Many of the students came equipped with limited prior knowledge and little to no experience with inquiry-based learning. Their comfort level was matched with a no inquiry approach to science exploration, as this is what they were accustomed to. So we began the year exploring concepts in small groups with the provision of explicit instruction to begin the process of building confidence in their ability to learn about scientific concepts through investigation.

Students explored the cell membrane and the mechanics of transport across the membrane using soap bubbles as a membrane model and tubes as transport proteins. Students were frontloaded with an investigable question: What types of materials can move into and out of our cells? They were provided an explicit procedure with checkpoints throughout (to encourage students to not only follow the instructions but to also process what they are doing and why). The learning outcome was not explicitly given, however, further questioning was embedded to aid them in reaching the desired learning outcomes.

Deeper into the first semester, some students were still quite reliant on direct methods, but with others, confidence and motivation was on the rise, so I resolved to bump up the inquiry rigor just a notch. In addition, this provided a wonderful opportunity to differentiate instruction according to the needs of my students.

Students investigated the movement of water across the cell membrane using naked eggs, or eggs with the shell removed. The eggshells were removed by soaking in vinegar prior to the lesson and used as a cell model. Students were required to investigate the question: What effects do cell environments have on the cells of living organisms? Students were given a specific procedure to follow, however, they were allowed to select which experimental treatment they wanted for their egg – table salt, table sugar, corn syrup, distilled water, vinegar, 2% salt solution (red), 3.5% salt solution (blue), or 5% salt solution (green). The desired outcome of the investigation was not given. Students had to draw conclusions based on their observations and prior knowledge.

The investigation was followed by introduction of key concepts (hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic cellular environments). After which, the students observed all of the eggs used in the investigation in a Gallery Walk. Students not only observed each egg, but also left a brief note nearby (on provided sticky notes) stating which type of environment they believed each “cell” had been submerged in and the effect that it had. Finally, students returned to their seats to evaluate whether their understanding and that of their classmates was in alignment. I was able to use the feedback from this activity to further clear up misconceptions.

Toward the close of the first semester, the focus was on helping students develop resilience. A significant number of students struggled with working through an investigation without having some prior understanding of what the ending result would be and/or how that applied to what they should be learning. So I did not feel that they were quite ready to be immersed in a total guided inquiry experience. My goal became to blend the structured and guided inquiry approach.

First, they explored how DNA is common to all living things by extracting DNA from plant cells using strawberries in a structured format. Students were provided with the investigable question: How can DNA be extracted from plant cells? They were provided a procedure to follow (with checkpoints to provide additional guidance for struggling students). The desired outcome, however, was not provided. Students would once again have to rely on their observations and prior knowledge.

Then, to expand the learning experience they investigated how the temperature of the alcohol used in the extraction affects the DNA in a more guided inquiry format. Students were provided the investigable question: How does the temperature of the alcohol used in a DNA extraction affect the DNA? Students had to develop their own procedure for investigating this question and decide in what manner they would demonstrate their data. They were allowed to select what materials they would need and how they would use them (materials such as thermometers, alcohol, ice chests, etc were placed out for students prior to the investigation), and again, students were not provided with the desired outcomes. They had to rely on their observations and prior knowledge to draw conclusions. Several students found this newfound freedom in the lab to be intriguing and really shined. “Baby steps,” I reminded myself. It was a successful introduction to guided inquiry.