Inquiry-Based Learning

 This past week we completed our inquiry-based learning labs. I chose to do my lesson on sources of energy. Students were broken up into groups and then chose a specific source to research (i.e. solar, geothermal, etc.). After researching the source that they selected, groups reported their findings to the class, including the pros, cons, and cost for the source.

My biggest takeaway from this lesson was that inquiry-based learning takes time. If I were to recreate this activity with my actual students, I would give them much longer to research multiple energy sources and compare them to find what they believe is the best option. When deciding what topic I wanted to do this lesson on, I struggled to find something that I could adapt to do in a 20 minute time frame. Even in a regular 42 minute period, I think it would be difficult to capture all of the benefits from a properly executed inquiry-based lesson, so I would probably need multiple days.

I made it a point in this lab to wear a watch and be very conscious of how long each activity was taking. This allowed me to follow my lesson plan more closely than I have before. Timing is something that I have struggled with all semester, so I feel like I'm finally starting to get a better grasp on it.