Transform cookbook labs to inquiry

In a change of course from cookbook laboratory exercises to an inquiry approach that engages students, the authors focus on adaptation principles that focus on questions, evidence, explanati... See More

In a change of course from cookbook laboratory exercises to an inquiry approach that engages students, the authors focus on adaptation principles that focus on questions, evidence, explanation, and communication. The students are challenged to use their own ideas to come up with ideas and explanations, design experimental procedures of their own, and observe, analyze, and communicate their results. Repeating the process encourages an even deeper understanding. This article focuses on a cookbook lab investigating the rusting of a nail; the approach could be applied to any number of traditional lab exercises.