LEARNING MATTERS

INQUIRY IN THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM AT MCKINNON SECONDARY COLLEGE

Inquiry has always been a part of Science.  Scientists question everything around them.  ‘’Why is the sky blue?’’  ‘’Why are some metals more reactive than others?”  ‘’How is water able to climb up the stem of a plant?”  A question is the beginning of something much bigger for a scientist.  It allows us to generate a hypothesis which in turn allows us to experiment.  For a long time experiments in Science classrooms have been a fun task that reinforces a scientific theory or fact already learnt.  The new National Curriculum has challenged that narrow use of experimentation in classrooms and asks us to consider alternatives, and we have!  Over the last year or so we have developed a new type of inquiry for our Year 7-10 science classes.  Students are presented with a question that requires them to do a certain amount of background research.  The question will be one that is relevant to the topic being studied, for example chemical reactions or alternative energies.  While researching, students work in teams to develop a hypothesis and a method.  The scientific method requires them to select an independent variable to manipulate and a dependent variable to measure.  The experiment is carried out once the method is checked by the teacher.  The experimental write-up is done under test conditions.  Students refer to their initial research at this stage to add depth to the discussion of their results.  The validity of the test and reliability of the data is analysed and a conclusion is reached.  

Students develop an understanding that the process is just as important as the outcome and that more can sometimes be learnt from an unexpected result than from one that is expected.  The effect of acid rain on marble, the insulation properties of materials and the effect of household chemicals on seed germination are some of the inquiries undertaken at McKinnon at various year levels.  

The Year 7 and 8 ELMS students take this one step further.  Year 7 ELMS students have produced a fabulous digital science fair which you can investigate at https://sites.google.com/a/mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/7elms/home/fair   The Year 8 ELMS students are currently working towards a CREST Bronze Award.  This award is given by the CSIRO only after a student has completed a self-directed, teacher supported, open-ended experimental project of at least 10 hours duration.  These students are undertaking a range of both fascinating, yet practical inquiries, such as the accuracy of milk expiry dates, salt tolerance in plants, improved traffic barriers, and the effectiveness of stain removers.  These tasks develop critical inquiry skills that are essential for VCE, and allow the application of the scientific method to practical investigations. 

Therese Sweeney

Head of Science