EDUC 5153- CHALLENGE #2- Scientific Inquiry

 Scientific Inquiry

I am an English and history teacher.  I love reading, studying, researching, and writing.  However, all middle school and high school students are required to also study math and science.  In order to be well-rounded people, we need to know at least a little bit about how the world works and how to use math in a variety of situations.

In one of the mandatory science classes I had to take as a middle school student, we completed a unit on hydroponics.  Hydroponics is “the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil” (USDA, n.d.).  Essentially, hydroponics for me meant trying to grow potato plants in water

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I remember that the unit started with lessons that reviewed the basics of photosynthesis.  We discussed chlorophyll, light, and how plants use carbon dioxide and water in order to create food.  We did worksheets and colored plant cells.  I remember labeling the parts of the cell and drawing squiggly lines that represented the sunlight racing toward the plant.  We then talked about what was absolutely necessary for plants to produce food.  The only elements of the process of photosynthesis that we found to be essential were water, light, and carbon dioxide.

This became our hypothesis:  plants are capable of producing their own food and growing if water, light, and carbon dioxide are present.  Now, it is highly probable that I am not quoting our hypothesis word for word, but the concept is still there.  My group and I thought that we could grow plants with only those three elements.  

It is rather astonishing that I remember as much as I do from this science lesson.  I was in middle school decades ago, but I can still recall specific details from the plant unit we completed in Mr. Perry’s 8th grade advanced science course.  And, that is the beauty of scientific inquiry; we can retain more of what we learn and understand it at a deeper level. Scientific inquiry is “a systematic approach that gives structure to the seemingly boundless landscape of natural phenomena” (Zhu, 2025).   

When we use scientific inquiry as teachers or students, we experience the topic, concept, or question rather than just encountering it.  “The true essence of scientific inquiry lies in valuing the journey of discovery” (Zhu, 2025).  I did not learn the lessons on photosynthesis; I discovered the lessons.  I experienced the process.  In French, experience and experiment are the same word:  expérience.  When we conduct an experiment, we experience the process and the exercise.  We gain knowledge through the experience.

The Experiment

After we completed the background learning, the teacher posed a question.  While I cannot remember the exact question, it was something to the effect of, “Can you grow plants without dirt?”  We had already decided that only water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight were needed in order for something to grow, but we needed to put that hypothesis to the test.  

The experiment was straightforward.  We were to buy 3 potatoes.  We were then supposed to fill up 3 glasses of water.  These glasses needed to be large enough to hold a potato.  We used toothpicks stuck in the sides of the potatoes to hold the top half above the water line.  The bottom half of the potato was left in the water in hopes that it would grow roots.

We then placed one glass in a dark spot like a cabinet.  One glass was placed in a window that got moderate sun.  The final glass was placed in a window that received plenty of sunlight throughout the day.  We watched the plants over a month-long period, and we recorded our observations.  By the end of the month, the potato in full sun was sprouting, the potato in partial sun was growing roots, and the potato in the dark cabinet had no significant changes.

Therefore, my hypothesis was proven correct.  My plants could live with water, light, and carbon dioxide. 

Key Takeaways

We learn by doing.  Hands-on activities can help students retain information for much longer than if they were to just memorize facts and processes.  This method of learning helps our brains hold on to information that might otherwise go unused after a quiz or exam.  Honestly, I can’t believe that I still remember hydroponics, but I am convinced that scientific inquiry played a key role in keeping that knowledge in my memory.  

This challenge has definitely changed my perspective on how knowledge is acquired.  I would love to find ways to incorporate scientific inquiry into my 7th grade English class.  My students are very diverse, and it is sometimes difficult to meet all of their needs.  I am going to research how to use scientific inquiry in a middle school ELA class.

References

USDA. “Hydroponics | National Agricultural Library.” Www.nal.usda.gov, 2024, www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/hydroponics.

Zhu, Mila. Multimodal Instructional Strategies: Dances with Shackles in Learning Communities. Dubuque, IA, Kendall Hunt, 2025.

EDUC 5153 Challenge 1

Challenge #1 EDUC 5153   

I love my job.  I really do.  However, the longer I teach, the more pep talks I have to give myself. With each extra year, I begin counting down the number of days until breaks earlier.  And, with every passing semester, I wonder what I will do when teaching becomes too much for me to handle.

 

These mantras make up an almost daily routine for me and countless other teachers.  We have to psych ourselves up to do a job that used to give us great joy.  Actually, the job itself still fulfills us, but the extra responsibilities, duties, and expectations wear us down and wear us out.

