Applying Standards Based Constructivism:
A Two-Step Guide for Motivating Students
Seed Inquiry

Popular Name: Seed Inquiry
Grade Level: 10th Grade
Discipline: Science
Standards:
Students will:
  • Construct explanations of natural phenomena
  • Prepare and conduct research, record observations, and measurements
  • Interpret organized data.
Learning Objectives:
Students will increase their capacity to understand the nature of science by conducting an inquiry into how seed-characteristics affect the distance traveled by wind-dispersed seeds.  
EXPLORATORY PHASE:
Through handling and observing local naturally-occurring, wind-dispersed seeds, students create a listing of the seeds descriptive characteristics.
DISCOVERY PHASE:

Performance Task: Students will design and conduct a scientific inquiry into how seed-characteristics affect the distance traveled by wind-dispersed seeds.

Seed Inquiry
Popular Name: Seed Inquiry
Grade Level: 10th Grade
Discipline: Science
Standards and Performance Indicators Context
 
MST Standard 1

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.
  • Formulate questions to explore everyday observations.
  • Construct explanations of natural phenomena.
  • Prepare and conduct research, record observations and measurements.
  • Interpret organized data
  • Modify their personal understanding of phenomena based on evaluation of their hypothesis.
  • Engage in design process.
  • Consider constraints and generate several ideas for alternative solutions.
  • Plan and construct a model of the solution, exhibiting a degree of craftsmanship.
  • Test their solution; describe how the solution meets design criteria.
MST Standard 3

Students will understand mathematics and become confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically.
  • By applying mathematics to real-life settings, and
  • By solving problems through the integrated study of numbers systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry.
  • Represent numerical relationships in two-dimensional graphs.
Core Curriculum Outline Connection

Core Curriculum Skills
  • Use the appropriate units for measured and calculated values.
  • Identify cause and effect relationships.
  • Identify structure and function relationships in organisms.
  • Dissect plant and/or animal specimens to expose and identify internal structures.
  • Design and carry out a controlled, scientific experiment based on biological processes.
  • Organize data through the use of data tables and graphs
  • Analyze results from observations/expressed data.
  • Formulate appropriate conclusions or generalizations from the results of an experiment.
Learning Objectives (which will become the dimensions of the assessment’s rubric.)
Students will increase their capacity to understand the nature of scientific inquiry.  
EXPLORATORY PHASE
(estimated time: 20 minutes)
Exploration of Prior Knowledge
13. Students are grouped into teams of three using some arbitrary process such as birthdays or by design using some other criteria to create teams composed of students possessing specific qualities.
14. Team member assume one of three roles:
- Facilitator—to keep team members focused on the task
- Materials coordinator --- to keep track of materials
- Timekeeper— to help the team manages its time.
15.  Each team member must keep inquiry notes—which are to include all observations, notes, data collection, conclusions and reflections.
16. The teacher asks the teams to free associate and record their thoughts regarding the question, “What do you know about seeds that float in the air?”
17. Reporting out of the teams’ thoughts, which are recorded and summarized on the board by the teacher.
18. Teacher facilitates a debriefing of the information provided by the teams with a focus on grouping like-thoughts.
Seed Characteristics Identification
1. Teacher distributes packets of local naturally-occurring wind-dispersed seeds. (These can be gathered by the teacher or purchased from horticultural society. Examples of such seeds are: dandelion, cottonwood, milkweed, maple tree, and grass seeds.)
2. The teams observe the seeds to create a listing of descriptive characteristics. (The characteristics that need to evolve through this process should include: general shape, length, width, depth, mass, surface area. If any of them don’t, the teacher should point the class toward them.)
3. This is followed by a whole class reporting out. The purpose of this report –out is to come to a common understanding regarding the seed characteristics that need to be observed and recorded.
4. The student-teams create a data table to record their observations regarding the characteristics of the seeds in the packet that was previously distributed.
5. Students record the characteristics based on their observations.
DISCOVERY PHASE
(estimated time: 2 to 3 40-minute class periods)

Performance Task: (including planned interventions and audience beyond the teacher)

Conduct a scientific inquiry into how seed-characteristics affect the distance traveled by wind-dispersed seeds.
The Initial Design of the Inquiry

