UNIT III: INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SCIENCE

Introduction
This unit discusses various teaching strategies that can be adapted in the
classroom for teaching physics and earth science

The Basic Elements of Inquiry Methods

All inquiry methods are predicated on specific assumptions about both learning and
learners. Inquiry teaching requires a high degree of interaction among the learner, the
teacher, the materials, the content, and the environment. The most challenging part is
that it allows both the learner and the teacher to become persistent seekers,
interrogators, questioners, and ponderers. The end result is whenever the learner poses
the question every Nobel Prize winner has asked: “I wonder what would happen if…?” It
is through inquiry that new knowledge is discovered. It is by becoming involved in the
process that the learners become historians, economists, scientists, engineers, poets,
businessperson, artists, writers, researchers-even only for an hour or two in class.

Basic Tenets of Inquiry Teaching (Orlich et al., 2007)

 Inquiry methods require the learners to develop various processes associated
with inquiry.
 The teachers and the principals must support the concept of inquiry teaching and
learn how to adapt their own teaching and administrative styles to the concept.
 The students at all ages and levels have a genuine interest in discovering
something new or in providing solutions or alternatives to unsolved questions or
problems.
 The solutions, alternatives, or responses provided by the learners are not found
in textbooks. The students use reference materials and textbooks during inquiry
lessons just as scientists and professionals use books, articles, and references to
conduct their work.
 The objective of Inquiry teaching is often a process. In many instances, the end
product of an inquiry activity is relatively unimportant compared to the processes
used to create it.
 All conclusions must be considered relative or tentative, not final. The students
must learn to modify their conclusions as new data are discovered.
 Inquiry learning cannot be gauged by the clock in the real world, when people
think or create, it is no ally done in fifty-minute increments.
 The learners are responsible for planning, conducting, and evaluating their own
effort. It is essential that the teacher plays only a supportive role, not an active
one (that is, the teacher should not do work for the students).
  The students have to be taught the processes associated with inquiry learning in
a systematic manner. Every time a “teachable moment arrives, the teacher
should capitalize on it to further the building of inquiry processes.
 Inquiry learning complicates and expands the teacher’s work, owing to the many
interactions that may emanate from inquiry teaching and learning.

Basic Inquiry Processes

Listed below are the basic inquiry processes in order of complexity (Orlich et al, 2007).
1. Observing
2. Classifying
3. Inferring
4. Using numbers
5. Measuring
6. Using space-time relationships
7. Communicating
8. Predicting
9. Making operational definitions
10. Formulating hypotheses
11. Interpreting data
12. Controlling variables
13. Experimenting
Each inquiry process requires progressive intellectual development, and that as
this development takes place for one process, it spurs development on other processes.
Development of observing, classifying, and measuring skills, for example, speeds
development of inferring skills.
These processes are found in every learning episode that involves inquiry.
Inquiry is not simply asking questions, it is a process for conducting a thorough
investigation, and as such, it applies to all domains of knowledge.
Each inquiry process must be carefully developed and systematically practiced.
So, you must decide how much of each lesson will be devoted to building cognitive
skills and how much to mastering processes.

Lesson 9 – The Power of Observation

I- What is Observation?

“People’s minds are changed through observation and not through argument.” -Will
Rogers
“Reason, Observation, and Experience, the Holy Trinity of Science” -Robert Green
Ingersoll
Of all the inquiry processes, observation may be the most important to scientists
and other experts. Without observation, very few questions would be asked.
Observation is the core, foundation, principle, and rationale for the existence of science.
Moreover, it is driven by curiosity and the need to find patterns and answers to
questions. Inquiry depends upon observations to provide data for processes such as
predicting, hypothesizing, and inferring. Unexplained events and occurrences are
constructed through inquiry processes. The unexplained becomes reality by creating
conclusions, theories, principles, and laws. Without special attention to observations,
there would be little advancement in science.

