USING AN INQUIRY APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING BIODIVERSITY – GRADE 6

Experiential education is the cornerstone of inquiry in this set of lessons about biodiversity. Learning about the outdoors, in the outdoors, is vastly important. All the beauty that surrounds the life around us in the outdoors at our schools will not only build meaningful learning opportunities for students, but experiences that they can connect with in their own communities. This unit directly relates to the overall Science expectations (Science & Technology (Ontario 2007) and prompts students to use the inquiry process – Focus, Explore, Analyze, Share (Capacity Building Series #24) to shape their knowledge and understanding by documenting their learning in the form of products, conversations, and observations. In this unit, students will be asked to take their learning outside, research online, collaborate, and create in a way that works towards their culminating task in the unit. Each lesson will result in students earning a ÔbadgeÕ. The culminating task will provide students with their final badge Ð the inquiry badge.