Teaching Inquiry with Teaching Inquiry with Insects and AnimalsInsects and Animals

Tiffany Heng-MossTiffany Heng-Moss

Department of EntomologyDepartment of EntomologyUniversity of NebraskaUniversity of Nebraska

Insects in the Insects in the ClassroomClassroom

Great model organism for teaching Great model organism for teaching life science concepts and science life science concepts and science process skillsprocess skills

Insects in the ClassroomInsects in the Classroom

Relatively Relatively inexpensive to inexpensive to rearrear

Easy to maintainEasy to maintain

Short life cyclesShort life cycles

Young learns are Young learns are fascinated with fascinated with insectsinsects

Insects in the ClassroomInsects in the Classroom

Huge impact on human societyHuge impact on human society

- damage crops and urban structures- damage crops and urban structures

- transmit diseases- transmit diseases

- recycle organic matter- recycle organic matter

- pollinate crops- pollinate crops

- influence art, music, and literature- influence art, music, and literature

Insects in the ClassroomInsects in the Classroom

Practical reasonsPractical reasons- few people object to - few people object to

dissecting insectsdissecting insects

- increase in animal - increase in animal welfare concernswelfare concerns

- few restrictions on - few restrictions on insects insects

- studied both indoors - studied both indoors and outdoorsand outdoors

Scientific MethodScientific Method• Observation: opportunity for students to Observation: opportunity for students to make their own observationsmake their own observations

• Question: ask questionsQuestion: ask questions

• Hypothesis: predict what the answer to a Hypothesis: predict what the answer to a question might be (make sure testable)question might be (make sure testable)

• Methods: carry out the experiment & Methods: carry out the experiment & gather gather datadata

• Results: state what happenedResults: state what happened

• Conclusion: was your hypothesis Conclusion: was your hypothesis confirmed or confirmed or not, propose explanations not, propose explanations

Important Things to Remember Important Things to Remember when Conducting an Inquirywhen Conducting an Inquiry

• ReplicateReplicate

• Variability in results Variability in results

– – small changes in environmental small changes in environmental conditions can make a differenceconditions can make a difference

- behaviors can vary among - behaviors can vary among individual individual animalsanimals

• Test only one variableTest only one variable

Ways to do Scientific InquiriesWays to do Scientific Inquiries

• Structured InquiryStructured Inquiry-Students engaged in hands-on activityStudents engaged in hands-on activity-Follow precise instructions from teacherFollow precise instructions from teacher

• Guided InquiryGuided Inquiry-Teacher chooses question to investigateTeacher chooses question to investigate-Students develop procedures for Students develop procedures for investigationinvestigation

• Student-Initiated InquiryStudent-Initiated Inquiry-Students generate questionsStudents generate questions-Design their own investigationDesign their own investigation