Refining the Why?
Turning Student Questions into Research
by Jennifer Shirk (2001 - 2003 Fellow)
and Christa Salmon, 7th grade teacher, Lansing Middle School

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Too often students don't realize that science is a process of questioning... and that their own interests and curiosities, with careful consideration, can be looked at as scientific endeavors. This lesson introduces students to the practice of scientific inquiry, in a research context, using a guided approach to balance and maximize both student input and teacher control. Originally designed with Christa Salmon at Lansing Middle School to fit within her 7th grade unit on the Human Body, the concepts and structure of this lesson can be applied to any subject matter about which students ask questions from their own observations and experiences.