text: science inquiry project | Custom Essay Papers
  PART 1: INQUIRY PROJECT Your task is to design and conduct a science inquiry project suitable for senior schooling (i.e., year 11/12). As an external student, you will need to implement an inquiry that is feasible with materials that you can access readily. Negotiate the topic and inquiry project with your tutor. The inquiry topic can be chosen from a list of project ideas provided on the unit Blackboard site (CRP427), however some of the topics in that list will not be feasible for some external students due to the need for specialized equipment. You can find ideas for inquiry projects that can be done with simple resources by searching for science fair projects online. A Safety form (SEAMS) must be completed and checked with your lecturer prior to beginning the project. Forms are located on Blackboard in the Assessment Link. Submit a completed SEAMS forms to your tutor by e­mail one week before conducting the inquiry for approval. Because you are conducting the inquiry at home or in some other location, you need to consider localized risk factors such as family members or pets being around the experiment or the use of toxic materials or high heat sources in home kitchens etc. Inquiry Project Requirements: • Design the exact methods and procedures for your inquiry (read Valiela, 2001 on QUT Readings) • Research the topic, including the relevant science concepts, before you commence the inquiry. QUT Readings provides a starting point with readings about science and inquiry. You need to find references and materials more specific to your ????????????????????????????????chosen topic. • Propose a researchable question(s) and/or hypotheses. • Manage the project during its implementation and collect and analyze data. NB: Keep a science logbook to record the progress of the inquiry, AND a journal for teaching reflections that will inform Part 2 of Assessment Item 1. There will be no equipment provided by QUT. There are many different modes of inquiry in science (e.g., correlational studies, observational studies, perturbation studies, controlled experiments, comparative studies etc.); you will need to choose a relevant approach for your topic. The reading by Valiela (2001) on QUT Readings and the science inquiry design resources on the website https:// www.stepup.edu.au/inquiry/ provides a starting point for general approaches to scientific inquiry. PART 2­ REFLECTIVE REPORT You will present the outcomes of your inquiry project in report format. Report Presentation guide: • The design (specific inquiry process), results, and conclusions that you implemented are important to report during your presentation. Provide some photographic evidence. Make it clear to a reader, how your research and readings informed the design, conduct and conclusions from your inquiry. • The most significant aspect to report is any reflections and practical advice for your peers who will need to implement similar inquiries as science teachers. Now that you have engaged in a science inquiry project, what educational advice can you offer to peers (i.e., other pre­service teachers, teachers in schools)? Take a student centred approach by thinking about your experiences throughout the inquiry, how a senior school student may experience the inquiry process, and how your role as a teacher may contribute to the learning and assessment of senior school students. • Make specific reference to the new roles for teachers to support school students' inquiry projects as outlined by Crawford (2000) on QUT Readings and other relevant readings of your own choice. Please read carefully the relevant criteria and standards for this part of the assessment. Genre: There is no specific format that you need to follow. That is, the reflective report does not have to look like or read like a scientific report. It is both a report on the outcomes of the inquiry, as well as your reflections on the experience as a future teacher. This involves engagement with educational literature as well. Choose a format that suits your way of representing the requirements of Part 2.