Inquiry Using Student-made Models

One of the things I worry about when I introduce a new model to my students is whether it will hinder learning more than it will help clarify meaning. This article explains model-based inqu... See More

One of the things I worry about when I introduce a new model to my students is whether it will hinder learning more than it will help clarify meaning. This article explains model-based inquiry (MBI) which approaches using models from a different angle – the students create their own models rather than the teacher introducing a model to them. The authors explain how to teach this strategy using what they call an easy-to-follow road map. The road map has 3 places to visit: a modeling site, an iterations stop, and a focused-inquiry destination. This approach has our students creating their own models based on their current understandings. Then they use their models to share their knowledge and determine what they still do not understand about a concept. Next they design investigations that will allow them to collect data that will better inform their conceptions/knowledge. Finally, they revisit their models to refine, edit and revise them and to incorporate any new insights they have obtained. Buoyancy is the concept used to explain the MBI process. The article includes a chart called the “Buoyancy Model Guidelines and Rubric”. It could easily be revised and used for other science concepts.