A. Definition of Observation
For some people, observing could be described using the song “For Your Eyes
Only.” But observation is much more than the use of eyes to see. It involves the use of
all senses: seeing, tasting, hearing, touching and smelling. The sense of sight is often
predominant so that we become aware of the natural world, but a better understanding
of ourselves and our surroundings is possible as a result of the interaction of our
different senses.
Technically, observation is defined as an act of recognizing and noting a fact or
occurrence often involving measurement with instruments (Merriam-Webster]. It
involves not only one skill but actually two or more skills.
Basic science concepts such as classification, ordering, and seriation are learned
through sight and touch but in some cases can be learned with the use of other senses
as well. Science ideas such as energy, black holes, and ecology are based more on
mental abstraction than observable data. These ideas are made concrete through
symbols, models, diagrams, and formulas.

Basic knowledge is learned through sense observations. Observing is not unique

to scientists, every human being uses observations, consciously or unconsciously, on a
daily basis to make decisions. Bronowski (1981) says: Science is not only rational, it is
also empirical. Science is experiment, that is orderly and reasoned activity. It does not
watch the world, it tackles it (p.104)

People other than scientists are less likely to understand the significance of
observations for decision making. Scientists are actively and consciously engaged in
using observations through formal methodology.
B. Teaching and Learning Through Observation
Consciously using observation is just as important to teachers as it is to scientists
and other professionals. Observing helps construct reality and make sense of the
classroom environment. Watching children and listening to them while they are engaged
in science activities provide a wealth of data about what they are learning. Instructional
strategies, curriculum content and assessment techniques can be revised or deleted
according to the set of facts collected during observations of children (Foster, 1999).
Gathering data from actual teaching experiences is much more effective than
exclusively trusting curriculum guides to inform the teachers about the best practices.
Curriculum guides typically express general viewpoints of teaching, which may have
little relevance to individual classroom situations.
Learning to observe is a significant inquiry process for children to consciously
use while they are engaged in science activities. Children of all ages are continuously
collecting data about the world around them, but they may not be consciously aware of
their actions. By using their senses, children consciously learn to construct reality by
exploring objects in the real world around them, which also includes interactions with
peers and adults. Teachers can help children learn to trust their own observations,
which will provide them with experiences in becoming good problem solvers and
independent thinkers.
4 process of learning through observation
1. attention – (definition)
2. retention –
3. production -
4. motivation -
II- What is the Importance of Observation?
A. The Development of Facts From Observations
Why are observations important to scientists? Usually they attempt to find
answers to questions by looking for patterns in nature, numbers, or controlled
experiments. These patterns are detected in data collected through the use of senses,
which we will call sense data (Foster, 1999). Patterns are interpretations made by the
observer of the collected data.
B. The Development of Concepts From Observational Facts
A new view of education is taking shape that reflects science as the
understanding relationships between systems and their parts. The emphasis is on
process rather than products, and through processes, relationships among facts
(products) become apparent and meaningful. The contemporary view of science is
based on understanding patterns and relationships among organized ideas, which are
called concepts.

C. Indirect Observations
Most of the time we collect data through direct observations. In other science
disciplines including biology, chemistry and physics, there are instances wherein we rely
on indirect observation. Scientists cannot directly observe the intricate processes within
the human body, the motion and structure of molecules or galaxies, or the other layers
of the earth. Microscopes, telescopes, computers, radar, and sonar are examples of
technologies that help increase the ability to observe the knowledge created through
indirect observation is referred to as inferences (Foster. 1999). In other words,
conclusions are deduced from indirect data. Knowledge bases in biology, chemistry,
and physics began with direct observation, but the desire to know more has taken the
knowledge to levels that must rely on technology for collecting data.

III- Sample Lesson Plan

Topic: Forte and Motion

Grade Level: Grade 3
Learning Competencies:
The learners should be able to:

1. Describe the position of a person or an object in relation to a reference point

such as chair, door, another person;

2. Identify things that can make objects move such as people, water, wind,
magnets, and
3. Describe the movements of objects such as fast/slow, forward/backward,
stretching compressing.

