Maureen's+Page

Inquiry Based Learning Activity 5th Grade Math Maureen O’Loughlin October 25, 2009

1. The online activity that I have chosen as an example of inquiry-based learning is called //The Element Math Game// and can be found at []. I chose this activity because I liked the interdisciplinary connection between Math and Science and I found it to be challenging in both subject areas. I also liked the way the students could customize the activity in both length and difficulty level. The task presented in this activity is for students to calculate the number of protons, neutrons, or electrons of a given element on the //Periodic Table of the Elements.// They are given a random element with its atomic mass and atomic number and must complete the task from the given information. The questions posed by the task change with each question, so the students must use the given infromation in a variety of ways. The level of difficulty of the task may be set by selecting only certain elements to work with or rounding off the larger decimal numbers of the Atomic Mass. Also, depending on the level of scientific content mastery, the student may choose to work only with average elements, or include both ions and isotopes of the elements as a further challenge. The //Element Math Game// activity was both interesting, and fun to do. I enjoyed the challenge of activating my prior knowledge of the Periodic Table of the Elements while computing the various mathematical solutions. I was surprised to be presented with the names of new elements that were not part of the periodic table when I last studied it. Since it was an online activity and I was not using pencil and paper, I did the math computations mentally, which proved to be another challenge. It was exciting to get the congratulatory messages (i.e "woo hoo") after each correct response and I felt highly motivated to succeed. The //Element Math Game// meets many of the criteria of inquiry-based learning as outlined in the definition below. Successful completion of the task activates prior knowledge and adds new knowledge, it is interdisciplinary and student-centered, it elicits questions as students work through the task, and it offers choices and some degree of creativity to the students as to the amount and difficulty level of the questions. The activity also requires the application of math skills to real-life scientific problem solving. However, it does not meet one of the most important characteristics of inquiry-based learning in that, as a math task, there is only one correct answer for any given question.

2a. The New York State Math Standards for grade 5 that are met by //The Element Math Game// are//: 5.PS.1 Know the difference between relevant and irrelevant information when solving problems 5.PS.17 Determine what information is needed to solve problems 5.CN.9 Recognize and apply mathematics to other disciplines and areas of interest 5.R.7 Use mathematics to show and understand physical phenomena 5.N.23 Use a varietyof strategies to add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals to thousandths//

2b. The National Education Technology Standards - Students- that are met by //The Element Math Game// are: 3d. process data and report results 6a. understand and use technology

3.__Inquiry Learning Definition:__

Inquiry learning is an approach to learning in which the student’s innate inquisitiveness about his/her world is harnessed, directed, encouraged, and nurtured with the goal of establishing “habits of mind” and information processing skills in the pursuit of life-long learning. Inquiry learning has its roots in constructivism and relegates the teacher to the role of facilitator. It is student-centered, encourages active participation, and calls for continual reflection upon the thinking processes involved. Inquiry learning activates students' prior knowledge and builds upon it. In inquiry learning, content knowledge in seen as a means to an end, not an end in itself. Accordingly, content knowledge is presented in the context of a larger perspective and world view than with traditional teaching methods. Great emphasis is placed on interrelationships between grade levels, across disciplines, and relevance to real-world personal experience. The underlying principle of inquiry learning is that students learn better, understand more deeply, and retain longer that knowledge which is acquired through their own questioning and exploration of both the natural and human-created world. Innate fascination renders learning almost effortless. The goal of inquiry learning is understanding and problem-solving abilities based on real-life experiences and an ever expanding realm of knowledge leading to further inquiry. The journey has no end, no one right answer. Inquiry learning is different from research in that it requires far higher thinking skills. To engage in research, even research born out of one’s own questions, is to gather information that already exists and compile it in some sort of paper or data table. It may be painstaking, but is not creative. Likewise, the processes of exploration and investigation also presume the existence of facts to be found. They are both a kind of linear progression towards a predetermined goal. In inquiry learning, there is no such goal; the answer to one question leads to the emergence of even more questions and new direction for the journey. In inquiry learning, the student does not stop at the discovery of new information (and there is always new information to be had), but moves through assimilation, understanding, synthesis, and application of this knowledge to real-life problem- solving and creative endeavors. It would seem that inquiry learning is what the human brain was designed to do.

__ Inquiry Learning Rubric__

solutions to problem. || Successful completion of tasks results in more than one creative solution to problem. || Successful completion of tasks results in one predetermined solution to problem. ||  ||
 * || 3 points || 2 points || 1 point || Score ||
 * 1. Elicits student’s innate inquisitiveness. || Task introduces topic by capturing student’s interest and arousing curiosity. || Task raises some questions for the students. || Task holds little interest for the student and poses few questions. ||  ||
 * 2. Subsequent questions provide direction. || As each step in the process is completed, new questions arise and present new tasks. || The answer to each question leads to another question, but is linear. || As questions are answered, new questions do not necessarily present themselves. ||  ||
 * 3. Activates prior knowledge || Task presumes mastery of prior content knowledge. || Task requires some familiarity with prior content knowledge. || There is no prerequisite prior content knowledge. ||  ||
 * 4. Establishes habits of mind for life-long learning || Task requires three learning attitudes. (i.e categorizing, evaluating, synthesizing, applying, comparing) || Completion of tasks requires two or more specific learning attitudes. || Completion of tasks requires only one learning attitude. ||  ||
 * 5. Requires higher learning skills || Task requires synthesis of information and application to real-life situation. || Task requires evaluation of acquired information. || Task requires gathering information. ||  ||
 * 6. Creative Problem solving || Task involves a creative, undetermined solution to a given problem. || Task involves organizing information related to a given problem. || Task involves compiling information related to a given problem. ||  ||
 * 7. Content knowledge || Content knowledge is acquired through student inquiry and research in the context of a large perspective and world view. || Content knowledge is acquired through research, but not in larger context. || Content knowledge is presented by teacher in isolation with no reference to a larger perspective or world view. ||  ||
 * 8. Interdisciplinary || Task completion requires working across at least three different discipline content areas. || Task completion requires working across two different discipline content areas. || Task completion requires working in only one discipline content area. ||  ||
 * 9.Successful outcome || Successful completion of tasks results in unlimited number of creative