Inquiry Based Science

We all know that digital content delivery in the form of digital coursepacks and online course materials are finally storming the college publishing world, including the Kendall Hunt world of custom college publishing. But how do students want to get this content? According to a recent article on mashable.com (you can find it here: http://mashable.com/2012/01/06/tablet-publishing-education/) they want it to be available on their tablets. That’s because 86% of tablet-owning students in a recent survey said the tablet helps them study more efficiently, and 76% said they perform better in class as a result. Pretty impressive figures, no?

But what’s the reality? Well, we’ve always known that interactive learning boosts retention. We know that from our experience with inquiry based science products. But now we’re finding out that digital learning environments take students who were usually passive learners and turn them into active learners. And when you can carry everything you need to learn about your school subjects on a small, thin, tablet…wow, I wish I’d had that in college, it would have made studying so much easier in any location. Today’s college students are the first real digital generation, a generation whose learning environments can take them all over the world. Makes me wonder, where will they take our world?

How do you like to learn? Do you want everything on a tablet? In one place? Would you study more or better if that's how your learning materials came to you?

If you haven't checked out our new eCatalog, now's a perfect time to start.  This year's catalog is more interactive than ever before, and is packed full of useful information about Kendall Hunt's growing roster of hands-on, standards- and inquiry-based curriculum for grades PreK-12.

Want to learn more about our K-12 ebooks for math and science? Just look for the free trial button throughout the catalog and click on it to get access to Flourish, our digital learning network. Looking for a middle grades math program that's rich with interactive whiteboard activities and games? Our Math Innovations section provides links that allow you to try them for yourself directly from the catalog page. And the BSCS Biology: A Human Approach and Forensic Science for High School catalog pages allow you to experience multimedia features like video, audio in English and Spanish, and virtual autopsies.

You can also find information about our newly-acquired Discovering Mathematics programs and the ways they align to the Common Core State Standards. It's easy to sign up for a free 30-day preview with a simple click of your mouse.  

But that's not all! Learn about our variety of online professional development programs along with our live and interactive Inside Look Webinar Series, which are led by Kendall Hunt curriculum experts and provide in-depth information about our programs.

To begin exploring the catalog, click here.

Lots of teachers tell us that they sometimes feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a new elementary, middle school, or high school curriculum -- especially now, when advances in technology have resulted in more new products than ever before, including a variety of products designed specifically for the digital generation. Since technology should make things easier, not more difficult, Kendall Hunt created the Inside Look Webinar Series for educators who want to learn more about our traditional and digital publishing solutions, but in a way that fits their specific interests and busy schedules. 

Inside Look Webinars are conducted live by Kendall Hunt curriculum experts and provide an interactive, in depth way to learn more about the many ways our hands-on, inquiry-based science and mathematics programs can help educators address, meet, and exceed their learning objectives. Each Webinar includes ample time for questions and answers, as well as demonstrations of curriculum features and activities. 

All Inside Look Webinars are free of charge and can be accessed from any Internet-ready computer, so there's no need to search out a meeting room or travel to another location. They're also offered at a variety of convenient dates and times, and there is no limit on the number you can attend. 

We hope you'll use this great new eLearning tool to get the information you need in the way you want to receive it -- register for an Inside Look Webinar today!
 

So we’ve decided to add a couple of new topics to our blog discussions here: math and online learning. Specifically in the online learning area we want to discuss what, if any online science curriculum you’re using, and what, if any, online math curriculum you have in place. As the PreK-12 world turns increasingly toward at least one online elementary curriculum and certainly as many as several high school programs online, I’m interested in your feedback on those you currently have.

And if you aren’t using any online curricula, do you want to? Have you looked at any? What’s keeping you from using them, or what’s the one thing that would make you jump into the online learning world?

Now, I also said we’d be talking about math, specifically grade school mathematics and gifted and talented math. Okay, math genius I never was and never will be, but I love math…the basic kind, anyway. And if you haven’t checked out our two gifted and talented math programs, Project M²: Mentoring Young Mathematicians, and Project M³: Mentoring Mathematical Minds, please do so. Project M² is geared toward Kindergarten through grade 2 and Project M³ is designed for grades 3-5. These outstanding, research-based, inquiry driven programs offer everything you need to implement a gifted program into your grade school mathematics.

