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This is now my second week observing. I am currently observing a first grade classroom which has 32 students. Over this time my students have been learning about natural habitats and various types of animals that live out in the wild and even in our community. based on that topic I have seen inquiry based learning because the teacher first introduced the topic to the students and gave an example and definition of what it was. Then she provided a short clip of how animals live in the wild and features of that habitat help them live there. After the short lesson my teacher told the students that they will be creating their very own habitat by for an animal of their choice. She first asked questions such as what does the animal need to eat? what a potential predators?where do they sleep? then the students were able to give their responses. Then the teacher provided an example of her animal in the habitat and asked the students to think back to those question and that it is their turn to do their very own. Moving on in social studies the students are learning about president George Washington how the teacher first introduced the topic was by showing a picture and asking who is this? and took some responses and later asked what what did he do for our country and some students responded. Later the teacher read a book to the students about who he was but first restated the questions which they were later able to write about and color in a picture of George Washington. Inquiry based learning is present in both science and social studies but I think that it is more of a teacher shows and then the students do.

-Serapio Alanis

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Hello Everyone,

The last term as well as this term, I am observing first graders. I have not had the opportunity to observe due to testing all week. I did observe a lesson last term and it was a quick glimpse of science lesson. They were using a software called Flying Classroom. Students were given a topic and were shown a variety of videos. After the videos, students were given questions, and it was up to them to answer the questions that were given to them. I know the lesson I witnessed was not being taught by my teacher and I will see inquiry-based learning in the next couple of weeks.

Kimberly Lechuga

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I am currently in a classroom where they were talking about free states and and slave states. The teacher was explaining why the two sides were so passionate about the issue. Then she put them into groups and started a assignment where they were trying to convince other groups which was better, cup cakes or cookies. As sides started to pick sides the students then started saying if we get to far behind we will never get cup cakes. Through this inquiry based learning project they learned why the states fought so hard to get other states to be free states on slave states. I thought the project was really cool.

-Bryce Brazier

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Hi everyone,

In my placement site, there was an adjustment to the time distribution of the science and social studies block. From Mondays through Thursdays, the students only focus on literacy and math, and on Fridays, students work on social studies and science. I managed to stop by last Friday to observe their social studies and science block. I am currently observing a third-grade classroom. During the science block, the students completed a science lab about seeds since they were learning about the life cycle of plants. As part of the lab, the students were tasked with planting marigold seeds in a pot and observing their growth over a two-week period. On Friday, the students observed their plant's growth for the last time. They completed a lab packet where they had to write down their last observation, which consisted of a description and drawing showcasing the changes they observed in their plant. As the last step, the students had to complete a reflection answering the question, "Are plants important?" Based on the lab the students completed, inquiry-based learning was applied. The students participated in a hands-on activity that allowed them to develop a deeper understanding of plant life cycles. Similarly, by being tasked with recording observations, the students had the opportunity to practice their critical thinking skills since, through their observations, they were also trying to determine which stage of the cycle their plants were in, further enhancing their understanding of the principles behind plant growth. Lastly, the reflection portion of the lab enabled students to connect their learning to the real world since they were able to reflect on the significance of plants in their lives and the role they play within ecosystems.

On another note, for the social studies lesson, it was interesting to see how different the lesson was compared to those I experienced in elementary school. In my experience, the social studies lessons consisted of reading chapters from a book, answering questions, taking a test/quiz, and sometimes completing a research project. However, for the lesson I observed, the students read an article titled "American Medina: Muslims Make Chicago Beautiful" and then answered questions on their packet which encouraged them to reflect on the challenges Muslim immigrants face in Chicago, their choices, and the changes (contributions) they made to the City of Chicago. While the students read the article, my mentor teacher would ask probing questions regarding the article to check for understanding. Besides reading the article and answering questions, the students watched a video about Ramadan to learn more about the Muslim community and their culture and practices. This activity demonstrates inquiry-based learning because the students read an article relevant to real-world issues and perspectives. The questions they completed encouraged them to practice their critical thinking skills since they had to draw conclusions from the article and reflect on the challenges faced by Muslim immigrants in Chicago and the impact of their choices and contributions to the city. Also, incorporating the video helped cater to the student's different learning styles and enhanced their engagement with the lesson since it enabled them to understand the role social studies plays in their lives and communities. Lastly, learning about the Muslim community and its challenges and contributions helped students develop empathy and awareness of global issues.

