Essential Practices to Teaching with Inquiry

1. Learner engages in scientifically oriented questions.

Learner poses a question.

Learner selects among questions, poses new question.

Learner sharpens or clarifies question provided by teacher, materials, or other source.

Learner engages in question provided by teacher, materials or other source.

2. Learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions.

Learner determines what constitutes evidence and collects it.

Learner directed to collect certain data.

Learner given data and asked to analyze.

Learner given data and told how to analyze.

3. Learner formulates explanations from evidence.

Learner formulates explanations after summarizing evidence.

Learner guided in process of formulating explanations from evidence.

Learner given possible ways to use evidence to formulate explanations.

Learner provided with evidence.

4. Learner connects explanations to scientific knowledge.

Learner independently examines other resources and forms links to explanations.

Learner directed toward areas and sources of scientific knowledge.

Learner given possible connections.

5. Learner communicates and justifies explanations.

Learner forms reasonable and logical arguments to communicate explanations.

Learner coached in development of communication.

Learner provided broad guidelines to sharpen communication.

Learner given steps and procedures for communication.

More<---Amount of Learner Self-Direction--->Less