Class 1; Reading 1 (Michelle Smith)

After reading the Gunckel article, I strongly agree that in order for students to do well in science, teachers need to make "school science" look more like "scientists' science." Students naturally ask questions about the world around them, and instead of providing them with explanations and definitions, we need to have the students explore their questions through inquiry-based lessons and activities. Students need to find patterns in the content in order to make connections, and it is difficult for them to find patterns when they are simply given definitions and listening to the "story" of science. The EPE table for "scientists' science" shows that an explanation is eventually derived from millions of experiences and patterns, where the "school science" EPE table is reversed; the students are given an explanation and then have a few experiences with what they have learned. Overall, I believe that in order for students to be successful in science, they need to be given the opportunity to explore and investigate, find patterns, and then come up with explanations from their own experiences. This will help students make connections to other science topics, as well as apply what they have learned.