Process Page for Water Inquiry Project

Small-Group Inquiry Model For Inquiry Project

Stage Teacher Role Student Role
Immerse
Invite curiosity, build background,
surround with materials, modeling,
thinking-aloud


1. Bring a big picture showing
thirsty people and ask students
to help them find water.
2. Guide students through the
water inquiry task.
3. Group students into three groups
according to their levels and try
to include different levels in
each group.
4. Have each group students to do
graffiti at their table about what
they know about water. Then
invite them to share five tops
things about water in big circle.
5. Demonstrate I SeeI WonderI
Know strategy with the book: All
the water in the world By George Ella
Lyon and Katherine Tillotson
2011.When reading, point to the
word and read aloud for those
ELL students.
6. Display all the books around for
this learning unit and invite
students to go around and look at
them.
get to know our water inquiry
unit task
be ready and excited to learn
more about water
graffiti in their group about
prior water knowledge
share top five things about water
learn and practice I SeeI
WonderI Know strategy with
teacher and with group members
remember which group they
belong to among the three
research groups
get familiar with books for this
learning unit
work on one book using I SeeI
WonderI Know strategy

7. Invite each group students to
choose one other book from our
book lists and finish the I SeeI
WonderI Know chart
together.





Investigate
Develop questions, search for information,
discover answers, modeling strategies,
guide discussions, conferring

1. Use a big piece of paper to write
down WATER and lead students
through I-Chart strategy, using
this website:
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/
2. Build up three stations and each
research group rotate the
stations (please see resources
for materials list). Collect all the
charts and journals after
stations:
a. Pair students within their
group (high student with low
student) and each pair or
threesome will choose one
more different book from
our list to read. They must
finish and share I SeeI
WonderI Know chart. This
is the third time they

Watch teacher how to use I-
chart strategy
Get familiar with three stations
Rotate among the three stations:
Read one more book and use I
SeeI WonderI Know chart
Develop own questions about
water and then create I-chart
with teachers help
Select one of the water
experiment and do it
Write a short journal about
water experiment
Collaborate with own classmates
as well as upper grade students
Learn how to appropriately use
digital tools for learning needs
Try to get exit ticket from
teacher
practice this strategy.
b. Help students to develop
their own group I-chart with
the websites and videos
provided. I will demonstrate
them how to use digital tools
for researching and not
going to the wrong website.
I-pads or computer station
are available in our class for
them to do research.
c. Third station is hands-on
station, aiming for catering
for multiple learning needs.
Students can choose one
experiment from the list
(see this list in Resources) to
do about water and write a
journal about it.
3. Invite upper grade students to
join in our stations, in order to
help those lower students and
challenge those higher ones.
4. Play the video for Water Cycle
by Firefax Water website. Each
time stop when one question is
raised. This Video includes three
subtitles. Study the first part
this time about waters three
states: liquid, solid and gas.
5. Check students understanding by
exit ticket:

How water changes?
What three states water can
be in?
At which temperature does
water change in each case?
Did you see water change
before? Tell me about it.


Stage Teacher Role Student Role
Coalesce
Intensify research, synthesize information,
modeling organization and evaluating
sources, identify key ideas, conferring

1. Finish watching the second and
third part of water cycle video
on Firefax website. While
watching, students will finish
another self-generated I-chart
2. Lead students to sing water cycle
song and draw the process of
water cycle together
3. Demonstrate my example of
water guide. Mainly emphasize
the format of water guide: one
page of introduction, one page of
contents (investigated items
about water), and five pages of
details about water facts,
including at last one page of
diagram about water cycle.
4. When demonstrating, I explain to


Watch water cycle video
Generate I-chart and finish it
Sing and draw water cycle
process
Watch closely about teachers
demonstration of making the
water guide
Read teachers comments on
their charts and journals
Use their findings in graffiti, I
SeeI WonderI Know chart, I
chart, experiment journal and
teacher comments
Use teachers content suggestion
as necessary
Compile a water guide, following
teachers format
them how I used my graffiti, I
SeeI WonderI Know chart, I
chart and experiment journal to
create this water guide.
5. Modeling with students how to
write one or two paragraphs
introduction about water
6. Gather students ideas of
possible contents items and
distribute a suggested list to
them afterwards
7. Go over one page sample of
contents. Explicitly tell them how
to write statements and do
illustrations, as well as cite the
sources informally.
8. Invite students to introduce
another sample page of contents
about title, statements,
illustrations and references.
9. Demonstrate students the water
cycle page briefly.
10. Give students a blank writing
book and all the charts and
journals with some feedbacks.
Have them use their findings in
graffiti, two strategy charts, one
experiment journal and teachers
comments to compile a brief
water guide. Give students
Make sure everyone has a role in
the collaboration process
content items suggestions.
11. Give students plenty of time to
finish this work and require each
group member to participate in
the work process. Observe & jot
down anecdotal notes while
students working. Help them
when needed.


Go Public
Share learning, demonstrate learning in a
variety of ways, understand, reflect, create
new questions

1. Sing water cycle song together
with students
2. Demonstrate students how to use
document station/overhead
projector to do the presentation
with my water guide.
3. Show students how to use 3-2-1
strategy chart to rate my
presentation and water guide.
4. Invite the three groups of
students to present their water
guide in turn. While one group is
presenting, the other two groups
of students will listen carefully
and fill out the 3-2-1 strategy
chart for the presenting group.
5. Make copies of 3-2-1 filled out
chart for students and

Sing water cycle song and get
excited about learning
Watch teachers modeling of
using document station/overhead
projector
Watch teacher modeling 3-2-1
strategy form
Each group take turns to
demonstrate their water guide
by document station/overhead
projector
Finish 3-2-1 strategy chart while
listening to others presentation
Make changes with feedbacks
from peers
Read peers work in the hall way
and celebrate their learning
products
demonstrate how to use the
feedbacks to make changes for
their water guide.
6. Demonstrate students final
water guide in the hall way page
by page for others to look at and
to celebrate their findings.