Inquiry Circles

OVERVIEW

Ideally, teams should complete their Inquiry Charts. You many need to make adjustments for teams who do not complete their Inquiry Charts today.  

PROCEDURE

Each italicized statement below contains suggested wording the teacher may choose to use for the lesson; additional teacher actions and considerations are in parentheses.   

Before Inquiry Circles   

1. It is time to get into our inquiry circle teams. You will be with the same team as yesterday, but we will rotate the science roles. (Assign roles at your discretion and have the Equipment Directors gather the Inquiry Chart for their team).  

1. You are already familiar with the Inquiry Chart and your inquiry questions. Today we will answer more questions or add additional information to a question you’ve already answered.  

1. We will start on our synthesis statements tomorrow, so we need to be sure to complete the Inquiry Chart today. 

1. As you look for answers to your questions, you will practice your roles as scientists. As scientists, you will make sure to record your findings and your sources carefully on your Inquiry Chart.  

1. If your team finishes answering your inquiry questions with time to spare, begin checking the information in your column of sources and note if any information is missing.  

During Inquiry Circles (20 minutes)    

1. You should make sure that your Inquiry Chart is complete. Have all questions been answered? Do you need more information? Have you recorded all of your resources on the Inquiry Chart? (While teams are working together, walk around the room to facilitate as needed and to monitor progress.)  

1. Remember, you have anchor charts to help guide your thinking. Do not forget to use them while in teams. (Refer to all the mini-lesson anchor charts used to date, which should be posted in the classroom where learners can easily refer to them.)  

1. The Lead Scientist will guide all inquiries for the day by picking which question(s) will be answered. The Data Scientist will record on the Inquiry Chart all source information and the answers to your inquiry questions. 

1. Remember, it is important to record on your Inquiry Chart where you found the information (source). You will need to keep track of your sources carefully because you will create a list of your sources at the end of your inquiry. (Point out to learners where sources are located on the Inquiry Chart and how one source may answer multiple questions. Remind learners to record the title, author, publisher, and year of publication for all sources; also remind them to record the URL for websites and videos.)  

1. (At this point, teams might have information under multiple questions and from multiple sources. You may need to remind teams that information in the same row is from the same source and information in the same column pertains to the same question. One source might answer multiple questions.)  

1. Everyone should help find the answers to the questions online and in texts. (Remind learners how the Inquiry Chart will organize their progress.)  

1. My role is to help guide the inquiry circles, but I expect you to work as a scientific team to solve your problems together. (While teams are working, walk around the room to facilitate as needed.)  

After Inquiry Circles (10 minutes)   

1. As we conclude our inquiry circles for today, each team will have a chance to share the information they found related to their questions, what they accomplished, and what literacy strategies they used. The Lab Director will lead the discussion about today’s results. What has the team learned about its agricultural plant? What problems did the team encounter? How did the team resolve those problems? Did the team use a reading strategy? Which one and how did it help? What new questions does the team have? (After you allow the teams to gather their thoughts, have the Data Scientist share with the class. Try to encourage teams to share a variety of things—you do not want just facts about plants, just reading strategies, or just cooperative learning strategies.)    

1. (After all learners have shared, thank them for their hard work, and point out any excellent behaviors that you observed. If you saw an outstanding example of using a reading strategy or collaborative work, explicitly point it out. If you notice any problems in the teams during the lessons, take a moment to point them out, and explain your expectations for all future inquiry circles. Collect all Inquiry Charts or have learners put them in their normal classroom place for ongoing work so they can easily access them.) 

Guided Science Investigation

OVERVIEW

Learners explore the differences among seeds and discover the embryo inside one of them.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

Are all seeds the same? Do all plants have seeds?

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER

Many plants produce seeds. However, these seeds come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Most seeds have three things in common: an embryo (or baby plant) inside the seed, stored food for the embryo, and a protective covering.

PROCEDURE

Engage

1. Begin, How many of you have eaten seeds this week? What seeds did you eat? Accept responses, which may include sunflower, pumpkin, chia, or sesame seeds.
2. Besides the most obvious seeds learners may identify, reveal that many other foods have seeds they have likely eaten and didn’t think about. Offer examples such as bananas, cucumbers, or pickles that contain tiny seeds; breads and bakery products that come from grain seeds like wheat or barley; and coffee and cocoa beans used to create beverages (the “beans” are actually seeds).
3. Share that while many plants produce and are grown from seeds, some plants, such as mosses, ferns, and horsetails don’t produce seeds—they have other ways to reproduce.
4. Ask Equipment directors to collect a container or tray of seeds and hand lenses for their team.

Explore

1. Explain that team members should work together to sort and make careful observations of the different kinds of seeds in their container or tray.
2. Encourage team members to come up with their own method for sorting the seeds. They could consider color, shape, size, etc. After the sorting, learners should record in their science notebooks a written description and drawing for each sorted seed group.
3. Allow 15 minutes for completion. The teacher should walk among the teams and observe their work, listening to their discussions and reasoning as they sort the seeds.

Explain

1. When time is up, ask the Data Scientists from each team to explain the team’s sorting: How did your team decide how to group your seeds?
2. After all teams have reported on their observations, acknowledge their observations that seeds come in all kinds of colors, shapes, and sizes. They also come packaged in different ways—some in hard shells, like nuts; some in pods, like beans; and some in fleshy coverings, like bananas.
3. Explain that although seeds look different, most seeds have three things in common: an embryo (baby plant) inside the seed, food for the embryo, and a protective covering around the seed.
4. Distribute 2 presoaked lima beans per team. Model how to gently peel off the seed coat to expose the two thick fleshy parts that store the food for the embryo. Then, carefully lift one of the thick parts away from the other to find the tiny plant!

Elaborate

1. Remind the teams of what they have learned about how seeds germinate and the investigations they are conducting. Add that even the tiniest seeds, such as the ones they have planted, contain an embryo inside.
2. Ask teams to share anything interesting they have learned or read about seeds and plants in their inquiry circles.

Evaluate

1. Review the descriptions and drawings learners made in their science notebooks during their observations. Did they provide enough information to communicate their observations effectively?
2. Are learners communicating, either verbally or in writing, new or prior knowledge about seeds or plant structures?
3. Are they using new science language correctly in their verbal or written communications?

Expanded Standards