-Ingrid D.

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Hi all -

I am going to discuss my observations from last week because it was focused on the solar eclipse. I have begun my observations in a third-grade classroom. The beginning of the week, including the day of the solar eclipse, was a lot of teacher-led instruction. This mainly included the teacher at the front of the class providing information to students while they filled out a worksheet that went along with it. Additionally, they continued to complete additional worksheets the first couple days of the week that correlated to the provided instructional material, such as videos and readings. In my opinion, nothing within the first couple of days of my observations reflected inquiry-based learning. The instruction followed a teacher-led method, and all instructional materials were picked out ahead of time by the teacher and provided directly to students with a worksheet. However, toward the end of the week, the students participated in a partner project where they were able to select their own method of demonstrating the solar eclipse movement with a brief presentation to the class. For example, one pair of students demonstrated the moon moving closer to the sun until it was completely covered by using Google Slides. On each slide, the students would move the moon closer and closer. Therefore, when they presented in viewer mode, they clicked through the slides like a flip book. I thought this activity reflected inquiry-based learning more. It was student-led because the students got to select their own chose of presentation and information that they wanted to discuss during it. More so, this also included the students opting to do their own research and selecting what they wanted to focus on in relation to the solar eclipse. Specifically, I think this solar eclipse project would fall under level 3 guided inquiry because the teacher provided the guiding topic, but the students had their own choices in the research process.

Thank you,

Grace Nisivaco

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What's up guys? My experience observing a science class during my field hours is pretty chilled. So, hanging out in this 3rd-grade science class has been a real trip! Due to their familiarity with the term, I could tell the teacher had already taught the students about inquiry-based learning. During my observation, the students were all about inquiry-based learning, diving deep into questions and figuring things out on their own. And man, these kids are putting that into action! They're like little detectives, always asking "why" and "how." I've seen them experimenting with magnets, trying to figure out what objects are attracted to them and why. The students told me about a volcano experiment they had performed, where they mixed baking soda and vinegar to make it erupt! From listening to the teacher announce and remind the students of upcoming experiments, I can tell it's all hands-on and minds-on here, which screams inquiry-based learning. These kiddos embrace the scientific method, and watching them explore and discover is incredible.

Donta

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Hello classmates!

I am currently observing a 3rd-grade classroom in my local elementary school. From observing this classroom, I believe I have gained so much knowledge from both my mentor and the students. Something that I have noticed during our science and social studies lessons is that students are constantly engaging with one another due to the encouragement that my mentor gives them to be successful. As for inquiry-based learning, when it comes to science and social studies in our classroom, students are always ready to ask questions because of their curiosity. Their curiosity is what leads them toward a healthy learning style because, in other words, they want to expand their knowledge in certain topics that we learn in class. Here is where they can communicate their connections and express their understanding to help then other students gain understanding. -Jasmine Pelayo

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Hello Everyone!

I am currently observing in a first grade classroom. So far in my classroom observations, we did centers in which students had to create a float with toothpicks and small apples. During the time I was able to go around group to group finding out their different strategies as they went through trial and error to figure out how to keep the apples off the bottom. Throughout the centers, I was able to see a lot of critical and creative thinking done by the students and also some great questions that they came up with. I believe what I am seeing in my classroom is promoting inquiry-based learning. I felt that the activity and assignment did a great job asking students to dive deeper to come up with different strategies while working with a team. Each group did a great job reflecting after the activity as well.

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I have seen very little of science or social studies in my observation classroom this term. I was in the same classroom last term and saw more then. Last term, they read Hatch by Gary Paulson as their social studies/ELA integrated subjects. While this was technically their social studies, I felt it was mostly ELA. We started a unit on the Revolutionary War today. The students did a little prior knowledge gathering and then started reading George V. George. It is a cute book that gives different points of view from what students are used to hearing. I also started reading the Girl Survived, Rebecca Rides to Freedom book to give the students even more perspectives. So far, I have not seen any inquiry-based learning. I do think it will be happening soon, but since it is the start of a new unit, we have not gotten there.

