9. Extended Questions
a. What happens if the polar ice caps melt?
Although I doubt this will ever happen, if the polar ice caps melt, the potential for famine and lost property would be more than we could ever imagine. The Earth’s entire climate would change, including average air temperature and water temperature. This would set off a huge domino effect that would be potentially catastrophic with many plant and animal species becoming extinct. Some scientists believe this could happen as soon as 2030 if changes do not occur to the emission of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. If the world’s largest glaciers, located in the Antarctic, completely melt, worldwide flooding would occur.
b. What other questions do you have about this Science Inquiry Experience?
Would it be too much to argue both sides of the issue? Having students look at global warming from both sides of the coin could spur some very good debates and conversations. We are asked to encourage disagreements in class, and I'm sure this would be a great topic for students to research, argue, and defend.
Science standards reform all point toward teaching through science inquiry. This would definitely be a positive change to what we have today. As we begin to focus our lessons toward science inquiry, we are left with a challenging dilemma: How are we to teach through inquiry, which include a lot of observations, investigations, and hands-on activities, while making sure our students master the ever growing number of content standards set by each state? Don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of teaching through science inquiry, but find it almost an impossibility to teach each lesson in that matter.
Julius,
ReplyDeleteI think you brought up the whole dilemma of teaching science today. The expectation our school systems and state have for us is to meet or even more so to exceed the standardized test criteria based on the state standards. With the time allotted to science in the classroom, I feel there is hardly enough time to teach the standards, more less to teach using an inquiry-based fashion, which inevitably takes longer. In order for us to create true STEM students, we need the whole paradigm to shift. The focus should be on allowing students to become problem solvers, not just students able to memorize information.
Also, I love the idea to have your students research and debate the issue of global warming. Healthy debates are great!