The teacher directs teams to brainstorm focusing on the question, “What are the tests we should run on wind-dispersed seeds to reveal how they react in the air and the impact these reactions have on their wind-dispersal?”
1. The teacher conducts interventions as needed to move the individual teams to take into consideration the three tests that need to be run, which are: drop time in still air, distance traveled on a wind/fan-current, and time taken to travel to the furthest point on a wind/fan-current. (If the students come up with other tests these should be accepted but some form of the previously mentioned three needs to be included.)
2. The student-teams develop recording devices to record the data from the tests they have determined need to be run. The teams send members to observe the tests and forms devised by other teams and adjust, as desire, their own tests and forms.
3. Once the teams have settled on the forms they will be using to record the data, the teacher asks the teams to come to some decisions regarding this question,” What procedure should be followed to carry out the drop-test? (Things that need to be taken into account are: what will be the height from which the seed will be dropped; how will this distance be uniformly measured; how will the drop time be measured; how many times will the seed be dropped; will the number of times be averaged?)
4. While not expressly stating the above questions/considerations, the teacher intervenes as needed to move the individual teams to take these thoughts into consideration. Once the individual teams decide on their procedure, the teams conduct the drop test and record their findings.
5. Each team member must take his own inquiry notes, which will be the main evidence used by the teacher in judging the students’ performance on the inquiry. (See the assessment rubric.) 

Reflection based on Drop Test Results
6. After a team has conducted the drop-test, the teacher intervenes to ask the team to discuss what they have observed about the relationship between the characteristics of the seeds and the results of the drop-test. (Among the characteristics that need to be focused on are: mass and surface area. If these characteristics don’t emerge from the discussion, the teacher needs to move the discussion in their direction.)

Wind Tests of Naturally-Occurring Seeds

7. After a team has completed the drop-test the team conducts the wind/fan test. (It is assumed that the team has concluded that there needs to be a wind test simulated through the use of fans. See step #1 above.)
8. If necessary, the teacher intervenes to focus the team on the need to develop a procedure to conduct the wind tests. (Considerations regarding these tests include: the distance from the ground the seed is released, the position and power setting of the fan(s), how to determine the distance the seed has traveled, the number of trials, if an average is to be calculated.)
9. Teams record the results of their tests.

Representing the Results

10. The teacher directs teams to create some mathematical representation summarizing the results of their three tests.
11. The teacher intervenes as necessary with the teams devising these representations. (Some representations include line and bar graphs.)

Debrief Results

12. The teacher facilitates a debrief/reflection based on the teams’ results from its three tests. (Key questions focus on: the relationship between the results and the mass and the surface area of the seeds, the relationship between the time traveled and the distance traveled, other factors that have affected the results.)
13. During the debrief the teacher reminds the students to look to the rubric for guidance regarding what needs to be in their inquiry notes, drawing particular attention to the Reflection/Self assessment section of the rubric.

Task Specifications for Developing the Student-Generated Product/Process
The specifications regarding the task are enumerated in the assessment rubric.

Assessment of Performance Task
Dimensions of a student- conducted inquiry into how seed-characteristics affect the distance traveled by wind-dispersed seeds
 Criteria for a score of
4
 Criteria for a score of
3
 Criteria for a score of
2
 Criteria for a score of
1
The design of the inquiry
 All the procedures, protocols and means of displaying and analyzing data that the team designed and used were appropriate to the purpose of the inquiry
 Most of the procedures, protocols and means of displaying and analyzing data that the team designed and used were appropriate to the purpose of the inquiry
Some of the procedures, protocols and means of displaying and analyzing data that the team designed and used were appropriate to the purpose of the inquiry
 Few of the procedures, protocols and means of displaying and analyzing data that the team designed and used were appropriate to the purpose of the inquiry
Accuracy regarding
gathering and displaying data

 Recorded trial-data on naturally occurring seeds is accurate regarding labels, measurements, etc.
   
The mathematical representations accurately reflect the recorded data.

Observations regarding the naturally occurring seeds match the individual seeds’ characteristics.
Recorded trial-data regarding naturally occurring seeds is mostly accurate regarding labels, measurements, etc.

