Activitymania Activity Inquiry Time short (approx. 50 min.) long (more than 5 x 50 min.) Planning definite, allows preplanning flexible, general preplanning Materials ready to go teacher's responsibility upon student's request teacher's and student's responsibility Results known by the teacher, published by text, and most times known by students one expected and accepted result unknown by teacher, students, or text multiple results will be negotiated & discussed Working Hypothesis well defined by teacher prior to research/experimentation arising from students' questions and based on their experiences Teacher's Feelings in control (high power) unchallenged intellectually (assimilation mood) relaxed -low energy level expert (students asking for reinforcement). having fun sharing control (lower power) intellectually challenged (accommodation mood) learning a lot - perturbed experienced co-learner (students discussing findings with teacher and students alike) perturbed by the intellectual challenge Students' Feelings following prescribed procedures matching personal finding with expected findings (teacher's) findings working on teacher's question one right answer passive developing procedures, lists of material, resources and/or equipment interpreting results as there are no prescribed findings as students develop the question, the teacher does not know the answer multiple answers accepted motivated - using "I/we want to find out" perturbed challenged intellectually and looking for equilibrium (Piaget) Assessment immediate product-oriented (right/wrong answer) technical long-term process-oriented developing rubrics Students' Learning technical skill (follow procedures) and develop low order cognitive skills disregard results that do not match teacher's expectations inquiry is done by special people perpetuate the idea of the world as unexplainable understanding and power belong to a select few observation and develop higher order cognitive skills disregard data for reasonable and scientific reasons use discrepancies as entry points for inquiry inquiry can be done by anyone inquiry as patterning the world understanding and power are available to anyone Adapted from Science and Children. January 1998, pg. 17
