YEARS 7–12 IDEAS FOR THE CLASSROOM
Using Cultures of Thinking to Promote an Inquiry-based
Approach in Stage-4 Geology
By Nicolette Wheaton
In 2017 I had an article published in SEN about the overwhelming
benefits of using Project Zero and a culture of thinking to promote
inquiry in Science. A suite of routines and strategies is offered
by Project Zero to educators, and to encourage students to
use higher-order critical thinking skills, whilst also assisting
teachers to create a supportive and safe environment. I have
been very descriptive in the implementation of two such routines
and strategies in my lesson outline below. Many teachers use
strategies similar to these, but developing a culture of thinking has
quite a specific language set, and scaffolded way of introducing
routines; this is what makes them so successful in engaging
students to become critical thinkers. I do not have a formal academic background in Geology, but
having travelled with the Mars Society of Australia and NASA on
Spaceward Bound Expeditions (please find relevant websites
at the end of this article) I have become reasonably obsessed
with geological formations on Earth and what they are able to tell
us about similar formations observed on Mars. Scientists from a
broad range of areas (astrobiology, astropaleontology, robotics
and spectroscopy, to name a few) are then able to utilise this
information to develop a history of early Mars. What did it look
like? Was there life? What could these life forms have looked
like? Students already have a natural fascination with space
exploration, so, for me, this is the hook I use to really engage
students in Geology.
Dendrite fossils found within shale or slate. A crater on planet Earth.
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 2