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Science as Interactive, Interdisciplinary Inquiry

 

 

 

 

It is nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of enquiry.
- Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions

HOME PAGE

 

Welcome to the home page of a Summer Institute on "Science as Interactive, Interdisciplinary Inquiry" held at Bryn Mawr College in 2008. Like others in the series, this Institute is designed to bring together college faculty and K-12 teachers to discuss current understandings about teaching open-inquiry science throughout the curriculum. Particular emphasis will be given to the development of activities and lessons with daily presentations of materials generated by participants. The Institutes are sponsored by Bryn Mawr College and the Bryn Mawr/Haverford K-16 Collaborations in Science and Mathematics Education with support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

 

 

Weekly Schedule

Geology 100, Park Science Building

Monday, July 21 A.M. Logistics, Initial thoughts on Inquiry, Introduction to YouTube Project, Institute Blogs. Post an introduction to Yourself.

P.M. Re-designing curriculum on "Diversity". 1.) The Diversity Puzzle. 2.) Outdoor Activity Exploring Diversity.

 

Video of Diversity Activities

Tuesday, July 22 A.M. Exploring the Senses (Dr. Brodfuehrer, Biology, Bryn Mawr College)

P.M. Group work on lesson

 

Video of Senses Activities

Wednesday, Jul 23 A.M. Representing Science in Words and Images. Evidence: Drawings of metaphors
(Anne Dalke, English and Gender Studies, Bryn Mawr College)

P.M. Group work on lesson

 

Video of Representation Activities

Thursday, July 24 A.M. Building a Watershed (Judith Odom, Chemistry)

P.M. Group work on lesson

 

Video of Watershed Activity


Friday, July 25 Mini-symposium on K-16 collaborations: Science and Humanities: Learning from Each Other? (Paul Grobstein, Biology) and the summary.

Afternoon Session: YouTube Video Project: Design and Develop Group Video

WEEKEND

Monday, July 28 A.M. Differnces between Humanities and Science? Similarities between Bacteria, Strawberries and Humans (Wil Franklin, Biology, Bryn Mawr College)

P.M. Group work on lesson

 

Video of Strawberry Activity

Tuesday, July 29 A.M. Exploring Physiology (Dr. Brodfuehrer, Biology, Bryn Mawr College)

P.M. Group work on lesson

 

Video of Physiology Activity

Wednesday, July 30 A.M. Photosynthesis & Paper Making (Wil Franklin, Biology, Bryn Mawr College)

P.M. Group work on lesson

 

Video of Paper Making Activity

Thursday, July 31 A.M. Finishing YouTube Project

P.M. Presentations of YouTube Projects

Friday, August 1 Grantsmanship and Evaluation - End by Lunch -
 

Daily Schedule

8:30-9 Coffee and Breakfast Snacks
9-10:30 Introduction to Topic and Identifying Links to Classroom Curricula
10:30-10:45 Coffee Break
10:45-12 Topic Activity/Lesson
12-1 Lunch
1-2:30 Implications and Applications: What Can we Do with What We've Learned This Morning?
2:30-2:45 Break
2:45-3 Post to web new or modified lesson group developed
3-3:30 Groups present new or modified lesson

 

List of Participants

Video Gallery

Photo Gallery

List of Resources

Using Our Website

Background Theory and Literature

Post Institute Evaluation

Post Institute Assignment

General Expectations and Ongoing Assignments for Participants

 

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|Science as Interactive, Interdisciplinary Inquiry |

Bryn Mawr College Summer Institutes for K-12 Teachers | Serendip Home

 

Comments

Jack Marine's picture

Paper and Paper Making

Thank you Wil as the materials you used to make paper cleared up my phobia about having incorrect screens for the classroom! I do want to suggest that blended paper be used as well that still has its letters contained in the mixture (slurry)
as it looks neat on the recycled sheets.

Great idea using milkweed instead of cotton. Did you know that monarch butterflies eat milkweed plants? I have a friend who has a website called marvelousmonarchs, and they have an open house on their Lansdale property on August 10th, if anyone is interested!

