INQUIRY AT MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL

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INQUIRY AT MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL

• Katarina Kotulakova
• Trnava University, Slovakia

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• Purposeful IBSE activity primary learning
  experience
• The basic processes of science
• - observation
• - classification
• - communication
• - forming operational questions
• - space and number relations
• The casual processes of science
• - interactions and system
• - cause and effect
• - inference
• - predictions
• - conclusions

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Concept of scaffolding

1. Teacher-structured experiments
2. Group-structured experiment
3. Student-structured experiment

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Variables

• varying more than one factor
• difficulties with isolating variables that are
  not obvious
• relevant versus irrelevant variables
  (information)
• prerequisite is the ability to identify the
  cause-and-effect
• Start with teacher highly structured procedure

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Interpreting data

• It is the ability to perceive patterns in the
  information collected from an experiment and to
  express those patterns as
• a conclusion that either support or refutes the
  hypothesis.

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IBSE activities

• MODUL 1 EXPLORATION OF RELATIONS IN
  NATURE
• MODUL 2 EXPLORATION OF MICROWORLD
• MODUL 3 EXPLORATION OF PROPERTIES OF
  ENVIRONMENT

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MODUL 2 EXPLORATION OF MICROWORLD

1. Sanitary property of soil
2. Cultivation of microorganisms
3. Control of methabolic activity of microorganisms
4. People and microorganisms
5. Work with microorganisms

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• Topic 1 Sanitary Property of Soil
• Problem Which factors enable paper decay
• in soil?
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Identification of factors causing paper decay
• A piece of paper lies on the ground in a park. It
  has been there for awhile. The wind blows, the
  sun shines, it rains, a dog runs over it, people
  walk there
• Does anything happen to the paper? Prove it.
• Observation
• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3

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• Problem Which factors enable paper decay
• in soil?

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• Topic 2 Cultivation of Microorganisms
• Problem How can we identify microorganisms?
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Cultivation and identification of microorganisms
• Where are microorganisms? How do you know? Have
  you ever seen them? Can we see them? What do
  they need for their life?

What does your medium for microorganisms consists of?
Place/object where you think microorganisms are
Observation Observation
Day 1
Day 3
Day 7
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• Problem How can we identify microorganisms?
• Explain what you observe. Was your expectation
  correct? What do microorganisms need in order to
  grow and multiply? Can you come up with a
  different soil where you could grow
  microorganisms?

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• Topic 3 Control of Metabolic Activity
• of Microorganisms
• Problem 1 Identification of fermentation factors
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Identification and control of variables during
  fermentation
• Background Yeast is organism which body is made
  up of one cell. They belong to Fungi. Pressed
  together with flour are sold as a leaven used for
  baking. 1 g of leaven contains 7.5 milliard of
  yeast cells.
• Problem What conditions are needed to wake up
  yeast?

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• Topic 3 Control of Metabolic Activity
• of Microorganisms
• Problem 2 What volume of gas is produced by
  yeast?
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Measuring volume of produced gas
• Production of new substance in time
• Amount of produced substance

Time ( )
Amount of produced substance ( )
Procedure A Procedure B Procedure C Procedure D Procedure E
Amount of yeast (g)
Amount of sugar (ml)
Amount of produced substance ( )
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• Measuring volume of produced gas

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• Topic 3 Control of Metabolic Activity
• of Microorganisms
• Problem 3 How can we stop growth
• of microorganisms?
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Testing of different ways how to slow down
  biochemical activity of microorganisms
• Background Microorganisms live on places where
  they have appropriate conditions. Sometimes it
  is useful or even necessary but sometimes it
  causes troubles.
• Problem Where do we try to slow down or even
  stop growth of microorganisms? How can you do
  that? Test it.

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• How can we stop growth
• of microorganisms?

of days A apple A apple B carrot B carrot C ham C ham D ham D ham E bread E bread
of days Near the radiator In a cold room In a saturated sugar solution In water In salt No salt added No air On the air Some chemical No chemicals
1
4
7
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• Topic 4 People and Microorganisms
• Problem Do people and microorganisms
• have anything in common?
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Presence of CO2 qualitative test
• What gas is produced by microorganisms? How did
  you find out?
• What gas do you breath out? Find out.
• How about microorganisms living in the soil?
• Do they produce any gas? If so, what is that
  gas?
• What do you need for life? What do
  microorganisms need for life?

Test to identify gases Test to identify gases Test to identify gases Test to identify gases
Gas Symbol Test Results
Carbon dioxide CO2 Bubble gas through limewater. Turns limewater cloudy.
Hydrogen H2 Put a lighted splint into a sample of the gas. Burns with a popping sound.
Oxygen O2 Put a glowing splint into a sample of the gas. Splint relights.
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• Topic 5 Work with microorganisms
• Problem 1 How is wine made?
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Fermentation of grape juice. Identification of
  reactants and products

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• Topic 5 Work with microorganisms
• Problem Isolation of yeast
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Cultivation of yeast isolated from the surface of
  grapes
• Topic 5 Work with microorganisms
• Problem Working with isolated microorganisms
• Characteristics of a procedure
• Inoculating of glucose solution with cultivated
  yeast