ENGAGE
Let the students observe two subjects, one that is moving while the other is
stationary. (Use materials available from the laboratory room.) Share their observations
in class.
EXPLORE
Show the students videos on force and motion (example: moving car, machines).
Ask them to describe the movement of the objects whether slow/fast, forward/backward
stretching/compressing.
EXPLAIN
Force is anything that has the potential to change the state of rest or motion of an
object. Forces change the speed or direction of the motion of an object. The greater the
force applied on an object the greater the change that will be observed in motion. If an
object is more massive, a given force will have lesser effect upon the motion of the
object.
ELABORATE
Materials for each group a ping pong ball, a golf ball, a piece of cm/in ruler,
spherical objects of varying weights (such as tennis ball or basketball)
1. Provide each group a ping pong ball ruler, and a golf ball)
2. Ask the students to predict and observe what happens when force is applied to
an object, and compare the relative effects of a force of the same strength on
objects of different weight by snapping the ping pong ball gently with a finger and
measure the distance the ball covered with a ruler Record the distance in
centimeters on the force chart (see chart below)
3. Let the students move the ping pong ball as hard as possible with one finger.
With a ruler, measure and record the distance the ball covered on the force chart.
4. Repeat the second and third steps using a golf ball. Use a different type of ball if
golf ball is not available.
5. Have the students compare data with other groups and draw conclusions about
force applied to objects and its effect on the direction of the object.
6. Give the students enough time to explore the effect of force applied to spherical
objects of varying weights.
7. Convene the students and let them share in class what they have discovered

Guide questions for the discussion.

a. What did you discover about the ping pong ball as a force in motion?
b. What did you discover about the golf ball as a force in motion?
c. Which ball produced the greater direction/distance and why?
d. Did the balls move farther when a greater or lesser force was applied to the
balls?
e. How would the speed of the object and distance change if force had increased or
decreased in strength?
f. What does weight have to do with force?
 8. Guide the students in making a list of forces they see every day (examples:
kicking a ball, shooting an arrow, strong winds blowing, flowing water)
9. Help the students come up with the conclusion that the greater the force applied
to an object, the greater the change in speed or direction it will produce on the
object
FORCES CHART
Ball Soft Movement Hard Movement Greatest Distance
(Measured in cm) (Measured in cm)

Ping Pong Ball

Golf Ball

EVALUATE
1. Instruct the students to write a paragraph considering this case: What would
happen if a golf team decided to practice with a golf club and a ping bong ball
instead of a golf club and a golf ball?
2. Let the students to discuss the relationship between force applied to an object
and the speed or direction of the object.

Other Direct Observation Activities (adapted from Foster, 1999)

 Observe an ice cube as it melts.

 Identify your own apple when it is placed in a bowl of other apples. Other fruit
such as lemons, limes, and oranges can be used instead of apples.
 Give everyone a green leaf from the same kind of tree Identify your leaf after it
has been placed in a pile with everyone else’s leaves.
Although primary children may focus on a few attributes, older children can work
with a variety of attributes. For example, primary children may focus only on the shape
of the leaf while upper grade children can focus on its shape, edges, and veins.
Measurements that are either nonstandard or standard can be used to make precise
observations.

Direct Moon Phase Observations and Study

 Knowledge about phases of the moon is usually presented through pictures,
diagrams, and illustrations. Sometimes, activities usually consist of observing phases by
shining light on a three dimensional model. Other moon phase activities may use
objects such as a basketball to represent the earth, a baseball to represent the moon,
and a light source for the sun. Understanding moon phases requires collecting data
through limited use of the senses and creating models.

Learning Competencies
The learners should be able to:
 experience collecting data over a long period of time (1-4 weeks).
 create an explanation for moon phases based on data from direct observations
rather than textbooks or other sources.
 identify and answer questions that arise from studying moon phases, and
 understand angles and sky directions.