The mathematical representations accurately reflect the recorded data most of the time

Observations regarding the naturally occurring seeds mostly match the individual seeds’ characteristics.
Recorded trial-data regarding naturally occurring seeds is partially accurate regarding labels, measurements, etc.

The mathematical representations accurately reflect the recorded data some of the time.

Observations regarding the naturally occurring seeds sometimes match the individual seeds’ characteristics.
 Recorded trial-data naturally occurring sees is somewhat inaccurate regarding labels, measurements, etc.

The mathematical representations do not reflect the recorded data.

Observations regarding the naturally occurring seeds don’t match the individual seeds’ characteristics.
Analysis
 The inquiry notes include conclusions drawn from test data for naturally occurring seeds, including:
*The
relationship between seed characteristics and distance traveled.
*The relationship between seed drop time and distance traveled
*The relationship between time in air and distance traveled.

All of the
Conclusions regarding the relationship between seed characteristics and seed distribution are supported or refuted by the data.
 The inquiry notes include most of the following conclusions drawn from test data for naturally occurring seeds:
*The
relationship between seed characteristics and distance traveled.
*The relationship between seed drop time and distance traveled
*The relationship between time in air and distance traveled.

Most of  the Conclusions
regarding the relationship between seed characteristics and see distribution are supported or refuted by the data.
 The inquiry notes include some of the following conclusions drawn from test data for naturally occurring seeds:
*The
relationship between seed characteristics and distance traveled.
*The relationship between seed drop time and distance traveled
*The relationship between time in air and distance traveled.

Some of the Conclusions
regarding the relationship between seed characteristics and see distribution are supported or refuted by the data
 The inquiry notes include few of the following conclusions drawn from test data naturally occurring seeds:
*The
relationship between seed characteristics and distance traveled.
*The relationship between seed drop time and distance traveled
*The relationship between time in air and distance traveled.

Few of the Conclusions
regarding the relationship between seed characteristics and see distribution are supported or refuted by the data.
Reflection /Self analysis
 The inquiry notes contain reflections that include:
*The purpose of the learning experience
*The new skills developed/refined
*New understandings
*Thoughts regarding the student’s performance on the task.
 The inquiry notes contain reflections that include most of the following:
*The purpose of the learning experience
*The new skills developed/refined
*New understandings
*Thoughts regarding student performance on the task.
 The inquiry notes contain reflections that include some of the following: 
*The purpose of the learning experience
*The new skills developed/refined
*New understandings
*Thoughts regarding student performance on the task.
 The inquiry notes contain reflections that include few of the following:
*The purpose of the learning experience
*The new skills developed/refined
*New understandings
*Thoughts regarding student performance. On the task. 
Resources to Be Made Available to Students
  • A packet of naturally occurring wind-dispersed seeds.
  • Meter sticks
  • A tape measure in meters
  • Masking tape
  • Graphing paper
  • A stop watch
  • A fan (teacher assistance required for safety. Safety considerations include: establishing safe distances from the fan, and the wearing of goggles while seeds are dispersed.)

Suggestions for the Teacher
Inquiries vs. Labs

This lesson focuses on the difference between science taught through a prescriptive lab experience vs. science taught through an inquiry-based learning experience. In this inquiry-based lesson the students are guided toward constructing inquiry procedures and protocols; they are not provided procedures and protocols to be followed. The students’ work is not to fill out teacher-created forms but to decide what procedures and protocols they need to follow and then to develop their own forms, run the tests, record the data, analyze the data, come to conclusions, and reflect on what they have done. It is a good idea to develop forms and other scaffolding devices in advance to get a feel for what the students are being asked to do, have a detailed sense of how to guide students during interventions, and to have examples of such instruments if, after repeated attempts with your guidance, it is still necessary to provide additional assistance.

Inquiry Notes
The inquiry notes each student takes are at the heart of this lesson. It is suggested that the teacher collect these notes after each class. Reading the inquiry notes will allow the teacher to monitor student progress and to plan for additional interventions. 

Grade-Level Considerations
This inquiry-based lesson can be profitably engaged in by 7th graders through students participating in Advance Placement Biology, with more and more sophisticated work being required of upper grade students. 
This lesson incorporates ideas found in a learning experience titled, “ Seed By Design”, created by Joyce G. Valenti,
which was peer reviewed by the New York State Academy for Teaching and Learning