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I believe as a teacher it is my responsibility to challenge and support my students

in pursuit of the following goals when teaching science: conceptual understandings in science,

ability to carry out scientific inquiries, and develop an understanding about the nature of science

and science inquiry. According to Jadrich and Crystal (2011), researchers agree that students “do

not become scientifically literate by sitting passively in the classroom. Instead, they must be

given opportunities to engage in and reflect on authentic scientific activities” (p. 3). It is my goal

to provide opportunities for students to ask questions, gather, record, and reflect on data. I want

to encourage students to form their own theories and explanations. According to Gillies &

Nichols (2015), “When students have opportunities to engage in scientific inquiry, they learn to

use their ideas and, in so doing, deepen their conceptual understanding of scientific content as

well as their understanding of how to do science” (p. 172).

Here is a lesson on moon phases that I developed and taught in a 6th grade classroom. The

objective was to learn the names of the phases of the moon. I incorporated the 5-E Model of

Science Instruction to help facilitate inquiry teaching. This model consists of five teaching

phases: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. “The 5-E model provides

opportunities for teachers to use the different factors that enhance learning with understanding,

such as providing access to prior knowledge, providing scaffolding assistance, and building

learning communities” (Bass, 2014, p.108). To engage students, I started the lesson with a group

discussion about why we see different phases of the moon followed by a hands on demonstration

using a ball on a stick and a flashlight to show the relationship between the earth, moon, and the

sun. Cooperative learning is also very important for me to incorporate into my classroom. I

incorporated this strategy by having one student act as the sun while the rest of the class acts as

the Earth rotating and making a revolution around the sun. According to Smith (2016), “students
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who practice what they’re learning in a hands on environment can often retain three and half

times as much as opposed to just sitting in a lecture room and listening intently” (p.5). The

exploration stage was the best part! Students drew the earth in the middle of a paper plate and the

sun on the right edge. Then they each got 4 Oreo cookies and disassembled and arranged them

on the plate to show each moon phase. Students then explained their findings by discussion,

cooperative learning strategies, and drawing what they observed in a journal. We also made a

relation to the movie “Karate Kid” with the saying “Wax on, Wane off” to help students

remember the moon phase order. Finally, I evaluated students understanding by group

observation and using a rubric to access material and journal entries.

Science and technology go hand in hand, my goal is to incorporate technology into the

classroom on a daily basis. I believe that in order for technology to be effective, the teacher must

provide tools that facilitate and enhance instruction. Click here to see a Virtual Lab that I used

for the same 6th grade classroom. The virtual lab focused on the inner and outer planets also

introducing the concept of the planets’ distance from the sun in AU (Astronomical Units).

According to Bull (2005), “technology can allow students to explore data, make predictions, and

form conclusions. It can be used to confirm textbook assertions but is perhaps most powerful

when it also facilitates inquiry and guided discovery” (p 2).

Students are inquisitive by nature and want to learn about the world around them. As a

science teacher, I want to build on this curiosity by expanding my student’s knowledge of

science. To successfully meet students’ needs, I will continue to use the 5E model, incorporate

technology, and use cooperative learning strategies to challenge and support my students in the

classroom.
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References:

Bass, J., Contant T, and Carin, A. (2009). Teaching science as inquiry. Boston: Pearson/ Allyn &

Bacon.

Bull, G & Bell, R. (2005). Educational technology in the science classroom. Retrieved from:

http://static.nsta.org/files/PB217X-1.pdf

Gillies, R.M., & Nichols, K. (2015). How to support primary teachers’ implementation of

inquiry: Teachers’ reflections on teaching cooperative inquiry-based science.

Research in Science Education, 45(2), 171-191. Retrieved from:

http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

vid=10&sid=e20eec68-98c0-4f1a-8f09-c99f4d28a5b0%40pdc-v-sessmgr01

Jadrich, J., Bruxvoort, C. Learning and teaching scientific inquiry: Research and applications,

National Science Teachers Association, 2011. Retrieved from: ProQuest EBook

Central, hppts://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uaf/detail.action?docID=943357