-Christine Ewell

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I am observing a 5th grade bilingual classroom while also working with 3rd grade bilingual. I have only seen a few times when my mentor implement science due to the students testing and getting ready for the STEAM expo that was actually today. They made paper roller coasters and the 3rd graders grow plants. For the solar eclipse we watched a video explaining what it was and did a project on how to draw one with black construction paper and chalk. I do know going forward we will see more science lessons to ensure we cover what is left for our unit. I use to be the STEAM teacher so I have background knowledge for the schools science curriculum and lessons. I am looking forward to see and learn more about teaching science and social studies

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Hello everyone!!

I am currently observing a fourth grade classroom this term. On my very first day, it was the solar eclipse, which I thought was really cool and interesting. my teacher took advantage of this special time, and taught the students what they were about to see and what an eclipse is. However, as far as the unit has been going, the class is currently learning about about wavelengths and all of the different parts of one. I would say yes, what we are currently learning about in the last week reflects inquiry-based learning because the teacher asks the students questions and has open discussions. One of the questions was "What is a wave?" and another was "What makes a wave?"

- Noelle Mason

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Adriana Cross

I am placed in a 3rd grade classroom and I have seen both science lessons as well as social studies lessons but the one that I found the most interesting is when I observed and helped with a social studies lesson/assignment where students had to choose an invention. Once they have selected their invention they were asked to create a model as well as create an essay. They then had to present their invention to the class and answer the questions that their peers had. I had the opportunity to help the students work on their essays as well as sit and observe the presentations. The inquiry based learning aspect was my mentor teacher having the students ask questions to the presenter. I really enjoyed this lessons and I hope I can do something similar in my own future classroom!

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Hello, class and Professor McNamara,

Last week, I intentionally applied inquiry-based learning concepts to the science lesson I observed in my field classroom. For context, it’s important to note that the school district provides all science curriculum and teachers are expected to follow slides to the letter. This lesson is for second grade; the topic is soil. The activity is to gather three (out of four) soil types (rocky, humid, clay, or sandy) and describe the soil on a worksheet. Preparation for the lesson is provided through vocabulary and fun videos explaining that plants are grown in soil and soil holds moisture.

I took the following notes and reflections during my observation:

Activity outcome evaluation from worksheets: 50% of students showed an understanding of making accurate descriptions of their observations of the soil samples.

The students initially struggled to understand what “feels like” and “looks like” (as requested on the worksheet) meant. I think these terms may be too general. More specific questions would better steer the students to look for quantifiable observations, i.e., “What is the color of the sample?” Or, “Is sample a lighter or darker than samples b or c?”  Other questions could direct the students to consider moisture by asking if the samples feel dry, wet, etc.

Providing terms could direct thinking and provide clues for the students to see the why, the deeper meaning of the learning.

As is, I do not believe the students connect any significance to why they made soil observations today. What are the implications of rocky soil? What does it matter if the soil is claylike or sandy? These questions were not posed. In short, the students were left with no idea why they observed the properties of different soils. So, I was left wondering what the lesson's objective was, according to the curriculum.

The students prior knowledge (that plants grow in soil) was not enhanced by this week's unit. This was a missed opportunity to teach them more about the properties of soil.

Thank you, Heather Vaughn

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I have tried to get a jump on my hour since I will have surgery on Monday so I have been splitting my time with a Math class and a social studies class and will observe a science class once I am able to maneuver again. I have seen in social studies they are a bit more eager to learn than in the math class. The math class is also the second of the day so still pretty early, but I think the material also has a lot to do with it as well as the way it is presented. It is interesting to see that the way she does it is what we are learning about this module, which is inquiry bases learning. This is where the teacher asks open ended questions or poses problems or scenarios. She then guides them through active learning about the topics and specifics she wants them to learn more about. It seems to me that the class responds to that in a energetic fashion, which sometimes gets too loud, but I would rather they be excited about the stuff they are learning about as opposed to the opposite. It also allows the teacher to see different perspectives which may be implemented in other classes.

