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Science

Science is not a subject that students can passively absorb. Science is a subject

that students do. The National Research Council (2008) describes science as “a process of

building theories from evidence” (p.6) in which student scientists determine what they

believe to be true and determine how confident they are in those beliefs. When engaged

in the scientific process, students learn that beliefs change over time as more evidence is

collected and they learn to ask investigable questions, challenge claims and know how to

develop data collection methods in order to learn more. In this lesson on the scientific

method, third grade students gained experience creating a hypothesis, collecting

observational data and engaging in scientific discussion based on their observations.

For most students in the class, this lesson was their first exposure to the scientific

method. Since I knew this was the case, I formulated the researchable question for the

students: “What will happen when celery is put into water with food coloring?” Lowery

(2010) refers to this as the guided inquiry approach in which the teacher models asking a

question as a scientist does, but allows students to engage with the inquiry process to

formulate an answer. Lowery elaborates: “By modeling such questions, it will not be long

before some students begin to phrase their own questions in the same way. Teachers are

powerful models if they demonstrate what they ask students to do” (p. 8). After posing

the question, my students crafted their own hypotheses in response. The following day,

students were able to investigate the results of the experiment to determine if their

hypotheses were correct. The students watched as I cut the celery stalks in half and then

later made close observations of the celery xylem and recorded their observational data.

Banchi and Bell (2008) argue that, “students need to experience science through direct
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experience, consistently practicing the inquiry skills and seeking deeper understanding of

science content through their investigations” (p. 29).

The experience of teaching this lesson illuminated for me the value of hands-on

inquiry. Lowery (2008) explains that, “teachers can increase the likelihood that students

will ask investigable questions by providing hands-on experiences using provocative

materials” (p. 8). If I were to teach this lesson again, I would give students time to

explore the materials (in this case, celery) prior to giving them the question. Exploration

is the first phase of the learning cycle and as Marek (2008) explains, “A teacher cannot

accommodate the concept for students; students construct meaning of a concept from

their experiences, observations and data” (p. 65). I believe that had I given students time

to explore the biological structure of the celery prior to them creating their hypotheses,

they would have had a stronger understanding of what concept their hypothesis was

addressing and would have had a deeper understanding of why their hypothesis was

proven or disproven the following day. Brown and Abell (2007) address the importance

of the exploration phase of the learning cycle: “Exploring phenomena before explaining

them is critical for learning...The introduction of terms after investigations helps students

connect new concepts with prior experiences.” (p. 58). After examining the celery,

students recorded whether their hypotheses were correct or incorrect and why. This part

of the process engaged students in the analysis of their own argument and required them

to cite evidence from the experiment. The National Research Council (2012) describes

this as an “essential feature of science; scientists need to be able to examine, review, and

evaluate their own knowledge and ideas and critique those of others” (p. 27).
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The hands-on experiential learning component of elementary science education is

essential as it allows student scientists to develop a more thorough understanding of

scientific concepts and to make connections between what happens in the classroom and

the observed natural environment. The skills that a student gains from crafting arguments

based on observable data and evaluating claims based on data are essential transferrable

skills that will be useful in other areas of a student’s future adult life.
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References

Banchi, H. & Bell, R. (2008). The many levels of inquiry. Science and Children, 46 (2).

26-29.

Brown, P. & Abell, S. (2007). Examining the learning cycle. Science and Children, 44

(5). 58-59.

Lowery, L. (2010). Sparks that ignite inquiry. Science and Children, 48 (4). 8-9.

Marek, E. (2008). Why the learning cycle? Journal of Elementary Science Education, 20

(3). 63-69.

National Research Council. (2008). Ready, set, science: Putting research to work in k-8

science classrooms. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

National Research Council. (2012). A framework for k-12 science education: Practices,

crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: The National Academies

Press.