Grade Level:
 Primary through upper grades (noticing differences in phases may be sufficient
for primary grades)
Materials:
 Charts, index cards, or pocket calendars for recording changes in, angle, time,
and sky directions
Instructions:
1. Before beginning your observations, write on a sheet of paper an explanation for
moon phase creation. Hand this to your teacher. It will be given back to you to
compare what you learned at the end of the moon phase observation experience
2. Form groups of 4-5 members. Choose different days and times for collecting data.
You will share the data together.
3. Devise a way to record your data. For example, on an index card, outline the horizon
and indicate the direction you are looking. Draw the moon’s shape and its angle in
the sky Place several observations on one card and use a different card for each
observation. Remember to record dates and times.
4. Record the following during your moon phase study date, time of day, moon phase,
angle of moon at the time of observation, and direction in the sky. You may be
recording data as long as two months to ensure enough data are collected to see
patterns in the moon phases.
5. Try to observe the moon at the same spot at the same time. You may find you have
to change location or time during this long period of observation.
6. Record questions that come to your mind. You will be given opportunities in class to
discuss your findings and your questions. Distinguish between those questions that
can be answered through direct observations and those that cannot.
Classroom Moon Phase Simulation
After the students have collected data for 1-4 weeks, this classroom activity can be
given to them that illustrates moon phase changes.

Learning Competencies
The learners should be able to:
 understand moon phase using the earth as a point of reference:
 observe the positions of the earth, moon, and sun during each phase; and
 compare learning moon phases by direct observations and by using a model.

Grade Level:
• Upper grades
Materials:
 Meter stick or yardstick
 Styrofoam ball (25-30cm/10-12 inches in circumference)
 Popsicle stick
 Masking tape
 Light bulb (150-250 watts) and bulb socket without a shade

Instructions:
1. Push one end of the Popsicle stick into the Styrofoam ball. The Styrofoam ball
represents the moon
2. Tape the other end of the Popsicle stick to one end of the meter stick so that the
Popsicle stick is perpendicular to the meter stick.
3. After turning off the overhead lights and making the room as dark as possible,
the instructor will turn on the light bulb and hold it above his or her head. The
light bulb represents the sun.
4. Stand up and hold the end of the meter stick with the Styrofoam ball up in the air
with the other end posed on the tip of your nose. The angle of the meter stick
should be about 45ᵒ. You represent the earth the 45ᵒ angle simulate a person’s
line of sight when looking at the moon.
 5. Make sure you can turn around without bumping into someone else’s meter stick.
Keep your eyes focused on the Styrofoam ball. Slowly rotate and watch what
happens.
6. Notice where the sun is in relation to your position and in relation to the moon for
each phase of the moon.
7. Think about the data you collected from your actual observations of the moon
and your questions.
8. Write down an explanation of moon phases using knowledge gained from direct
observations and this activity.
9. Compare the explanations you wrote with the explanations you previously
submitted to your teacher before the activity.
Discussion Questions
 What did you learn from the actual moon phase observation?
 What did the simulation activity confirm about your actual moon phase
observations?
 Why is it difficult to understand moon phase changes from pictures or
illustrations? What point of view do pictures present? What is your point of view
during the simulation activity? What specific concepts should the learners
understand before they can understand changes in moon phases?
 In general, at what age should the learners learn about moon phase formation?
 Should the learners be given opportunities to learn about moon phases at
different grade levels? Explain.
 What does this say about revisiting the same concepts at different grade levels?
 If a learner says they already studied this in an earlier grade, how would you
respond? What are the implications of learning about moon phases formation
from pictures, diagrams, and illustrations?

The following are examples of other long-term observation activities that can be done at
various grade levels.
1. Plant seeds and keep track of the growth of plants.
2. Observe changes in butterfly chrysalises from caterpillars to adult butterflies
3. Raise mealworms to watch the changes in beetles’ life cycle.
4. Observe changes in terraria and aquaria with different ecosystems. 5. Observe
changes in weather conditions.
5. Observe changes in the color of leaves in the autumn.
6. Start a mold culture and observe changes over a given length of time.