James

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Hello Classmates! (Torene Roy)

I am observing a 4th grade classroom and the students this week are working on a Lesson in unit 6 First Peoples of the North American West. The Students explain how Indigenous Pacific Islanders completed long journeys across the Pacific Ocean and settled in Hawai'i and many other islands of the region, as well as Students investigate the art forms created by Indigenous peoples of the Region. Students are working from Safari Montage. My mentor teacher read with the class from the Promethean Board and engaged students by asking questions about modes of travel and how long it could have taken in comparison to the way we travel today along with more dialogue on the way people we living. Students were engaged and excited also pretty perplexed at the way people lived and how long it took to get things done. They were even tasked with asking family members if they had ever moved to a new place and if they experienced many differences.

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Hi Class,

I am observing in a second-grade classroom. The majority of the time I have spent in their classroom the past two weeks was during social studies. They are learning about Native Americans, before, during, and after European settlers. Inquiry-based learning happened when they split into groups and picked a specific Tribe. They drew pictures of where the tribe was from adding two facts. Most groups added what they lived in and what they ate or how they used an animal for more than just eating. Each group shared about their tribe. It was a great experience to see the interaction between students and the level of learning that happened. I can't wait to watch them continue to learn and grow.

Annie Stoffer

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Hi everyone! I am in a fifth-grade classroom! I have only been there for three days so far.

For their social studies lesson they are using an Achieve (online reading app) online article and video, on Congressman John Lewis

Title: John Lewis Inspires “Good Trouble”

The students first started off by inferring and making predictions on an image with peers (who happens to be John Lewis). Then the teacher went over the vocabulary and read through the text. The teacher made critical thinking questions throughout the reading and made sure to check for comprehension.

After the reading and a whole group discussion on it. They were told about how the students would be picking a civil rights activist for a biography project assignment and how they would have to correlate the person to a song that includes civil rights that can be found by the students or from a provided list of songs by the teacher.

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Hello All!

I am in a 4th grade room this term. One of the teachers teaches science while the other teachers social studies. Due to time restraints because IAR testing this past week, I was only able to be in the room for two lessons. I watched science lessons. They were just beginning a unit on constellations. The students all seemed very excited about the topic. To begin the unit, the teacher had a discussion on what constellations are and asked who could name a few constellations. They then took turns looking through a kaleidoscope type tool to view some constellations. The teacher did a great job keeping the kids engaged and participating in the lecture. The kaleidoscope portion was the only thing that came close to IBL so far. After some conversation with the teacher, I was able to learn there is some more IBL coming next week! She was starting with more lecture based lessons. I'm excited to see more in that classroom. Dawn Freese

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In my practicum classroom for social studies 6th grade, I've observed several engaging activities(How and why were the Great Pyramids of Giza built?) that align with the principles of inquiry-based learning. For instance, the teacher often starts lessons with thought-provoking questions that encourage students to think critically and explore different perspectives. I've noticed that group discussions and collaborative projects are common in the classroom. Students are given the opportunity to work together to investigate historical issues, and present their findings to the class. This collaborative inquiry process not only promotes critical thinking but also brings on important communication and teamwork skills. The practices I've observed in my practicum classroom aligns with the principles of inquiry-based learning. I believe by encouraging students to ask questions, investigate topics independently, and collaborate with their peers, the teacher is fostering a learning environment that promotes curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of social studies concepts.

-Natasha Swift

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Hi Everybody!

I haven't been able to observe in the 3rd-grade classroom this quarter just yet. However, last quarter, I spent a considerable amount of time inside the classroom and was able to observe the social studies block and the science block of the day. I will discuss the science block of the day. I observed when the students were conducting a science experiment. The experiment consisted of the students talking about magnets. My mentor teacher began asking the students and engaging their prior knowledge. She did this by asking them about magnets and where they see them in their daily lives. The students then gave their responses, to which my mentor teacher transitioned into the experiment they would be doing. The students were then split into groups and were shown the experiment's instructions, where they would create their magnet. The students were trying to recreate the example magnet that my mentor teacher showed. The students were given the necessary materials and allowed to work with what they were given. The examples that I have seen of Inquiry-based learning inside the experiment are allowing the students to interact with their experiences, work in groups for the experiment, allow them to work out the solution, and figure out the design of the magnet in their groups. I could see the students participating in their learning, especially in the group work. The satisfaction when the students began to understand magnetism concepts and their predictions/observations came true was shown in their reactions. After the experiment, the students could discuss with my mentor teacher why certain designs didn't work as well as the correct way. These are some of the inquiry learning practices I observed in the classroom

