TOPIC: SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY MEANING: The National Science Education Standards define scientific inquiry as the diverse ways

s in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work. Scientific inquiry also refers to the activities through which students develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world. Scientific inquiry is a powerful way of understanding science content. Students learn how to ask questions and use evidence to answer them. In the process of learning the strategies of scientific inquiry, students learn to conduct an investigation and collect evidence from a variety of sources, develop an explanation from the data, and communicate and defend their conclusions. STEPS OF EXPERIMENTATION 1. OBSERVE AND EXPLORE - What do you already know and what do you want to know? 2. ASK QUESTIONS - Think about things that you notice, and then expand on what you wonder about these items. 3. SELECT A QUESTION THAT CAN BE ANSWERED THROUGH INVESTIGATION - Review the items of wonder regarding different topics of interest. Choose one of these items that can be solved through testing and experimentation, and form a hypothesis to test this theory. 4. EXPERIMENT OR OBSERVE TO ANSWER QUESTION - Conduct an experiment to test the question at hand. 5. REFLECT ON WHAT HAPPENED - Describe what happened during the experimentation, reporting these findings through tabulating, graphing, etc. 6. MORE QUESTIONS - Now that your theory has been proven or disproven, what other results and experimentation could result from this? Conclusions often lead to more questions and will increase the chance for further discovery!

STEPS TO THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 1. Ask a Question: The scientific method starts when you ask a question about something that you observe: Who, What, Where, When or How? In order for the scientific method to answer the question, it must be about something that you can measure, preferably with a number. 2. Do Background Research: Rather than starting from scratch in putting together a plan for answering your question, you want to be a savvy scientist using library and internet research to help you find the best way to do things and ensure that you dont repeat mistakes from the past. 3. Construct a hypothesis: A hypothesis is a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation. A hypothesis is formatted using an if-then statement. For example: If _____ [I do this] _______, then ________ [this] _______ will happen.

4. Test the Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment: An experiment tests whether the hypothesis is true or false. It is important for the experiment to be a fair test. This can be done by ensuring that only one factor is changed at a time, while keeping all other conditions the same. Experiments should be repeated several times to confirm the results are accurate, and not a chance occurrence. 5. Analyze the Data and Draw a Conclusion: Once the experiment is complete, collect measurements and analyze them to determine if the hypothesis is true or false. Scientists often find that their hypothesis is false, in which case they will construct a new hypothesis and begin the method of experimentation over again.
6. Communicate Results: Summarize the experiments results, and how those results compare to the hypothesis. There are two options for the conclusion based on the results, one can either reject or accept the hypothesis. The hypothesis cannot be proven, as science and experimentation can never be considered 100 percent accurate; however, the results can support the original hypothesis.

DIFFERENTIATING SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY VS. SCIENTIFIC METHOD

STEPS OF BOTH SCIENTIFIC METHOD/INQUIRY 1. Identify the Problem: State the challenge problem. Example: How can we design a _______ that will ________? 2. Identify Criteria and Constraints: Specify design requirements, or criteria. 3. Brainstorm Possible Solutions: Each student on the team sketches his or her own ideas as the group discusses ways to solve the problem. These sketches should be brief and use rudimentary labels to show the basic mechanics of the item. 4. Generate Ideas: Each student should develop two or three ideas more thoroughly. Students create new drawings that are orthographic projections and isometric drawings.

5. Explore Possibilities: Share and discuss the ideas among team members. Students should discuss the pros and cons of each design idea. 6. Select an Approach: Identify a design that best appears to solve the problem and create a statement that describes why this solution was chosen for future use. In this statement, include criteria and constraints for future reference. 7. Build a Model or Prototype: Construct a full-size or scale model based on the drawings. 8. Refine the Design: Examine and evaluate the prototype based on the criteria and constraints listed previously. Based on the criteria and constraints, the team will identify any problems and pose additional solutions. STUDENTS IN SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY Students in Scientific Inquiry will: Come to understand the underlying assumptions of various methodologies in science. See how scientists design experiments to study objects that may not be directly observable, and how they aim to do science in circumstances in which controlled experimentation is not possible. Consider the ways in which scientists try to reconcile observations that seem inconsistent with one another. Recognize what is at stake when scientists make claims and counterclaims in peer-reviewed journals and the popular press. Grasp how scientists transfer useful ideas from one field to another, and precisely what it means to discover a scientific result. Develop an ability to distinguish pseudo-science from science, and to understand how the boundary shifts with advances in understanding. Learn to communicate scientific ideas to a variety of audiences and discuss their importance in an informed and sophisticated manner. REFERENCES: www. Ecybermission.com/Investigative Techniques.pdf http://www.yale-nus.edu.sg/index.php/learning/commoncurriculum/common-curriculum-courses/scientific-inquiry.html

TOPIC: IDEALISM MEANING Idealism is born out of Platos Theory of Ideas According to which the ultimate supremacy of ideas. As a philosophical doctrine ,idealism recognizes ideas, feelings and ideals more important than material objects and at the same time emphasizes that the human development should be according to moral, ethical and spiritual values so that he acquires the knowledge of unify in diversity.

