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Seeing the world through a scientist’s eyes

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  • Curriculum more

    Curriculum

    • Grade 3
    • Grade 4
    • Grade 5

    The Inquiry Project takes a unique approach to a study of matter for grades 3-5, bringing together core ideas, scientific practices, and crosscutting concepts...

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    Articles

    • Five Great Reasons for Inquiry
    • What do kids do?
    • Does it have to take three years?
    • Why math in a science curriculum?
    • Do students learn to make graphs?
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  • Assessment more

    Assessment Resources

    Concept Cartoons

    Student Notebooks

    Talk Science Checklist

    Assessment Opportunities

    Assessment for learning, also called formative assessment, is central to The Inquiry Project and provides the means to identify and chart the development of students' scientific ideas as well as to identify obstacles they encounter in their learning.

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    Formative Assessment Cycle

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  • PD for Teachers more

    Implementation
    Workshops

     
     
     

    Onsite Implementation Workshops are grade-specific and designed for teachers new to the Inquiry Project curriculum. These workshops help teachers to become familiar with ...

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    Talk Science PD

     
     
     

    Talk Science PD is a blend of web-based study, opportunities to try ideas in the classroom, and face-to-face study group meetings designed to help teachers ...

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    Notes

    for Teachers

    for School and District Leaders

    for PD Providers

    Library of Resources

  • Research more

    Inquiry Project Research

    The Inquiry Project research investigates students' developing concepts of material, weight, volume density, matter, and states of matter from ages 8-11.

    • Overview
    • Methods
    • Impact

    Talk Science Research

    The Talk Science research investigates how teachers develop their capacity at leading productive science discussions to foster students’ scientific reasoning.

    • Overview
    • Methods
    • Impact
  • About more

    About

    the Inquiry Project

    The Inquiry Project establishes a foundation for developing students’ ideas about matter, a core idea in science. The project is founded on a learning progression for matter and material and brings together research, curriculum, assessment, and profession development.

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    About

    Talk Science

    Talk Science is scalable, web-based professional development to deepen students' scinece understanding through better science discussions. The project project provides a “PD Pathway” to help teachers...

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    About Us

    • Terms of Use
    • Presentations and Reports
    • Contact Us
    Who are we?
    • Inquiry Project Team
    • Talk Science Team

In Professional Development:

  • Talk Science
  • Implementation Workshops
  • Notes
  • Library of Resources

Library of Resources

Talking Points

Image from Talking Point 1

What is Productive Talk

Image from Talking Point 2 video

Why is Talk Important

Image from Talking Point 3

Culture of Talk

Talk Strategies

Image from Strategies Overview

Strategies Overview

Image from Strategies: Share, Expand and Clarify

Share, Expand, Clarify

Image from Strategies: Listen Carefully

Listen Carefully

Image from Strategies: Deepen Their Reasoning

Deepen Their Reasoning

Image from Strategies: Think With Others

Think With
Others

Scientist Cases

Grade 4 Video Cases

Photograph of Michael Haritos - Grade 4 Scientist Case 1: Observing Rocks

Under Foot

Photograph of Chris Swan - Grade 4 Scientist Case 2: Comparing Materials

Heavy for Size

Photograph of Linda Grisham - Grade 4 Scientist Case 3: Liquid Volume

Liquid Materials

Photograph of Roger Tobin - Grade 4 Scientist Case 4: Solid Volume

Mineral Materials

 

Grade 5 Video Cases

Place holder image for Grade 5 Scientist Case 1

Mini-Lakes

Image from Grade 5 Scientist Case 2: Roger Tobin

Water to Vapor

Image from the Grade 5 Scientist Case: Water to Ice, Hugh Gallagher

Water to Ice

Photograph of Lindley Winslow - Grade 5, Scientist Case: The Air, A Gas Investigations

Air, a Gas

Classroom Cases

Grade 3 Video Cases

Screenshot from Grade 3 Classroom Case 1

It's All About Listening

Screenshot from Grade 3 Classroom Case 2

Listening
to Ideas

Screenshot from Grade 3 Classroom Case 3

Reason from Evidence

Screenshot from Grade 3 Classroom Case 4

Surprising Ideas

 

Grade 4 Video Cases

Screenshot from Grade 4 Classroom Case 1

Eliciting Ideas

Screenshot from Grade 4 Classroom Case 2

Discussing Data

Screenshot from Grade 4 Classroom Case 3

Consolidating Learning

Photograph of Roger Tobin - Grade 4 Scientist Case 4: Solid Volume

Explaining Why

 

Grade 5 Video Cases

Screenshot from Grade 5 Classroom Case 1

Elicitation

Screenshot from Grade 5 Classroom Case 2

Explanation

Screenshot from Grade 5 Classroom Case 3

Data

Screenshot from Grade 5 Classroom Case 4

Consolidation

Additional Resources

Talk Science Primer Icon
Talk Moves Icon
Screenshot from Video Introduction to the Inquiry Curriculum Video Intro to Curriculum

Video Intro to Curriculum


National Science Foundation

A joint partnership of

Terc Tufts

The Inquiry Project: Seeing the world through a scientist’s eyes

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Alignment with the NRC Science Framework and NGSS

Supported by the National Science Foundation, grant #0918435A.
Copyright 2011, TERC. All Rights Reserved.