How do you ask the "right" question in a scientific investigation? How do you use prediction to test a potential explanation? This program helps students to appreciate the steps and skills involved in scientific inquiry—-from initial observation, through refining a question to make it testable through building an explanation based on evidence. Scientific inquiry is the most fundamental of all knowledge in biology. The engaging imagery and interesting but accessible scientific examples in this video help students understand scientific inquiry in a way that lets them put it into practical use. Teacher’s Resource Book includes activities designed to enhance the video’s points and further students’ exploration of the topic.
Includes:
video, plus teacher’s resource book, student handouts in digital format
Reviews
Highly Recommended This kit comes with a video and teacher’s resource manual that provides learning objectives, program summary, key concepts, teaching strategies, student activities and fact sheets. National Science Education Content Standards are also included. The introduction offers the suggestion that a teacher can provide students with tactics and skills to use throughout their lives by modeling the steps in scientific investigation. This is a useful strategy for acquiring any type of accurate information in today’s world. In essence, teachers can equip students with skills they can use throughout their lives, not just those confined to the area of biology or science. The video and manual emphasize that the methods of scientific inquiry are essential for any students who intend to work in the sciences or medical fields, but that these are also useful skills for other aspects of life. Through teaching the techniques of scientific inquiry, students can learn to analyze and use information and become good critical thinkers. Scientific inquiry teaches how to evaluate all types of information, which enhances problem solving abilities.
The video goes through the steps of several possible student activities that teachers can employ. It shows teachers how to engage students’ interest in a topic and then work them through the steps of observation, posing a hypothesis, testing the idea, and analyzing the data. The process of formulating a good question and then refining that question are also highlighted. Teaching strategies, activity notes (examples of activities teachers can use), and review questions are provided in the manual. Several different problems are presented step-by-step, which should help students comprehend how scientific inquiry works. The examples and imagery are interesting and engaging.
The audio and video qualities are excellent. Sample exercises are modeled, which emphasize the approach teachers can take in teaching the methods of scientific inquiry.
This is an exciting teaching resource that should be viewed by every teacher who wants to impact student learning in positive and productive ways. These methods are being used in many college science classrooms. Scientific Inquiry: Steps, Skills and Action is suitable for Middle, Jr. and Sr. High school instruction, as well as college and junior college science courses. Highly recommended
- Gloria Maxwell, Reference Librarian, Penn Valley Community College, Kansas City, MO
Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO)
In this fast-paced program, a youthful, energetic female narrator voices over electronic music and provides general information about scientific inquiry as well as several case studies to illustrate the major concepts. Points are presented graphically in the style of a slide show where appropriate, and many segments show high school age students engaged in science activities. Scientific inquiry is explained using a comparison to the construction of a skyscraper, where scientific knowledge changes and builds on past work. The steps of scientific inquiry are explained: observing and formulating a question, formulating hypothesis, predicting and testing, analyzing data, revising if necessary, and communicating results. More female than male scientists are shown, and some speak on camera. Case studies that illustrate the steps of an experiment include ocean water pollution after rainfall, infection and effective antibiotics, engineering plant blooming mutants, and African gray parrot intelligence lab work. The importance of using controls in experiments is explained with good examples. Some of the vocabulary specific to the case studies, such as nucleitide, may not be understood by all viewers without instructor input. However, all the experiments are fascinating and focus on asking the right questions. At the end of the program, a summary recaps the principles of scientific inquiry. The exceptional teacher's guide offers activities to enhance the learning experience. This well-organized, visually pleasing program provides a lot of thought provoking material for students studying biology.
- Joan Karasick, Greenwich High School, CT
Library Journal