INQUIRY STRATEGIES FOR SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS LEARNING: IT’S JUST GOOD TEACHING.

This publication is based on work supported wholly or in part both by a grant and contract number RJ96006501 from the U.S. Department of Education. The content of this document does not necessarily reflect the views of the department or any other agency of the United States government. Permission to reproduce this publication in whole or in part is granted with the acknowledgment of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory as the source on all copies. Appreciation is extended to the many educators who provided information and guidance in the development of this publication.

Acknowledgments also go to the panel of reviewers and contributors for their valuable input: I nquiry-based teaching is a perfect complement to a child’s natural curiosity about the world and how it works. Whether it is the elementary stu-dent’s wonder that is prompted by a story about hibernating animals, the middle school student’s predictions about the relationship between circumference and diameter that arise from an exploration of different-sized spheres, or the high school student’s questions that are provoked by a local environmental issue, students become actively engaged in the learning process when given the opportunity to hypothesize and investigate. The Science and Mathematics Education unit at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory offers Inquiry Strategies for Science and Mathematics Learning as the second publication in our It’s Just Good Teaching series.

Intended to furnish K-12 teachers with both research-based rationale and recommendations for effective techniques that can be applied in today’s complex and changing classrooms, future topics in the series will explore standards-based teaching and using assessment to inform instruction. All publications follow a similar format. An initial summary of the key themes in the current research and literature sets the stage for the subsequent discussion of research-recommended practices. Included throughout the publications are insights from Northwest educators who are implementing these strategies and represent examples of ” real-life research in practice. ” The listing of print materials, organizations, and online resources enables teachers to access and explore additional tools to support their efforts to provide all students with the mathematics and science knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for success. The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory is committed to improve educational results for children, youth, and adults by providing research and development assistance in delivering equitable , high-quality educational programs. We are proud to be partners with the dedicated practitioners who work on behalf of students throughout the Northwest.