Reaching Out To Seek Answers

Last week in Grade 3/4 we continued our investigation to search for answers and information to help us discover what rocks, mineral and soil types there are in Saskatchewan, where they are located and how they are formed.  We practiced the skill of reading for information in non-fiction books, and using key words and advanced search features to help us locate information on the Internet.  Though the students gained good experience and found a fair amount of information, we struggled to locate enough information and resources that were at a reading level suitable for Grade 3/4 students. 

In casual conversations with colleagues about our inquiry process and the work we we have been doing with our students, we were lead to some new sources including a Grade 7 Saskatchewan Science text book with a whole chapter dedicated to rocks, minerals and soil.  Though at a more advanced reading level, we found that the map and charts would be useful to our students.  In addition, after talking with family and friends, Tamzen connected with the girlfriend of her cousin who is an archaeologist in Alberta who studies soil.  With just a few quick calls and emails we had a scientist on the Skype line and the students were listening to her explain about soil types and were asking her about their wonders.  The engagement of the students was amazing...students couldn't jot down the information fast enough.  By the end of the call students were able to explain how soil is layered, about the ages of the layers, what you can tell about soil by it's colour, soil composition and even how a soil particle analyser works!

The learning for me, (and hopefully for the students as well) was that though we can find great information and seek answers to our questions in books, and on the Internet, that our human connections and contacts are also a very valuable source, one that I tend to forget about and need to access more in all areas of my teaching.  There are experts all around us, and they can provide us with new understanding, just as well (and sometimes even better) than a book or the Internet can.  This was a good reminder for me to reach out and to teach students to reach out when seeking information!

~Steph

Searching for Answers

This week, our grade two/three class set out to find answers for some of our initial questions about the rainforest. Last week, we classified the many questions that came out of our immersion activities. Eight categories of questions emerged. The students chose the category that interested them the most, and then, working in small groups, identified the specific question they wanted to investigate. My teaching partner and I thought this seemed like a natural time for a couple of explicit lessons on where and how to search for answers.

The small groups discovered facts such as...
...the tallest tree in the rainforest can be over 76 meters
...the accumulated rainfall in the rainforest is over four meters
...the largest flower is 1 meter wide
...the capybara is the animal they consider the strangest
...200,000 people live in the rainforest
...animals sleep wherever they live

They students learned that books, data bases and search engines are only useful if we narrow our searches with key words. One student said that key words are like using the table of contents and the index at the same time.  They also learned that they often have to try more than one source to find an answer, that some of the answers are in their heads (It was up to them to decide which animal they felt was the strangest), that we may not find the answers to our questions (How do people build their homes?) and finally that some of our answers lead to new questions (How tall is 76 meters?)

I was delighted to watch my students dig into their investigations. They were persistent and supported each other to be strategic in their searches. It was fun to watch one group working with a meter stick in the main hallway to figure out how tall 76 meters would be, while another group called out excitedly as they discovered their answers.  It was also gratifying to see more than one student stumble on photographs and information about the destruction of the rainforest, which is where we hoped our investigation would lead.

As we plan for the next, deeper part of the investigation, I know I will need to continue to teach them how to refine their searches and how to read nonfiction text to find information. I would also like to move towards having them reflect about the inquiry process so they can begin to consolidate their understanding of the process.

Mrs. Champ's Reflections (Classroom Teacher)

This process continues to challenge me to think about my practice.  Which comes first process or content?  What are my ultimate goals for my students?

Last weekend, as I began to plan for the week ahead I began to panic. I am a linear teacher who likes to make a list, work methodically and get things done.  This process is many things, but it is certainly not linear. When I looked at our circuitous process,  I felt as if my class was not moving towards my curricular expectations.  So, after a quick, "oh my goodness what am I doing?" email to my teacher librarian I revisited the list of outcomes and understandings we had set out at the beginning of the unit. 

As I read through our Language Arts I felt reassured that we were on track.  My students were learning to read for information, monitor their understanding and use text features to locate information on digital and print resources. They were learning to ask questions before, during and after they read. They had already written sentences, jot notes and paragraphs.  They had represented their understandings in a diagram.  We were meeting our Language Arts outcomes with authentic, engaging text. Hooray - I didn't have to worry about language arts.