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Hi everyone,

I am in a first grade class. I was in there last Monday during the Eclipse. It was great o be in there during that time and seeing the students reaction to the Eclipse. They were able to ask so many different questions and being able to see it while they were learning about it was cool. During the Eclipse, the teacher was able to ask them questions about what was going on. It was a great learning experience for me and the students. Some of the students where able to answer questions from other students.

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Hello,

I am in a 5th-grade classroom, and I was able to observe a social studies activity. The students were learning about slavery and were working on a worksheet in groups. The worksheet had them answer questions from the reading. After reading and answering questions, each group was provided with the same three dilemmas, and they had to choose one dilemma and explain why they chose it. As the students explained their dilemma, the teacher continued asking questions to further the students thinking. The students defended their ideas using what they learned in the reading and through completing the worksheet. I believe that this activity implements inquiry-based learning because the activity was student-centered, and the teacher's role was to further the students' thinking by asking guiding questions.

Best,

Nikoleta S.

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Nia Jones

I am observing a 1st-grade classroom, and right now, in social studies, they are learning about different families around the world and how they live, communicate, and eat. From what I learned about inquiry-based learning last week, I would say that I have not yet seen inquiry-based learning. I don't know if this has anything to do with social studies. Because I have also observed science, and the learning in science looks very different. I would say I see a ton of inquiry-based learning happening. In science, the students are problem-solving and trying to build a structure that will allow water to get through a structure. The teacher poses different questions, walks around, and allows the students to take control of their learning.

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Hi all!

I am observing a 4th grade classroom. I go three times a week: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. In social studies, they are learning about the government, how it started, all the essential documents, the branches, etc. Tuesday, last week, was their first day of this unit. I noticed my mentor teacher asking questions that would help her see what they already know and any background information they may know. There was this one in-class assignment that I enjoyed witnessing. Students dissected lyrics from a Schoolhouse Rock song, "No More Kings." This helped the students understand how our 13 colonies started, but rather than reading out of the textbook, they listened to the song and dissected the lyrics, looking for the deeper meaning. I've noticed a lot of partner activities as well. Students thrive off of each other in the classroom, which is excellent.

In their science lesson, they started the Geology unit. Last week, they were focusing on volcanoes. They had this little in-class project where they worked with a partner to build their volcanoes out of clay. They used a paper cup as a base. Thursday of last week, they did some finishing touches. After finishing touches, they mixed vinegar with some food coloring, poured it into the volcano, and then added baking soda to see it "erupt." The students seemed to enjoy this. After their little experiment, they had to draw a diagram to show what happened to their volcano when it erupted. Today, they focus more on the three types of rocks and how they are created.

I believe the little volcano experiment could have been an inquiry-based learning lesson. I missed a big chunk of it because they started building right when I left on Tuesday and continued on Wednesday, but from the information I observed there, it looked like an IBL lesson.

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I am not a practicum student, but in my methods science classroom I have witnessed the teacher taking advantage of the eclipse last Monday and having planned to do a sun & moon unit around that time. The students learned about different types of eclipses and why they happen. This week, and last week, I witnessed inquiry-based learning occur through the teacher introducing a new concept (with some familiar elements), then asking, "what do you notice? Give multiple answers." Today, she presented a lesson on how to tell what season it is in pictures based on knowing the time of day and the length of the shadows given off.

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Hey everyone!

I am observing a 5th grade classroom this term. I have only observed once so far, but I learned so much in just one day. My mentor teacher actually teaches social studies to both sections of 5th grade and her “co-teacher” across the hall teaches science to both sections. I find this interesting because I wonder how it would be if the class sizes weren’t as large. I have established that I will teach a social studies lesson to the 5th graders in a few weeks. So far, I have not witnessed much inquiry-based learning due to them completeing state testing when I was there. I hope to witness more the next time I am there!

-Bethany