Anonymous's picture

Fish and Kids

Really cute website for kids about fish advisories

1) New Fish Kids website
EPA?s National Fish Advisory Program just released a new Fish Kids
website ? a fun website that uses interactive stories and games to teach
kids ages 8-12 about contaminants in fish and fish advisories. Whether
they catch their own fish, or buy it at a store, kids and their families
can use this site to learn how to choose fish wisely! Visit the site at
http://www.epa.gov/fishadvisories/kids/

Cynthia Henderson's picture

Paper making

Making paper as a hands-on activity incorporating the different fibers of plants as a hook for inquiry -based education in science may be used as an experience in the classroom.Geography is a component of this lesson.
Barbara Kauffman's picture

USING THE SENSES TO DEVELOP WRITING SKILLS

USING THE SENSES TO DEVELOP WRITING SKILLS

The science/descriptive writing activity on using the senses is most appropriate for my 4th graders. The children, as well as adults, can learn alot by using their senses to help them associate words with their experiences. I can utilize it in my class as a group activity to facilitate cooperative learning. This activity - USING THE SENSES TO WRITE A DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY - will allow students to enjoy writing down what they think and experience.

Barbara Kauffman's picture

USING THE SENSES TO DEVELOP WRITING SKILLS

The science/descriptive writing activity on using the senses is most appropriate for my 4th graders. The children, as well as adults, can learn alot by using their senses to help them associate words with their experiences. I can utilize it in my class as a group activity to facilitate cooperative learning. This activity - USING THE SENSES TO WRITE A DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY - will allow students to enjoy writing down what they think and experience.

Ayotola Oronti's picture

Using the senses to help writing

The activity this morning on using the senses is very appropriate for my class. I discovered that children, just like us adults, can learn much from using their senses to help them associate words with their experiences.

With the project I did in the Brain & Behavior institute 2008, students need help verbalizing their thoughts and experiences. With this type of activity {USING THE SENSES TO WRITE A DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY.}they will find it a breeze to write down what they are thinking or experiencing.

Also I can use this in my class with students in groups to facilitate cooperative learning. My BLOG has a lesson on USING THE SENSES TO WRITE A DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY.

Cynthia Henderson's picture

species

There are many types of species in our environment.Inquiry is a way of sensing.
Cynthia Henderson's picture

computers

I have enjoyed computer technology to a llarge extent in thhis global society.However,it has its' ups and downs in education.The computer is a needed tool to enhance our experiences.I would like to explore the possibilities of developing computer skills as it relates to inquiry.
Cynthia Henderson's picture

computers

I have enjoyed computer technology to a llarge extent in thhis global society.However,it has its' ups and downs in education.The computer is a needed tool to enhance our experiences.I would like to explore the possibilities of developing computer skills as it relates to inquiry.
Teresa Albers's picture

categorizing

The sorting activity with the animal pictures is a very useful tool for my classroom. Young children eagerly organize photographs and objects into groups. I cannot predict how they would sort the pictures, but I am sure they would, with great confidence, sort the photos into "the ones that are the same."

Counting the number of different plants is a harder project, it mandates 1:1 number correspondence and the ability to count. Given thiese skills, the children would most likely just have fun running around picking every plant they could see saying, "Here's one. Here is another one." Once we got ALL the picked plants inside, a sorting activity could begin. My guess is that sorting the plants would be harder than the photographs.

Young children do naturally sort items; it takes time to sort items that are similar and different in multiple ways. That learning curve seems to be a slow one that much education and modelling cannot rush to maturity!

joycetheriot's picture

Inquiry IS...

QQ

Inquiry is...    never having to say an answer

Cynthia Henderson's picture

inquiry

I don't have a lot of experience in inquiry -based education.I would like to gain some knowledge about how to better increase the inquisitiveness of younger students in this arena.
Deesha Lockett's picture

Inquiry

Inquiry is learning or gaining knowledge through the use of question and answer, manipulative and hands-on activities.

 

I have not had a lot of opportunity to experience using the inquiry-based education as a specific approach or technique in my classroom as much as I would have liked to.

 

I would like to use the inquiry based approach in my classroom as a means to stimulate the students to develop a desire to learn and to help maintain thieir interest in learning especially in the areas that may not seem to be of interest to them.

cynthia's picture

inquiry

Inquiry is away of questioning to find out more about ideas and thoughts.Iam looking forward to learning how to use different methods to create encourage and enhance ideas about science in young children.

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