Based on the readings you just looked at, which level of inquiry do you realistically apply to conducting environmental investigations with your students and why?
This question is difficult to answer because I don’t have a classroom: Most of my teaching is informal and is done outside. That being said, environmental investigations are pretty much conducted at Levels 1 and 2: We’re gathering knowledge and posing investigative questions.
As an educator with an infomal background I'd agree with where inquiry happens. How do you think ee programs can move the needle on this?
I have applied levels 1 - 4 at various times with my AP Env. students when investigating environmental issues. It just depends on the topic and when in the year I and doing the investigation. I weave my inquiry labs with the content my students cover in their independent reading, case studies, and limited lecture notes. Therefore, most of the background knowledge is there to either complete a confirmation inquiry lab, or design an inquiry lab that can be a form of confirmation inquiry lab, where the students have done the research, ask a question and then design an inquiry investigation to answer that question. As with any lesson, the level of inquiry must be suitable to the topic to be investigated and to the level of the student.
Thanks Jennifer. So, with the NGSS implementation in MD, do you see a trend to more "upper - level" inquiry and less confirmatory labs? I am curious about how this stuff is being implemented. - bart