Stereotypes

On top of all that, we have to deal with a never-ending litany of stereotypes that have so permeated the fiber of our society, all of the well wishes and heart-felt platitudes of the Covid years are a distant memory.  During the 2020-2021 school year, my students’ parents sent me gifts and handwritten notes thanking me for all that I do for their children.  Now, even my best friend says things like, “It must be nice to have all those days off in the summer.”  When it is someone that I know well like a friend or family member, I often respond with a weak laugh and a change of subject.

However, if it is someone with whom I have a more professional relationship like a student’s parent, I typically respond with an explanation.  My first year teaching advanced academics was littered with warped parent perceptions of my job.  They would make comments about my pay and how I only worked part of the year but got paid for the entire 12 months.  (It was almost like they were trying to assert dominance or authority over the new advanced teacher.)    I calmly explained to them that I actually get paid by the number of days that I work; I do not get paid for the days I have off in the summer or at Christmas.  My pay is simply spread out over 12 months instead of 10.  This logic effectively nullifies that stereotype and that line of parent questioning.

In addition to the stereotypes assigned to teachers by parents and the rest of society, school administrators sometimes have their own stereotypes of teachers.  My administrative team assigned all teachers with 1st period conferences an additional morning duty.  The lead assistant principal said that they were worried that teachers with first period conferences would constantly be late to school.  My response has been to consistently show up on time.  I have also communicated with my administration team and advocated for myself.  I have requested to not have a 1st period conference again, and I have asked for support for all 1st period conference teachers.  We do not need additional duties simply because of our assigned conference.  It’s a shame that even other people in the field of education think that teachers are lazy.

Growth of New Media Platforms

New media platforms are helping to clarify these stereotypes and making the situation worse.   On the positive side, TikTok and YouTube creators make videos that shine a light on the daily plight of teachers. For example, Bored Teachers, a YouTube channel, posted a video titled “Teaching Vs. Non-Teaching Jobs” (Bored Teachers, 2024).  In this video, skits compare what it is like to be a teacher and what it is like to have a regular job.  These videos and videos like them make it clear that teachers are overworked and underpaid.  They help break down the stereotype that teachers get paid too much and work too little.

On the other side of the issue, platforms like Facebook make it very easy for anyone and everyone to rant about teachers, schools, and district policies.  A Facebook friend of mine recently called a teacher out in a post.  Her son suffers from ADHD, and he frequently gets in trouble in class. My friend was frustrated that the teacher didn’t understand that some kids have trouble being quiet; however she also could not fathom why the teacher didn’t force other kids to be quiet so that her son could focus.  The teacher was portrayed as incompetent, and the stereotype that teachers should do more to earn their money was fortified.  Everyone supported this friend and her paradoxical tirade.

The growth of new media platforms seems to both help and hurt the cause of teachers.  While some stereotypes are being torn down, others are being reinforced.

Students in the Web 2.0 Era

My students are in the 7th grade.  At 13-years old, students can legally have various social media accounts; however, much research has been done on internet use and how that affects students’ minds.  The Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) states, “Adolescent social media use is predictive of a subsequent decrease in life satisfaction for certain developmental stages including for girls 11–13 years old and boys 14–15 years old” (2023).  I see this in my classroom every day.  Students feel like they continually have to be perfect, beautiful, handsome, smart, and funny. 

 Four years ago, I had a student named Lily.  She was in my 7th grade English class, but she was absent for three weeks during the fall semester.  During that time, Lily was in a mental hospital because she was suicidal and bulimic.  She was a popular girl, a cheerleader, and an advanced student.  However, Lily compared herself to everyone she saw on social media.  In her mind, she was never as thin as her teammates.  She felt dumb in comparison to her classmates, and she was embarrassed by her middle class, ordinary home life.  I am happy to report that I saw Lily this week at the grocery store, and she is doing well.

Yet, even with success stories like Lily, teachers still face many challenges in supporting students’ intellectual and social/emotional development.  Teachers must find ways to combat FOMO (the fear of missing out), the tendency to compare our real lives to the highlight reels of others, and the constant pressure to be the best and do the best.

In order to fight this battle in a small way, we have a lot of personal, face-to-face discussions in my class.  As real people, we talk with real people. I also ask students to compare literature to their lives.  Even fictional characters aren’t perfect!  How can we (as nonfictional people) ever hope to never mess up or always come out a winner.  That may sound negative, but it is actually freeing.

As teachers or as students, all we ever need to be is the best version of ourselves.  Everyday, I strive to remind my students of that truth, and I strive to remind myself of that as well.  

References

Bored Teachers. “Teaching vs Non-Teaching Jobs.” YouTube, 30 Oct. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nt4-dLTw3k. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). “Social Media Has Both Positive and Negative Impacts on Children and Adolescents.” Www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, US Department of Health and Human Services, 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK594763/.