 

As you float in the pool or sink the ball on the 8^th hole, I’m sure the upcoming school year seems far off. But I have to ask this question, more out of curiosity than anything else: What do you do in the summer to prepare for the new school year? Is there a rhythm to your summer? If you’re a teacher of gifted students, my guess is preparing lesson plans for gifted and talented is at the top of your priority list. How about those of you who teach inquiry based science? Do you spend hours sitting on your deck pouring over physical science textbooks as you soak up the rays? Wait, I forgot, we’re not supposed to soak up the rays anymore, sorry.

No doubt that school is never far from your minds. Here at Kendall Hunt Publishing summer is actually our busiest time. It’s when we finalize all our new and revised titles, and begin filling orders from school districts and college bookstores around the country. There’s a rhythm to the summer here, starts out quietly enough then builds to a frenzy by the end of August. It’s kind of comforting. Not as comforting, mind you, as the rhythm of my hammock swinging back and forth between my two big maple trees, but hey, we take what we can get, right?

Our efforts to volunteer this year in National Lab Day have been received with resounding enthusiasm. We kicked off NLD by visiting schools around the Dubuque area and several schools across the nation. (See guest blogger Charley Cook’s post).   We continued the momentum of by visiting Aquin Elementary Catholic School and St Columbkille’s Catholic School. Wayne Schnier, Jane Nielson, Don Burks, and I visited Aquin and conducted fun hands-on and inquiry based science experiments with the students. The students and teachers all had a blast as we did experiments with Gloop, Musical Pipes and Balancing Nails. 

The students enjoyed the experience and learned some important science about the properties of materials (Gloop), frequency, kinetic and sound energy (Musical Pipes) and Center of Balance and Equilibrium (Balancing Nails) I think it really opens the possibilities for children when they see how much fun learning science can be. We came in and made this event as open ended as we could and had an outstanding guided learning experience prepared for each grade level we worked with.

At St. Columbkille’s we replicated the experiments done at Aquin Elementary, with more volunteers. Pam Roth and Don Burks (Gloop) worked with the K and 1^st grade classes. Joe Haverland and Scott Wagner (Musical Pipes) worked with the 2^nd and 3^rd grade classes and Charley Cook and Chad Chandlee (Balancing Nails) worked with the 4^th and 5^th grade classes. Mrs. Barb Roling, Principal St. Columbkille’s was thrilled with our participation in NLD and invited us back anytime we could make time available.

What did you do for National Lab Day? As Charley pointed out in his stint as guest blogger here the other day, Kendall Hunt Publishing took a leading role in supporting National Lab Day by volunteering in local classrooms. By all accounts, it was a big success. But we want it to be a bigger success next year.

Sure, there is some method to our madness, we have a whole bunch of inquiry based science products, from elementary school science textbooks to high school biology textbooks and everything in between, but beyond that, we really believe in the value and importance of inquiry based science. There’s nothing like getting kids “doing” science to help them learn. This is what’s behind our strong support of National Lab Day.

So start planning right now for next year. Here are some places you can find more information and plenty of ideas of how to get your students doing science:

• National Lab Day website www.nationallabday.org (Read the success stories and follow NLD on Twitter)
• Read the White House press release on NLD
• Read the Dept. of Education press advisory on NLD
• Read the Scientific American article on NLD
• National Science Foundation launches website in support of NLD

And watch for a story about Kendall Hunt Publishing’s participation in National Lab Day on the NLD website…we submitted our NLD “success story” to them, so hopefully they’ll feature us soon!

Wednesday, May 12 marked the first annual National Lab Day, a nationwide initiative to build local communities of support that will foster ongoing collaborations among volunteers, students, and educators and bring discovery-based science experiences to students in grades K-12. Our guest blogger today is Charley Cook, Kendall Hunt’s vice president of Pre-K – 12 publishing. 
Charley writes:

As a strong supporter of National Lab Day, Kendall Hunt Publishing and its employees decided to recognize the inaugural event by spending time in classrooms working with students on hands-on science activities. Kendall Hunt is known for publishing research-based, NSF-funded, and inquiry-based science programs, so National Lab Day was a perfect opportunity for us to step to the forefront and lend a hand.

