In this activity you will examine some secondary science textbooks, and make decisions about how inductive and deductive inquiry learning could be implemented.

Materials

Two or more secondary (middle or high school) science textbooks

Procedure

1. Examine the textbook and identify a chapter that interests you. Identify in the chapter the flow of concepts and how they are presented in the text.

2. Design the chapter inductively. That is, organize a series of lessons (describe them very briefly) in which the students will be introduced to the main concepts inductively.

3. Now design the chapter deductively. Organize a series of lessons in which the students will be introduced to the main concepts deductively.

Minds On Strategies

1. What did you discover about inductive versus deductive teaching?

2. In which manner was the textbook organized, inductively or deductively?

3. Which model do you think is better for student learning? Why?