HHMI Middle School Science Teachers Workshop, Summer 2006

Inquiry-Based Labs in Earth and Space Science

Presentation Assignment

Working in groups of three, present an inquiry-based exercise in earth or space science suitable for the grade level you teach. The exercise can be based on a lab you currently do, one of the projects we work on in the workshop, or an idea of your own. In your presentation, you should provide background information relating the topic to your course content and goals and to the science standards. You should also outline the materials needed for the inquiry, as well as the procedures students should be given for working with the equipment. You should give examples of ways to arrange and present typical data that might be gathered in such an inquiry and suggestions for how students can share their results and experiences and how the instructor can generate discussion and follow-up investigations. Presentations should be the work of the whole group; make sure that everyone has a chance to contribute ideas and to help construct the presentation (using PowerPoint, with guidance from the instructors). Presentations should be approximately 20 minutes in length.

Presentations by Participants