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

Engage While observing this Grade 4 science lesson, I immediately noticed how the teacher used curiosity rather than directions to launch learning. The lesson began with a flashlight that would not turn on. A student tried to make it work, and when it didn’t, the teacher asked the class what they thought could be done. Students eagerly shared ideas and predictions, using language to explain their thinking before being told anything about circuits or energy. Explore During the Explore phase, students were given a challenge: figure out how to get energy from a battery to a light bulb. Working in partner pairs, students were provided materials but no directions on how to use them. As I observed, students experimented through trial and error, talked through ideas, and adjusted their designs based on what they noticed. Some attempts worked, others didn’t, but students stayed engaged and continued testing. Once students successfully lit the bulb, they were asked to draw a picture of what ...

  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...

  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...

 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 ...