I had the opportunity to join fellow KH employees Joe Haverland, Pam Roth, and Wayne Schnier at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Dubuque, IA, where we conducted hands-on science activities with their 1^st and 4^th grade classrooms.  Joe facilitated a Physical Science activity focusing on Equilibrium and Center of Gravity, which challenged the 4^th grade students to work in groups to try to figure out a way to balance eight nails on the head of one nail. The students worked in pairs, which promoted teamwork that is critical to the inquiry process. It was great to walk around the classroom and hear students collaborating and sharing ideas. Although they were only 4^th grade students, the problem-solving skills they exhibited are those they need to have to not only cope, but also be competitive as they advance through school and enter the working world. The students did a great job and by the end of the exercise, each group was successful in balancing all of the nails.

Wayne and Pam were in a “stickier” situation when they worked with the first graders on the “Gloop” activity from the BSCS TRACKS Investigating Properties Kit. Gloop is a mixture of glue, starch and borax that is sealed in a plastic container to keep moist and somewhat hardened that was made the day before the activity. Wayne and Pam made up 10 bags of Gloop for teams of two students to share. Before the students could open the bag, they had to guess what ingredients were in the gloop. That exercise provided an entertaining and informative classroom conversation. Next, the students were allowed to open the bag and then listed the properties of what was contained in gloop. They also tried to come up with ideas on how gloop could be used if it was manufactured for the public. The kids were having a great time with this activity. It is clear that the gloop itself adds to the excitement, but it makes science fun for kids and as you can imagine, they use all of their senses for this experiment.

For Kendall Hunt, National Lab Day was a big success. I was proud of the fact that our employees volunteered to spend time in these classrooms to help students experience science in a hands-on way and gain problem-solving skills that will last a lifetime. As a nation, we are learning how important science is if our country and its citizens are going to remain competitive in the future. At Kendall Hunt, we want to make Lab Day an everyday event for all students, and we are eager to play a role in their success.

To learn more about National Lab Day and how you can bring hands-on learning activities to classrooms in your community, click here. To learn about Kendall Hunt’s elementary school science textbooks and high school science textbooks, visit kendallhunt.com. 

It thought today I’d talk about inquiry based science AND gifted science – two birds, one stone, if you will. Continuing with the discussion of the curriculum for high ability learners available from Kendall Hunt Publishing and the Center for Gifted Education (CFGE) at The College of William & Mary, there’s also an inquiry based science program available. It has seven problem-based units on such topics as coastal erosion, natural and cultural systems, electricity, nuclear energy, and animal populations. With units for grades 1 through 8, it supports all levels with challenging, hands-on scientific issues.

For instance, in  Where’s the Beach? plans for building a children's camp at the beach are on hold because the town council is worried about beach erosion. Since the camp received a large donation to develop nature-themed experiences designed to teach children how to protect the environment, the camp manager wants to cooperate with the council. The problem is that she must begin construction quickly to be ready for the summer season. Acting as members of the town council, the students must develop scientifically-based regulations that will satisfy the long-term needs of the town and the plans for the new camp.

How great is that? It puts students in a real life situation that they can imagine affecting their lives and helps them use scientific concepts to find solutions. These are no ordinary books for gifted students…
 

I don’t travel much for work, and I’m okay with that at this point in my life, but I live vicariously through those who do travel far and wide for Kendall Hunt Publishing. Most recently, last week, in fact, we had a pack of KH staffers in the City of Brotherly Love for the NSTA National Convention. I understand our booth had tons of traffic and our inquiry based science workshops were quite popular.

The people staffing our booth said the interest in inquiry based science products, not just high school physics textbooks or high school biology textbooks, but in engaging, hands-on programs was really high and they were quite excited about it. Did you go? Did you stop to see my road-tripping colleagues? Tell me about it!

My son was recently invited to participate in an area Eco-Meet. They chose three fourth grade gifted students and two fifth grade students from each of the participating districts to make up that district’s team. This is quite the inquiry based science event, it seems! Each team member received a packet about an inch thick of materials they need to study to prepare. Additionally, they will be working with the gifted and talented teacher, who is the coach, each week leading up to the event in mid-May.

The Eco-Meet is a day long event held at a local park high above the Mississippi River. The park rangers and Army Corps of Engineers will involve the students in activities and presentations on different subjects, including Fish of the Mississippi. After each event, the teams will take a test. The tests will be graded and winners announced.

Volunteers, university students, scientists, engineers, other STEM professionals and, more broadly, members of the community are working together with educators and students to bring discovery-based science experiences to students in grades K-12."

