Mrs. LeBleu Inquiry-Based Sci & S.S.

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Balloon Vibrations

Focus/Wonder Question for the lesson: How could you find out if there are vibrations in the air when we talk to each other? Students exploring vibrations using balloons Students wore labels to act as the speaker, air blobs, and a windshield, gently bumping each other in a chain reaction to model how sound vibrations travel through ai . Exit Ticket Engage As I observed this Grade 4 science lesson, I could tell right away that students were drawn in by the opening question, “What would happen if you screamed in outer space?” Before any materials were introduced, students were already talking, guessing, and reacting to one another’s ideas. From where I was sitting, it felt like a low-pressure entry point where everyone could participate, even if they weren’t completely sure of their thinking. This opening set the tone for students to use language to make predictions and share ideas right away. Explore During the Explore phase, students worked in partner pa...

Marbles!!

This is the complete marble 3 ramp. You can see the 3 different landing zones. This is the collision track, so the students knew where to put the marble that would be receiving the energy from the ramp marble. Before they started the experiment, they had to make predictions of which landing zone the marble would land in. For each round, they had 3 tries. Partners were able to earn 1 point for each time the marble landed in the zone they predicted. This question was posted during the teacher led discussion at the end of the activity before students completed their exit ticket individually. Student Exit Ticket Mystery Science: How Can Marbles Save the World? This week I observed and supported the Mystery Science lesson How Can Marbles Save the World? Students investigated what happens to energy when objects collide by launching marbles down a ramp and observing how energy transfers between objects. The video introduced collisions through everyday e...

Twist-O-Matic

Materials Expereiment stuedents completed to find the differenence between the thin rubber band and thick rubber band, and the work sheet they worked on during their investigations. Lesson Exit Ticket each student completed after the lesson individually. Lesson Context This week, I observed a 4th-grade science lesson from Unit 7: Energy Transformations and Communication. The focus question was: What does energy have to do with movement? Students investigated how stored energy affects motion by building and testing a model amusement park ride called the Twist-o-Matic. Lesson Observation: Engage The lesson began with the question: “Do you think the ‘energy’ used by people and the ‘energy’ used by cars is the same thing? Why or why not?” Students discussed how cars use gasoline and humans use food. The teacher pressed students to explain their reasoning rather than simply agree or disagree. This discussion introduced the idea that energy must come from somewhere and can ...

Ranch Wars

Lesson Context This week, I observed a 4th-grade social studies lesson focused on the Ranch Wars in Colorado. The lesson examined how Colorado’s environment encouraged ranching and farming to develop and how competition for land and resources led to conflict. The guiding question for the lesson was: How did the environment in Colorado encourage ranching and farming to develop in Colorado? Engage The lesson began with the teacher displaying a photograph of longhorn cattle walking through downtown Denver. Students were given quiet think time before participating in a See / Think / Wonder discussion. The teacher used a random name draw to ensure broad participation and asked students to explain what they saw, what they thought was happening, and what they wondered about the image. After the discussion, the teacher explained that the photograph showed a real annual event connected to the National Western Stock Show. Students were asked if they had attended the Stock Show and what they a...

All Aboard!

Lesson Observed: All Aboard! Racing to Build a Railroad Across Colorado This week in my observation classroom, I observed a social studies lesson that followed the 5E instructional model and focused on how Colorado’s physical environment, particularly mountains and rivers, influenced human activities such as building transportation systems. Through a hands-on railroad activity, students explored how Colorado’s mountainous terrain made it challenging to develop rail and road systems needed to move people and goods across the state. This lesson reflected inquiry-based geography instruction where students actively explored how physical environments place constraints on human activity rather than learning about these ideas through lecture alone (Kopp, 2017; National Council for the Social Studies [NCSS], 2017). The guiding question for the lesson was: How did the geography of Colorado affect the development of railroad lines? Standards G2a: Describe how the physical environment provi...

Week 1- Introduction (Bailey LeBleu)

Hello everyone! My name is Bailey LeBleu, and I’m currently the in-building substitute at Silver Creek Elementary while completing my practicum hours in a 4th-grade classroom. I’ve been subbing for about four years, including long-term positions in 5th and 3rd grade, and I’ve spent a lot of time in science and social studies classrooms. One of my biggest takeaways from Week 1 is truly understanding and making stronger connections to inquiry-based learning that I have not only been observing, but also teaching. Even though I’ve seen inquiry in action for years, this week’s readings helped me put clear language and purpose behind instructional practices that always felt especially engaging and meaningful for students. I’ve seen inquiry come to life through discussion and hands-on learning in both science and social studies. When students are able to explore ideas, ask questions, and talk through their thinking, engagement naturally increases and learning feels more meaningful. T...