Acc to Idealism, the essential nature of man is spiritual which is reveled in mental, religious and aesthetic areas. Idealism emphasizes the study of man more and more because man is endowed with higher intellectual powers and show greater level of intelligence and discrimination and by his own moral and spiritual activities he has created Acc to Horne-An Idealistic philosophy of education,then,is an account of man finding himself as an integral part of a universe of mind.. DEFINITIONS Idealism holds that the ultimate reality is spiritualism. -D.M.Dutta. Idealistic philosophy takes many and varied forms, but the postulate underlying all this is that mind or spirit is the essential world stuff, that the true reality is a mental character. -J.S.Ross. Idealists point out that the mind that is the central in understanding the world. To them nothing gives a greater sense of reality that the activity of mind engaged in trying to comprehence its world .For any thing to give a greater sense of reality would contradiction in terms because to know any thing more real than mind would itself be a conception mind. -Brubacher. GROWTH OF IDEALISM Its inception took from the very time man began to think. In west ,it was born out of the writing of Plato,Socrates,Aristitle and other philosophers. In India ,it was born out of the holy scripts Vedas,Purans,Upanishads. Since then ,it is developing in all the countries f the world in small or great measures. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF IDEALISM

Two forms of the real world: Idealist believe that thee are two forms of the world i.e. material & spiritual world, according to which spiritual world is real and ultimate .To know the real world is the reality of mind and soul i.e. is the self realization of the main aim of human life.Idealism holds that the order of the world is due to the manifestation in space& time of an eternal and spiritual reality.-Horne. Ideas are more important than the objects: Idealist have given more importance to idea rather than the objects.Ideas are the ultimate cosmic significance. They are rather the essence or archetypes which form to cosmos. These ideas are eternal and unchanging.-Plato.

Importance of man over nature: Man(who us a thinker and can experience about material phenomenon and laws)is more important then the object (nature).Since man is intelligent hence he can create his own world of virtues and his creativity.The spirit or cultural environment is an environment of mans own making, it is a product of mans creative activity-R.R.Rusk Faith in Spiritual Values: They believe in three values truth,beauty,goodness(undying and permanent).When people are in pursuit of these highest spiritual values they achieve their highest spiritual values.Goodness,truth,and beauty are seen to be absolute reach existing in its own right and entirely desirable in itself.-J.S.Ross. Importance of Personality Development: Idealist give too much importance on the SELF of the individual and on the personality of the individual . According to them development of personality means achievement of perfections of an individual which can be also called as self-realization of self which can be achieved through the society through love,sympathy,fellow feeling, no discrimination on the basis of caste,creed,race etc.In short Idealism believes in the welfare of the whole community.Thus, the grandeur and the worth of human life at its best are emphasized by Idealism. Human personality is of supreme value and constitutes the noblest work of God.-J.S.Ross. Full support to the principle of unity in diversity: They believe in unity in diversity i.e the unifying factor is of supreme nature which can be called as the universal consciousness or divinity. Idealist call this power as power as God which is supreme,omnipresent,omnipotent.Realization of this supreme force is ones self is to attain divinity and the fullest extent of personality which may be called as spiritual fulfillment. An Idealistic philosophy of education ,then is an account of man finding himself as an integral part of universe mind.Prof.H.N.Horne. IDEALISM IN EDUCATION Credit goes to Plato & Frobel. According to them,Ideaism pervades creation and it is an undying ,unlimited and ultimate force which reigns supreme over all mind and matter. They all advocate its greatest importance in education and lay more emphasis on aims and principles of education than on methods, aids ,devices.

AIMS OF EDUCATION 1. Self-realization or exaltation of personality 2. To ensure spiritual development 3. To cultivate truth, beauty, goodness 4. Conservation, promotion, and transmission of cultural heritage 5. Conservation of inborn nature into spiritual nature 6. Preparation for a holy life 7. Development of intelligence and rationality Self Exhaltation:Idealist lay great stress on the exhaltation of the human personality i.e. is Self Realization which involves knowledge of the self.Acc. To Ross, "The aim of education especially associated with idealism is the exhaltation of personality or self realization, the making actual or real the highest potentialities of the self. IDEALISM AND CURRICULUM Curriculum should be concerned with the whole humanity and its experiences. These experiences can be imbibed in two ways: From the physical World. From contacts with other fellow men. In an idealistic curriculum both the scientific as well as humanities should be included. ACCORDING TO PLATO INTELLECTUAL Language, History, Literature, Maths, Geography, Science AESTHETIC Arts Poetry MORAL Religion Metaphysics Ethics,etc

ACCORDING TO NUNN Physical,social,Moral,Religious. Physical Culture,Sociology,Ethics,Religion Literary and Aesthetic. Literature,Art,Music,Handicraft,History, Geography,Science,Maths,etc