9,13,16,18 1 19 15 5 2
16 7,9,10,11 4,6,8,14,17,20,21,22 1,3,13,16,18 2,5,12,19 15 12 5 5
17 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,10,11,15,16,17 5,9,12,13,1418,21,22 20 19 20 1 1
18 3,10,17,22 4,14 6,9,13,20 5,11,18,21 1,2,7,8,12,15,16,19 6 4 12
19 4,6,7,9,11,12 3,5,14,17,20,22 1,8,10,16,18 13,21 2,15,19 12 5 5
20 10 6,9,13,14,16,22 4,11,17,20,21 2,8 1,3,5,7,12,15,18,19 7 5 10
21 4,5,10,12,22 1,6,7,9,13,20,21 11,14,16,17,18 2,3,8,15,19 12 5 5
22 6,7,8,9,11,12,15,18,19,22 1,2,4,16,17 3,5,10,13,14,20,21 15 7 0
23 5,7,10 9,13,17,21,22 1,8,11,18 2,4,6,20 3,12,14,15,16,19 8 4 10
24 5,9,11,12,15,22 4,8,10,13,14,16,21 1,2,3,6,7,17,18,19,20 13 9 0
25 10.12.16 17,18,20,22 5,6,8,9,13,19,21 1,2,3,7,11,14,15 4 7 7 8
26 8,11,17,19,22 1,4,5,6,7,9,10,12,13,15,16,21 3,14,18,20 2 17 4 1
27 1,3,4,5,10,17,21,22 13,18 6,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,19 16,20 2 10 9 3
28 3,8,9,10,12,18 13,21,22 1,4,5,7,11,14,16,20 2,6,15 17,19 9 8 5
29 7,12,15,16 1,6,9,10,11,17,18,20,21 3,8,13,19,22 5,14 2,4 13 5 4
30 10,12 5,16 3,8,11,18,20,21,22 1,2,13,14,19 4,6,7,9,15,17 4 7 11
31 4,8,11,19 1,6,9,13,17,18,20,21,22 2,7,10,16 3,12,14 5,15 13 4 5
32 4,6,7,8,10,11,14,16,17,18,22 12 1,3,5,9,13,21 2 15,19,20 12 6 4
Total 185 152 145 53 59 337 145 112
33 3,7,11,13,15,17,19 1,4,8,12,14,16,18,20,21 2,22 6,9,10 5 16 2 4
34 4,7,8,11,12,14,15,19 3,5,6,13,17 1,2,10,16,20,21,22 18 9 13 7 2
35 19 8,17,21 5,6,12,14,22 1,2,3,9,11,13,18 4,7,10,15,16,20 4 5 13
36 11,18,19,20 4,6,14,17 3,8,22 1,9,10,21 2,5,7,12,13,15,16 8 3 11
37 3,4,7,8,9,10,11,15,20 16,17,19,22 1,2,6,13,14,21 5,12 18 13 6 3
38 5,11,13 4,6,14,18,22 1,3,8,9,10,16,20 19 2,7,12,15,17,21 8 7 7
Total 32 30 30 18 22 62 30 40
Appendix 10
Post-survey results
Question N° 5 4 3 2 1 Positive Neutral Negative
1 2,10,12,15,17 5,6,14,16,20 3,7,8,9,11,13,18,21,22 19 1,4 10 9 3
2 4,5,9,10,11,13,15,17,20,22 2,3,6,12,14,16,21 1,7,8,18,19 17 5 0
3 7,3 2,5,6,8,10,11,13,19,20 14,15,16,18,21,
22 1,4,9,12,17 2 9 11
4 3,5,8,10,12,15,16,17,21,22 2,7,13,14,20 1,6,9,11,18 4,19 15 5 2
5 11,14,15 3,6,8,16,17,19,22 2,5,7,10,12,13,18,20,21 1,4 9 10 9 3
Total 30 24 37 9 10 54 37 19
6 5,8,12,17,19 3,4,7,9,10,11, 13,15,18,20,21,22
1,6 2,14,16 17 2 3
7 1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,13,14,
15,16,17,20,21,22 2,3,11,12,18,19 22 0 0
8 1,4,6,8,13,16,19,22 3,7,9,12,14,15,17,18,20,21 5,10,11 2 18 3 1
9 1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,
14,15,16,17,18,19,20,
21 3,13,22 2 21 0 1
10 4,5,10,12,13,17,22 3,6,7,8,9,11,14,15,16,18,
19,20,21 1,2 20 2 0
11 1,4,8,17,21,22 3,5,6,9,13,14,20 2,7,10,11,12,15,16,18,
19 13 9 0
12 1,6,9,10,12,17,20 3,4,11,13,15,18,19,21,22 8,14,16 2,5 7 16 3 3
13 2,4,5,7,9,11,12,14,16,
17,20,22 1,3,6,10,21 13,18 19 8,15 17 2 3
14 4,6,10,12,15 5,7,9,11,17,19,20,22 1,3,8,14,16,18 2,13,21 13 6 3
