Activity 1: Content Support for Inquiry
ImagiProbe Temperature Sensor

Why is Content different from
Tools?

 In Tools you considered the pedagogy and philosophy behind the design of ImagiProbe and also gained some acquaintance with the software and its interface, mainly through guided tutorials.

What do I as a classroom teacher
get out of this?

 In Content you are going to "take the gloves off" and do your own inquiry using ImagiProbe. You will experience and create both guided and open-ended investigations. You will build your own inquiry-based lessons of both types for use with your students.
how long will it take? 10-20 minutes for the reading.
40-50 minutes for work with ImagiProbe System.
Assignments:
Readings
1. Read both the ImagiLab Water Quality Activity and Teacher Notes for 'Thermal Pollution' (Activity 7) found in the Water Quality: Learning In Context CD ROM from ImagiWorks. Review the Student Report by Liz found also on the same CD ROM.

2. Review the article Portfolio Assessment in High Schol Chemistry: One Teacher's Guidelines from the Journal of Chemical Education. It is available from your InquiryWorks Administrator.
Hands-On
Activity 1
TO DO Checklist
__ Print this page!

Readings & Hands On
__ Complete the reading assignment.
__ Complete the hands on assignment.

Initial Thoughts
__ Post your initial comments on Activity 1 and read some of the dialogue in both the ImagiProbe Discussion area and your Primary Cohort's Discussion area.

Local Study Group Meeting
__ Will you continue to meet as an LSG? Here are some suggestions for agenda.

Further Reflection
__ Visit the ImagiProbe Discussion area and your Primary Cohort's Discussion area to read more of the dialogue and post additional comments.

In this activity, you will work on a guided inquiry by doing the Thermal Pollution activity on the Water Quality: Learning In Context CD ROM. It is guided in the sense that you are given a four-part scaffold:
  • collection of real-time data,
  • review of the relationship between selected physical positions and the graphical output using the button press and manual trigger,
  • synching to a spreadsheet to display and interpret enhanced data from the graph, and
  • determination of additional testing sites based on the results to find the source of pollution if a change in temperature is detected.

a) Conduct a site assessment for the 'Thermal Pollution' activity. Is there any visible reason to suspect that the water is thermally polluted?

b) Select your sampling locations based on your best judgement of the locations that might have varying temperatures. Record your planned trials in Notes including sketches, predictions, and experimental design.

c) Measure the temperature at each of your sampling sites. How did temperature vary across your site? Was there a change in temperature detected?

d) Now it's your turn to narrow in on any possible thermal pollution at your site. Where would you start? Where would you want to additionally investigate? What steps would be important to provide scaffolded inquiry? How could you open the activity up?

Reflection
While working with the materials take a few minutes to ask yoruself:

1. How did you experience the material personally with real-time graphing? Does it cover the same material as traditional or inquiry approaches with which you am familiar? Is it a different feeling from your usual interaction with the subject discipline?

2. What did you learn with respect to content? inquiry? process of learning?

3. How would you assess student learning in this activity?