Maths and Science classes have already got off to a head-scratching start at Provo Middle School this year!
Our new Year 7 class have undertaken a series of investigations in the hope of sharing their advice on how to succeed in an inquiry. From comparing results with others, to making careful notes and drawings – each member of the class discovered different ways to help themselves improve.
“Are we allowed to work together?” was asked at one point. As it turns out, finding proof is almost impossible if you don’t!
“I think I know how this works…I’ve solved it!” could be heard from the other side of the room. Again, as it turns out, forming a hypothesis (and testing it) is an essential part of the investigative process.
By thinking about how we investigate, every student was able to make better decisions and move forwards in their thinking and process. We discovered a lot of helpful tricks that will us in the future. We hope that you find them useful too!
Finally, each child was asked to pick the tip that they felt helped them the most – here’s what they had to say about them…
“When I record things wrong, it can make everything else afterwards wrong!”
“I sometimes assume my first thought is right, but when I check I spot things that I hadn’t noticed before.”
“Sometimes, when I predict, I think I am 100% right, but now I know that I need to check this prediction to be sure.”
“When there is a hard task, you have to know why you chose a particular approach.”
“I have to see if I’m right!”
“Someone else might have a different idea or answer. We can compare and help each other out.”
“Sometimes I am not as organised as I’d like to be. I’d like to be able to find my results easier so that I can explain my proofs.”
“Sometimes I find it hard to just focus and enjoy the process.”
“If you don’t seek proof, you can’t really find the answers to any question.”
“Half of the time I miss some of the easy work or don’t know how to fix mistakes in what I’ve done.”
“Sometimes I work alone and don’t compare. Checking with others will let me know if I’m right.”
“When I’m not having fun I don’t think properly. When I’m engaged I can do more!”