There will be a nationwide celebration of this in early May with activities across the country. If you click on the "Projects" tab, you'll find that projects are posted from literally one end of the country to the other: Alaska to Florida, and California to Virginia. What a great way to encourage inquiry based science and the use of elementary school science textbooks, middle and high school chemistry and physics textbooks that use that learning model!

Kendall Hunt supports National Lab Day, so don't forget to check out all our inquiry based science programs! I'll keep you posted on what's coming up in the May celebration!
 

Remember, when you were a student? Didn’t you always wonder what was behind those mysterious doors labeled “Faculty Lounge?” I did. Well, Kendall Hunt Publishing now has a slightly different version of the faculty lounge. It’s where we’re putting all sorts of goodies on sale. And as we continue to build the lounge, you’ll not only find everything from elementary school textbooks to high school science textbooks on sale, you’ll find articles about our different specialties, including inquiry based science and talented and gifted resources.

Check it out here when you have a chance!

Kendall Hunt has some really good workshops coming up at NSTA National Convention at Philadelphia in March.  If you are headed there, make sure to check these out:

I guess it’s not THAT big a sale, but we do have some special pricing on classroom combo packs for our BSCS Science Track and Insights, our elementary school science textbooks and programs. Most classroom packs include a teacher’s guide, some student books, sometimes a lab kit; it varies by program and module. You can find them here: http://www.kendallhunt.com/insights and here: http://www.kendallhunt.com/tracks. Check them out and save some money!

NSTA’s NCSE (National Science Teachers Association’s National Conference on Science Education is getting closer! NSTA events always offer great opportunities for those of us in science text book publishing to share our outstanding inquiry based science programs. The NCSE is no exception. Whether it’s a high school biology textbook, a high school physics textbook, teacher edition textbooks, or any other science resource, we’ll be there ready to share our best work. See you there!
 

Well, Kendall Hunt Publishing is for sure! And we’re taking some of our top authors, including Kelly Deters, author of Kendall Hunt Chemistry! So if you want to learn more about inquiry based science, any of our high school science textbooks and programs, or perhaps you’re interesting in discussing science textbook publishing with one of our reps, stop by and see us at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, March 18-21. And find out all about the special events planned by checking our convention schedule here.

If you have begun looking at elementary school science textbooks, many publishers create programs which have the illusion of inquiry in an effort to meet NSES. Few truly understand that inquiry is more than providing a hands-on activity. Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS) developed the 5e learning cycle, found in most of its Prek-12 curriculum, in an effort to prove student the opportunity to learn science through true inquiry.  

The 5e learning cycle is an instructional design model that defines a learning sequence based on the on the experiential learning philosophy of John Dewey and the  experiential learning cycle proposed by David Kolb. Attributed to Roger Bybee of BSCS , the model presents a framework for constructivist learning theories and can be effectively used in teaching science.

The model

Engage

Here the task is introduced. Connections to past learning and experience can be invoked. A demonstration of an event, the presentation of a phenomenon or problem or asking pointed questions can be used to focus the learners' attention on the tasks that will follow. The goal is to spark their interest and involvement.

Explore

Learners should take part in activities that allow them to work with materials that give them a 'hands on' experience of the phenomena being observed. Simulations or models whose parameter can be manipulated by learners, so that they can build relevant experiences of the phenomena, can be provided. Questioning, sharing and communication with other learners should be encouraged during this stage. The teacher facilitates the process.

Explain

The focus at this stage is on analysis. The learner is encouraged to put observations, questions, hypotheses and experiences from the previous stages into language. Communication between learners and learner groups can spur the process. The instructor may choose to introduce explanations, definitions, mediate discussions or simply facilitate by helping learners find the words needed.

Elaborate/Extend

Using the understanding gained in the previous stages, now learners should be encouraged build and expand upon it. Inferences, deductions, and hypotheses can be applied to similar or real-world situations. Varied examples and applications of concepts learned strengthen mental models and provide further insight and understanding.

Evaluate

Evaluation should be ongoing and should occur at all stages, in order to determine that learning objectives have been met and misconceptions avoided. Any number of rubrics, checklists, interviews, observation or other evaluation tools can be used. If interest in a particular aspect or concept is shown, further inquiry should be encouraged and a new cycle can begin that builds upon the previous one. Inquiries may branch off and inspire new cycles, repeating the process in a spiraling fractal of interrelated concepts, where instruction is both structured and yet open to investigation.