Teaching Inquiry with Science Fiction

Science inquiry involves cognitive abilities that develop methods to answer questions as well as teaching strategies to learn about scientific inquiry. Instruction can provide a rich context to build language skills that involve students using tools of science to answer questions about real world experience. As students navigate through text and activities, they will compare their thinking with others’ and communicate ideas with words and graphics. Students should use reading, writing and oral language to intersect literacy with inquiry science in order to address science content and build the ability to engage in scientific reasoning.

The “Teaching Inquiry with Science Fiction” unit will allow teachers of science to demonstrate separate science content from the processes of science. Teachers of science will engage students in inquiry using books for answers and hands on activity to explore scientific phenomena and make reading an important part of the inquiry process. The use of science fiction and informational text in this unit can take a child beyond his/her home environment, close the gap for a student who may not have had opportunity and access to enhancing real world experiences. Science fiction and informational texts also offer a child an opportunity to broaden his/her vocabulary.