My Groups Inquiry Lesson Plan

It was time for my group to conduct our inquiry based learning lesson plan. For our inquiry lesson plan we wanted the students to create leprechaun traps using simple machines. We chose leprechauns because St. Patrick's Day was that weekend, and we thought it would be a fun theme.

Before we started the lesson we reviewed the Vocabulary words simple machine, complex machine, inclined plane, wedge, and screw. After we reviewed our Vocabulary, we showed the kids the simple machines song again. The students all began dancing and singing along to the song. Part of the challenge we gave the students was they could use as many simple machines as they want, however they had to include screws, wedges, and inclined planes in their leprechaun traps.

Before we let the students begin working on their leprechaun traps we went over the steps of inquiry.

Steps of Inquiry

1) Identify the problem and formulate a question

2) Form a hypothesis

3) Collect Data

4) Study Data

5) Draw Conclusion

We put up a timer of 20 minutes and let the students start working in their groups. My group members and I walked around the class and tried to guide the groups into making a successful leprechaun trap. The students came up with many impressive ideas. 20 minutes was not enough time for all the groups to finish so we let them have 5 more minutes.

Once all the groups had finished it was time to present. Before the students came up and presented we went over what we expected from each group when they presented as well as what we expected from the audience. We asked the groups to tell us the name of their leprechaun trap, their hypothesis, and to explain their trap. We also wanted each group to show the rest of their class the picture of their trap. I was very excited when all the groups did an excellent job of presenting their ideas. They were all very creative.

For our independent practice we asked the students to write a postcard to the principal of Bishop Dunn. They each had to write 2-3 sentences naming all the simple machines they used and the object from the classroom they used. 

My time teaching was finished for Science Methods and I was happy about how it went. This experience helped me become a better teacher, and I am looking forward to student teaching.