Grade 12 SCIENCE
SNC4M
Inquiry-based learning
Inquiry learning involves students to pose questions, follow a process to engage with the problem through observations and concepts to reach a conclusion (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013). Pedagogically, learning typically start from structured or guided learning, and moving towards open-ended investigations.
This model of learning allows the student to follow their own curiosity and knowledge in an activity. For the teacher, it allows them to assess "for" learning with a more broader learning from formulating problems to finding the student's own investigative process, a key element of higher-order learning.
Sickle Cell Lab
Specific Expectations
F2.3 investigate, through laboratory inquiry or computer simulation, a recently developed biotechnological method used in the health sector.
Symptoms of sickle cell disease is not apparent for the naked eye. The importance of the sickle cell disease is to be able to identify its existence before a major health complication, such as a stroke or brain damage. With the knowledge of the disease in a patient, preventative measures can be established.
Student handout
Teacher's Solution
Technology: Socrative
This instant-feedback technology is best suited for guided inquiry (Sadeh, Zion, 2012, p 832), since the teacher provides the questions in advance and the students investigate and determine the process and solutions. Since there is a certain degree of knowledge already known by the students, this technological tool is useful for assessing knowledge students would have learnt as an early part of a unit, or as a review near the end of the unit. When done as an open question, rather than a multiple choice one, it may motivate the learners to make use of their greater inquiry skills to ask their own questions (p 322). It does not promote higher-order thinking compared to summative assessments, but can reduce the student's frustration and fear of unknown knowledge (p 833) as they work towards a more independent and open inquiry.
Explorelearning Gizmos
These resources are more guided to open-ended, where the learner explores different factors to obtain different results. It is intended for the learner to be able to be able to reason what they observed as they work towards deeper learning. It may be used in a flipped classroom as the learner is expected to have certain prior knowledge in the unit. For example, the evolution Gizmos assumes the learner has known about alleles and heredity from grade 11.
Biorad labs
Several labs are available, such as DNA fingerprinting, and Cloning and Sequencing
An introduction to DNA fingerprinting
An application with guided inquiry that may be used over several days with gel electrophoresis. Equipment rental may be required.