Joan S. Troup
Grade 5
Hudson, NH
December, 2010

How important is scientific inquiry in the learning process of students in the fifth grade?

According to the National Science Teachers Association position statement; “Scientific inquiry is a powerful way of understanding science content.” This fall I investigated this statement through experiments which focused on energy transfer as it pertains to electrical circuits (PS2). I witnessed first -hand how important a student’s enduring knowledge will be based on student’s ability to test their own understanding.

Initially, I was targeting the science standard S:PS2:6:3.5 which states, that students will explain how electrical circuits can be used to transfer energy in order to produce heat, light, sound and chemical changes. In student friendly language, this would mean, how they as students could change the power found in a size D battery into creating light energy as seen in a flashlight.

In order to determine each student’s vision of what this device would look like, students were asked to draw and label their student made flashlight. Most of the components needed to create such a device were visible in the student drawings. Based on these drawings I was able to collect the necessary materials.

Besides asking students to draw their version of a flashlight, I also gave each student a standardized science question from the 2007 Project Mosart test form712. I used question 20. My rationale for doing this activity was based on the tremendous push for students to perform well on NECAP tests. I wanted to establish some sort of written baseline as well as my inquiry based baseline to compare. Eighty percent of my class correctly responded to the Project Mosart question. I wondered if this concept in electricity was mastered by most of my class and whether I should move on to a more difficult skill based on this one question. The science notebook drawings were also relatively comprehensive so between the two original probes I doubted the need to continue. Needless to say I am glad I did.

First, I pursued the content based approach to circuits by giving them specific materials to construct simple closed circuits (series) and parallel circuits. After experimenting with these materials, I added a knife switch and students worked through the positioning of a knife switch to create their circuits. The more difficult the problem the more students began experiencing difficulties with the creation of a working circuit, despite the fact that they could answer a test question.

Finally, students were given an opportunity to prove their knowledge of circuits with the following scenario.

You are going camping and slowly the day passes. You were planning on returning before dark. Unfortunately, you have lost all track of time and night begins to close in and darkness is descending. Faced with spending the night in the dark, you look in your backpacks for a solution. What could you create from the materials in the pack that help you with your dilemma?

The materials which students listed in their original probe, were provided. These materials are listed below.

Working in groups, students compared their original drawings and began to work on creating a flashlight from the materials provided. Students were also able to bring in other materials in order to continue their construction. Groups of students and individuals began to experiment. If one design did not work they would discuss any changes that needed to be made and they would try again.

Constantly, students were asking, “Why isn’t this working yet?” or “This flashlight should work, what am I doing wrong?” Students would continue to redraw and reconstruct their device and still it did not work. Students consulted the internet for directions and even with the directions they were unable to get their light to work. Two hours of a Friday passed and no one had a working flashlight. On Monday the students returned again and began with fiendish determination. Finally, after another hour of trial and error, the first student produced a working flashlight. It was able to flick on and off with a paper clip switch and the light was strong. I asked this student what he had done differently and he said, “I took away all the foil from around the switch and then it worked. With consultation and students helping other students about 75% of my class, have now constructed a working flashlight. They do not all look the same. They do not all have the same type of switch. What is important is that through scientific inquiry and experimentation students have passed their real life exam with smiles and persistence. For the last quarter of the class their time of inquiry continues. There is no child left behind so, eventually, all students will master creating functioning electrical circuits. Had I stopped at the test form question and decided that most of my class understood electric circuits, I would have been wrong. Students need the opportunity to investigate their own understanding through inquiry to truly show enduring knowledge.

For some the first group of students who were successful in creating a flashlight, they went on to experiment with electromagnets or creating a light bulb from scratch. When all the students have finished their flashlight I will retest the class using the Project Mosart test form 712 from 2007 to see if I get 100% accuracy. At the date of this posting, some students are still experimenting.

In order to document the student’s work I used a video camera to record student thinking and progress. This video was presented to our science inquiry group on November 20, 2010. Student journals were also included in the presentation.

Students continue to record their experiments in their science journals. A “wonder” board was added to the class to hold inquiries made in any subject. With this display, not one question reflecting inquiry of any subject matter is lost.

Being part of this group of science educators has been extremely fulfilling. We marveled at amazing class investigations into inquiry based learning. It is truly the most effective method to teach science to achieve real world knowledge.