Authentic Inquiry Lab Project

The teacher candidate will convert a standard cookbook lab into an authentic inquiry-oriented lab exercise using provided resources and specific guidelines. The standard cookbook lab will be provided by the course instructor, but options for other cookbook labs will be available. The quality of the written lab guidelines will be assessed using a scoring rubric.

Steps to completing this project:

1. Carefully read and attempt to understand the four following items:

• Contrasting Cookbook with Inquiry-Oriented Labs (in all the gory detail; see the next item for a simplification)
• Key Differences: Cookbook versus Inquiry Labs
• Levels of Inquiry (article); Levels of Inquiry (PowerPoint to be used in class discussion only)
• Converting Cookbook Labs into Inquiry Labs

2. Carefully examine the Inquiry Lab Model Guidelines below for examples of expected work.

• Introduction to Vernier's Graphical Analysis
• Freefall
• Momentum and Energy

3. Download the file The Empirical Basis of Kinetic Energy and convert this article into a set of inquiry lab guidelines. Submit your draft and final versions of the lab guidelines to the course instructor by the stated deadlines. Please note that there will be an in-class discussion about the work of the entire class on this project prior to the final deadline. The final submission will be scored with the Inquiry Lab Scoring Rubric.