Science Inquiry in the Nature Preserve

I was wondering what it takes to have science inquiry present in an outdoor lesson. Turns out, its almost naturally there!

First, science inquiry must begin with a scientifically oriented question and these questions are very open-ended, so students will give good thought to the question. These questions usually begin with a "Why..." or a "How...". The next part is easy, take your students to the nature preserve and let them make observations based on the questions they have or the question you asked. I caution though as this may take as little as 5 minutes or as long as a few class periods depending on the question and the level of student involvement in finding the answer. After that, regroup on the next class period and have the students work alone or with a small group to come up with evidence-based explanations to their questions based on their observations. For those that get done early, have them use the internet or books to see if they can find anymore information about their question (be careful and know whether or not your students know how to do research on the internet properly before letting them do this by their self). Allow the others to do their research at their own pace as well. Finally a short presentation to the class about the students' findings is the perfect assessment for this activity as long as the students justify their answers based on their observations and research.

So in the end, the teachers only role is facilitation and it may be up to the teacher to ask the scientifically oriented question, but be careful because I wouldn't be surprised if the students come up with their own questions! I also found a website specific to science inquiry in the outdoors. Inquiry and Problem-based Lesson Plans, check it out, there's a lot of good ideas!