Structured Inquiry Lesson~

For my structured inquiry lesson I taught a lesson called, A Radioactive Dating Model. This lesson gives students an idea of how the process of radioactive dating works by using a model that explains parts of the process. Students will have completed a previous lesson on radioactive dating which introduced what radioactive dating is and how scientists use it for fossils and rocks. It also introduced basic vocabulary including fossils, different types of fossils, and relative dating. By completing this lesson students will be able to describe the process of radioactive dating and how the model is similar is similar to the decay of a radioactive element, create a graph using data from the experiment, and explain the similarities between the model and radioactive dating.

To complete this activity, students were given 100 pennies and a box with a lid to demonstrate radioactive decay in an element. First, students made sure all 100 pennies were face up. Then, they would shake the box of pennies for ten seconds.  After shaking the box, students would remove any pennies that were tails up. After they graphed their data they were to compare their graph to a real graph that showed radioactive decay of an element. Students loved having the opportunity to make lots of noise and were actively engaged in filling out their graphic organizer.

By doing an inquiry lesson with this class I noticed after reviewing student work, looking back on student participation and the percentage of students that completed their homework this style of teaching is very successful. I misjudged the level of understanding of all my students on how to fill out the graphic organizer, and how the model they completed compares to radioactive dating. I re-taught the lesson the next day walking students through how each section of the graphic organizer is filled out and what information is expected to be there. We also looked at their graphs and compared them to a real radioactive element. Pictured below is an example of a student’s completed graphic organizer with their original lab and their revised lab.

From completing this lesson I learned to take each lesson step by step and to work together as a class. Doing this will allow me to make sure all students are understanding the lesson, they can hear about what other groups are doing and what their results are, and it will keep up the classes motivation and curiosity (Laureate Education, 2010). I will have students continue to complete this graphic organizer as we continue to complete labs to continue reviewing what goes into each section and it will also help me check the understanding of each student. Overall it was a very successful lesson and students walked out of class with a better understanding of radioactive dating is and how it works.

Resources:

 Laureate Education Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). Science Inquiry: Classroom

          Demonstration.Baltimore, MD: Author.