Using the Student Lessons

The heart of this module is the set of four classroom lessons. These lessons are the vehicles that will carry important concepts related to scientific inquiry to your students. To review the concepts in detail, refer to the table Science Content and Conceptual Flow of the Lessons.

Format of the Lessons

As you review the lessons, you will find that all contain common major features.

At a Glance provides a convenient summary of the lesson.

• Overview provides a short summary of student activities.
• Major Concepts states the central ideas the lesson is designed to convey.
• Objectives lists specific understandings or abilities students should have after completing the lesson.
• Teacher Background specifies which portions of the background section, Information about the Process of Scientific Inquiry, relate directly to the lesson. This reading material provides the science content that underlies the key concepts covered in the lesson. The information provided is not intended to form the basis of lectures to students. Instead, it enhances your understanding of the content so that you can more accurately facilitate class discussions, answer student questions, and provide additional examples.

In Advance provides instructions for collecting and preparing the materials required to complete the activities in the lesson.

• Web-Based Activities indicates which of the lesson’s activities use the Doing Science: The Process of Scientific Inquiry Web site as the basis for instruction.
• Photocopies lists the paper copies and transparencies that need to be made from masters, which follow Lesson 4, at the end of the module.
• Materials lists all the materials (other than photocopies) needed for each of the activities in the lesson.
• Preparation outlines what you need to do to be ready to teach the lesson.

Procedure outlines the steps in each activity of the lesson. It includes implementation hints and answers to discussion questions.

Within the Procedure section, annotations, with accompanying icons, provide additional commentary:

identifies teaching strategies that address specific science content standards as defined by the National Science Education Standards.

identifies when to use the Web site as part of the teaching strategy. Instructions tell you how to access the Web site and the relevant activity. Information about using the Web site can be found in Using the Web Site. A print-based alternative to Web activities is provided for classrooms in which Internet access is not available.

identifies suggestions from field-test teachers for teaching strategies, class management, and module implementation.

identifies a print-based alternative to a Web-based activity to be used when computers are not available.

identifies when assessment is embedded in the module’s structure. An annotation suggests strategies for assessment.

The Lesson Organizer provides a brief summary of the lesson. It outlines procedural steps for each activity and includes icons that denote where in each activity masters, transparencies, and the Web site are used. The lesson organizer is a memory aid you can use after you are familiar with the detailed procedures of the activities. It can be a handy resource during lesson preparation as well as during classroom instruction.

Masters required to teach the activities are located after Lesson 4, at the end of the module.

Timeline for the Module

The following timeline outlines the optimal plan for completing the four lessons in this module. This plan assumes that you will teach the activities on consecutive days. If your class requires more time for completing the activities or for discussing issues raised in this module, adjust your timeline accordingly.

Suggested Timeline

Timeline	Activity
3 weeks ahead	Reserve computers and verify Internet access.
1 week ahead	Copy masters, make transparencies, gather materials.
Day 1 Monday	Lesson 1 Activity 1: Mystery Cube Activity Activity 2: The Biological Box Activity 3: Thinking about Inquiry
Day 2 Tuesday	Lesson 2 Activity 1: What’s the Question? Activity 2: Questions … More Questions
Day 3 Wednesday	Lesson 3 Activity 1: Unusual Absences
Day 4 Thursday	Lesson 3 Activity 2: What’s the Cause?
Day 5 Friday	Lesson 3 Activity 3: What’s the Source?
Day 6 Monday	Lesson 3 Activity 4: Reflecting on the Process of Scientific Inquiry
Day 7 Tuesday	Lesson 4 Activity 1: Pulling It All Together

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