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Article: Injecting inquiry into photosynthesis investigations.
- Article from:
- Science Scope
- Article date:
- September 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 National Science Teachers Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Photosynthesis and cellular respiration can be daunting for students and teachers alike. The underlying concepts are abstract and often lend themselves to powerful misconceptions (Hershey 2005; Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics 1997). As a middle school teacher, I thought I was doing my part to help my students better understand these concepts by using a multiday laboratory. With help from colleagues, I have now found an even better way. This is the story of how a typical middle school lab was transformed into an open-ended inquiry experience through a few small, but very powerful, changes. By allowing students to follow their own ...