It is when I shifted my focus to science that I felt less certain about our process. My unit is attempting to address the following science outcomes:

• AN2.1 Analyse the growth and development of familiar animals, including birds, fish, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, during their life cycles.
• PL3.1 Investigate the growth and development of plants, including the conditions necessary for germination.
• AN2.3 Assess the interdependence of humans and animals in natural and constructed environments.
• PL3.2 Analyse the interdependence among plants, individuals, animals and society

I know for certain our investigation will take us to the outcomes that address interdependence. As my students begin to express their outrage at the deforestation they have begun to read about, I know we are on our way to  constructing deep understanding about how plants, animals and society are connected. 

The growth and development outcomes are more challenging. These outcomes address a specific knowledge base the students need to acquire.  In the past, I would have addressed the animal outcome with a research report and I would have addressed the plant outcome with hands on investigations. These would have been explicit, teacher directed activities. So, how do I address this content knowledge within our process?  When I suggested to the students maybe we needed to become experts on specific plants and animals to understand the impact of humans on the rainforest they were eager to study the animals, but the idea of researching plants was met with a chorus of groans.  This was a red flag for me. They had been so engaged.  Was I hijacking their process by steering it towards the content I wanted?  Was my narrow view of how I taught the content in the past interfering with our inquiry process?  Was the goal of my unit to teach the specific content or was it to develop their ability to inquire? Could they learn content and process at the same time?

I have not resolved this conflict yet. The thoughtful conversations I have had with my colleagues about my dilemma have helped me begin to sort out my thinking.  My students need this content knowledge to provide the evidence for the strong opinions they are expressing about deforestation. The outcome is important. But, everything does not need to be part of our investigation.  If I need to teach a specific, content based lesson outside of the inquiry, I can.  Our inquiry can shift between investigations and explicit instruction.

I also need to trust my students and their questions. On Friday, one of my students passionately shared her learning about trees and soil.  "Did you know that the soil in the rainforest is only this deep? (gesturing with her hands to show about 30 cm.) That's why all those trees have roots on top of the soil. That's where their food is. If the tree gets cut down all the rain will wash away the soil.  Then what will happen? Will the whole rainforest wash away?" The class erupted in outrage!   I smiled to myself thinking "hmmm, root systems, growth and development of plants... I think I just found my opening for an explicit lesson."

Digging Deep

Digging Deep

This week the grade ¾ class began “digging deep” to find and select resources around their questions: what are the different types of rocks, minerals, and soil in Saskatchewan? The class was divided into three focus groups: rocks, minerals, and soil and each student used a graphic organizer to: write down why a book/website was worth investigating, record jot notes, and to site their sources.

A grade 3 student shares her search process below:

Preparing for Investigating

“The web is the go-to tool for answers, images and interactions. But even as online resources expand exponentially, making us info-seekers drool over the possibilities, the complications, the confusions, and uncertainties of Internet research also seem to be multiplying daily”( Harvey & Daniels, 2009).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2595497078/sizes/z/in/photostream/

To ensure that our students were prepared for this arduous task we modeled and pre-taught:

• How to research a question by identifying key words and synonyms
• How to know if a source is accurate and reliable
• Differences between databases, reference materials, and search engines
• Google Advanced search options such as reading level
• Using pictures to understand
• Reading and scanning online text-features

An “ah ha” Moment

Beyond some of the fundamental search skills that our students learned it was interesting to see how our students went beyond just finding the answer. It was during this phase that they realized inquiry isn’t about finding an “answer” but rather it requires them to think about what they have discovered, make connections to what they already know and to find out more about what they don’t know. As was illustrated in the clip above, the students found what some of the soil was in Saskatchewan but they didn’t know what it meant let alone pronounce it correctly.  They were able to identify that they would have to go back to check for understanding and repurpose their search process.  Lastly, they realized that they were not collecting facts in isolation. When they discovered the different types of minerals in Saskatchewan, they also found out information around where the minerals were located and some uses as well. The big picture is starting to come together.

This blog post is cross posted from http://upcycledlibrarian.wordpress.com/

References

Harvey, S., & Daniels, H. (2009). Comprehension & collaboration: Inquiry circles in action. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.