What Is A Scientific Question?

How would you define creative thinking?

Creative Arts Thinking “outside the box” Looking for the exception rather than the

rule Using a new technique/method for old

questions Using science to educate nonscientists

Either the individual, community, or humanity

Science Use of past experiences & knowledge to

come up with new solutions, insights, hypotheses.

The sky is the limit (let your curiosity go wild)

How would you define critical thinking? Logical thinking

Making conclusions based on empirical data, repeated observations.

Judging information rationally in order to decide what to believe or accept.

Examining any belief or form of knowledge in the light of the evidence for or against.

People are more likely to accept something as true from their neighbors than any other source.

Science requires both creative and critical thinking in designing both research questions and experiments.

Often science is thought of as dry, uncreative or boring.

However those who are creative often approach science in an exciting new way.

Thought Swap: Objectives To determine what is already known about a

topic.

To encourage language risk-taking in a non-threatening environment.

To increase active listening skills.

Makes topic socially relevant (hearing their peers).

To allow students to hear language on a specific topic.

Used for introducing a topic/brainstorming/review.

It requires that all students participate.

What makes a good scientific question?

Answerable Unanswerable questions are often Why?

questions or questions that deal with opinion. Why is there air Is basketball is a better sport than soccer?

Can be tested by some experiment or measurement

Contributes to what is already known

Repeatable

Brainstorming & Clustering

Objectives To start the questioning process

To develop organization skills

To use language in meaningful ways

To reinforce “What is a good scientific question?”

To determine what is already known and what students want to know about a topic

What we already knowWhat we want to find out

Fellow gives talk about their research, broad topic, or habitat.

Students are asked to write down what they know.

Students are asked to write down what they would like to know; in question form.

Similar questions are grouped.

Students pick a group and choose & further modify questions.

Questioning Strategies Purpose:

Invite students into activities Create interest in a new topic Recall students’ prior knowledge Help guide logical thinking Initiate sharing of ideas Encourage development of multiple

hypotheses or alternative explanations

Questioning/Discussion Strategies

Create a classroom culture open to dialogue Pose questions in a non threatening way

Be supportive

Use both preplanned and emerging questions

Use of Broad vs. Focused Questions

Respond to students’ answers Actively listen

Make sure the students feel validated (write down responses)

Ask probing questions to illicit further response or to correct misconceptions

Don’t use questions only as a prelude to a topic

Use sufficient wait time and let students know how they should respond

Accommodate diverse learning styles & allow for creative approaches

Oh come on!One of you must have an

answer!

What is happening when you ask a

question and all you get is silence?

The student who “talks to much” or “always knows the answer”

Vs.

The student who “never speaks” or “only speaks when called upon”

Explicitly tell the students that you expect everyone to participate

Tell students how they should respond to questions Hand raising Call on students in sequential order

Wait until you have sufficient number of responses

Value critical/original thinking even if the response is incorrect

Observe effective student/teacher interactions

Discuss ineffective techniques

Thought Swap

Suggestions anyone?

Classroom Discussions

Studies have found that even when teachers are attempting to call on as many girls as boys, boys are still called upon more frequently.

Broader questions tend to be more difficult to answer. Start with specific questions for reluctant students.

Focused questions require an informing or praising response from the teacher Acknowledging correct/partially correct

responses Praising or congratulating responses

Broad questions require accepting responses Passive Acceptance-acknowledge

participation Active Acceptance-restating answer Empathetic Acceptance-explaining

reasoning behind answer