15 4,5,7,9,12,17,20 3,10,13,14,16,18,19,21,22 2,6,8,11 1,15 16 4 2
16 4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,17,19,22 3,10,14,15,16,18,20,21 1,13 2 19 2 1
17 1,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,15,17,19,20,22 9,14,18,21 2,3,12,16 13 17 4 1
18 12,13,22 2,3,4,6,8,10,11,19,21 1,5,9,14,17,18,20 7,15,16 12 7 3
19 5,6,7,10,12,17,22 1,3,4,9,11,14,16,20 2,13,18,21 15,19 8 15 4 3
20 4,9,12,16,17,21,22 2,3,6,10,18,20 8,11,13 1,5,14 7,15,19 13 3 6
21 4,5,6,10,12,14,17,21,22 7,11,13,16 1,2,3,18,19 8,9,15,20 13 5 4
22 4,7,8,12,13,15,16,17,22 1,3,5,6,9,10,11,14,19,20 18,21 2 19 2 1
23 10,22 5,13,15,17,18,19,20 1,6,9,11,12,16,21 2,7,14 3,4,8 9 7 6
24 4,5,6,9,10,19,20,22 1,2,7,8,11,12,14,17,18,21 3,13,15 16 18 3 1
25 4,6,12,17,19,20,22 1,2,3,5,9,10,11,13,16,18,
21 7,8,14 15 18 3 1
26 4,5,6,8,10,12,13,16,17,18,22 1,3,7,9,11,14,15,19,20,21 2 21 0 1
27 4,9,11,12,15,17,18,22 1,3,5,6,7,8,21 2,10,13,14,16,20 19 15 6 1
28 5,6,9,10,11,12,17,22 1,2,3,4,7,13,18,19,21 8,14,16,20 15 17 4 1
29 5,11 6,7,9,10,13,16,17,19,20 2,3,8,12,18,21 1,14,15,22 4 11 6 5
30 12 5,6,9,11,13,16,17,18,20,22 2,7,8,10,14,19,21 3 1,4,15 11 7 4
31 5,6,7,8,11,12,16,17,18,19,20,22 3,4,9,10,13,21 1,2 14 15 18 2 2
32 4,6,7,10,11,12,16,17,19,20,22 3,5,8,9,13,14,18,21 1,2 15 19 2 1
Total 220 218 98 32 26 438 98 58
33 8,11,12,15,16,17 1,4,6,7,9,13,14,18,19,20,
21,22 2, 3 5,10 18 1 3
34 6,8,11,12,17,19 2,3,7,13,14,16,18,21,22 4,9, 1,20 5,10,15 15 2 5
35 8,7 5,9,17,22 1,2,4,11,13,14,16,18,19,21 3,6,10,12,
15,20 2 4 16
36 7,8,11 14,19 9,17,18 1,2,4,6,13,21,22 3,5,10,12,
15,16,21 5 3 14
37 4,7,8,9,10,11,12,15,16,20,22 6,13,17,18,19 2,5,14 1,3 21 16 3 3
38 8,11,19 4,5,12,14 3,6,7,13,16,17,18,20 1,9,22 2,10,15,21 7 8 7
Total 31 32 21 25 23 63 21 48
Appendix 11
Research Project Timeline
(José Augusto Lugo)
Activity/Month January February March April May June
Step 1: Initiation September 2008-February 2009
Identifying the problem
Researching upon the problem
Defining/narrowing the question
Gathering the information
Selecting suitable sources
Writing the literature review (draft 1)
Step 2: Preliminary Investigation
Step 3: Literature review (Second week of March)
Final version of literature review
Step 4: Design of action plan Updating timeline
(first week of March)
Step 5: Implementation Getting familiar with data collection instruments
Selecting/modifying/designing data collection instruments
Applying data collection instruments
Monitoring/observing the data collection process
Step 6: Monitoring/data collection
Step 7:
A: Analysis of data Data analysis Data analysis
B: Interpretation of data Interpretation of data Interpretation
of data
Step 8: Reflection & decision making More conclusions
Recommendations for further work
Iniciation of research cycle II
Step 9: Sharing findings Sharing findings
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