Web Address of a "teacher must have" Power
Point,
120 Slides
Presentation: Lesson
Planning
By Professor William C. Bruce
Lesson Planning
The Sherlock Sleuth Discrepant Event Inquiry Diary, © 2006 Web
by Jean K. Bruce and William C. Bruce
The Sherlock Sleuth Inquiry Diary
Do you have a sleuth’s eye for inquiry, like Sherlock Holmes?
*Super Sleuth’s Name (Teacher’s name):_______________________
*Sleuth Name (Student’s Name) :______________________________
*Sleuth Address (school’s address, or 221b Baker Street)
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"The game's afoot!"
Name of investigation (Discrepant event title):
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1. The leader of the discrepant event case is the super sleuth.
The super sleuth will read the discrepant event story:
the case under investigation.
The super sleuth will hand out text copies of the case.
You are working to become a super sleuth.
Thinking about all the "ABC(s)” below, in your whole sleuth diary, will
help you know how to problem solve.
a. What are your first sleuth reactions to the case?
List your thoughts below:
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2. a. Meaning of a discrepancy:
* Discrepancy is what seems different and falls short of
fitting as it should;
* discrepancy in a case might be THE odd thing;
* a discrepancy is usually the main clue (yet it could be a vague, hazy clue);
* discrepancy might be something that surprises you;
* discrepancy is often the thing that raises your curiosity;
* a discrepancy might move you to doubt something or someone (yet doubts
should never make you jump to a conclusion);
* a discrepancy might be something that causes you to wonder,
or it might puzzle you.
b. Example: “Why did Goody Brown stay late at his job at the Diamond
Savings Bank, for the first time?”
Example: “I wonder why my sister, Bell, played sick and stayed at home;
yet Bell played tennis in the afternoon?”
c. Look for specific points or details that cause you to think or feel
that something is out of place or wrong.
3. Discuss the case issues with the super sleuth.
As a detective, Sherlock Holmes had to “pick the minds” of all those
people linked "in" and "to" the cases he solved.
What is the main puzzle, mystery, issue, or discrepancy in the case story?
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4. Think about a problem statement for the case.
a. Meaning of problem statement:
* showing what is the most likely issue, problem, or discrepancy in the case.
b. Now, write down the problem statement.
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5. When the super sleuth, and the other sleuths in your class, and you, think
you know the case issue/problem, look for the answer to the problem.
Think about the actions in the case.
Ask the super sleuth who, when, and how questions about the case.
Ask the super sleuth about the reasons and causes for what seems odd.
Ask about deeds and behaviors, anything unusual, anything rare, strange, or mysterious.
What hints to the answer have you seen that you and the other sleuths need to prove?
a. Short example case
Case Title: "Strange Stones"
Example Discrepant Event:
"The second phase began around 2200 BC.
Blue Dolomite stones, with their origin in the mountains, were placed
upright in two circles."
b. Example problem statement:
* “Why did people move stones from the mountains and erect them in circles?”
6. Using the case in the above sentence for a moment, Strange Stones, the
following are sample questions to ask the super sleuth:
* Were the stones once a city?
* Did the early Britons bring the stones?
* Did the next phase begin shortly after 2200 BC?
* Did the early stone movers place the stones so they could
figure out when to plant crops, by watching the sun?
* Did the people worship the stones?
a. The super sleuth answers questions similar to the prior sample
questions with yes or no responses.
Or the super sleuth will tell you that your question is a theory question,
or a hypothesis question.
Sleuth Note:
You will soon learn about theory questions and hypothesis questions.
b. The case, Strange Stones, is about Stonehenge.
Questions about "how" Stonehenge was built are less important than the
question of "why" the prehistoric builders should work for centuries to
build such a monument.
c. List the clues and evidence pointing to the possible answers to
the case question under study (save the case about Stonehenge for another day):
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7. All sleuths in your class research the case.
a. Use dictionaries, textbooks and other texts, maps, pictures, Web sites,
and other needed tools.
b. Reread and think about the super sleuth's answers to yes and no questions.
If you and the other sleuths finished case experiments, what were the results?
c. List the gathered information and the results of the case experiments;
write details about the case, the people, the places, times, or other
similar or different incidents, or cases.
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8. Sleuths ask theory questions or hypothetical questions.
The super sleuth answers the sleuths' theory questions or hypothetical
questions with more than yes or no answers, such as, “That's a theory;
lets explore your theory.”
Or, “That's a hypothesis;
lets explore your hypothesis.”
a. This is an apt time for the super sleuth to write the theories on
the chalkboard, or a place where all the sleuths can see the theories,
or hypotheses.
b. Meaning of theory:
*signifies guesses, feelings, hunches, speculations, or opinions.
* Theory: in science, a theory is a posed account, an explanation,
or model, capable of predicting future events or observations
of the same kind.
A theory is also capable of being tested through experiment or
observation.
c. Meaning of rational choice theory:
In general, it is human decision making: decisions rule behavior and
decisions follow a set of general laws.
Sample: Newton's Laws. The motion of particles theory.
Rational choice theory is the theory about the behavior of people.
d. Meaning of hypothesis:
* a possible explanation that might answer a question;
* an uncertain definition for what we observe;
* an unproved set of ideas, facts, guesses accepted with doubt
to explain certain facts or arguments.
Sleuth Note:
"... a hypothesis is a statement whose truth is temporarily assumed,
whose meaning is beyond all doubt. ..."
-- Albert Einstein.
9. A good question to ask yourself:
Can anyone disprove my theories, or my hypothesis, to the case question?
a. List your case theory questions and your hypotheses:
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b. List the case theories and hypotheses from other sleuths.
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10. How would you rank the case theories and hypotheses?
How do you know which theory and which hypothesis rates the highest?
a. Ask yourself, which theories and hypotheses carry little support?
Which theories and hypotheses are backed-up by data?
Did you, or a classroom sleuth, prove that some of the case theories and
hypotheses were false?
b. Example: Pretend that you have a friend named Sam.
During a Saint Patrick Day parade Sam, visiting from another country,
sees a man dressed in a green Santa suit.
Later, Sam says to you, “I saw Santa, today.
Santa wears a green suit when he’s visiting America.”
You say,“Sam, Santa only wears green suits, here, on Saint Patrick’s Day.”
You showed Sam, by your past knowledge and observation, that Sam’s
hypothesis about green Santa suits, was false.
c. Think about Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock always tested his theories and hypothetical questions.
At times, though, he simply compared and observed past knowledge, as
discussed in the above (B) about green Santa suits.
d. List, in ranking order of importance,
the case theories and hypotheses
that you think are the most likely answers
to the case you are studying:
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11. Sleuths have offered many different and similar theories.
The super sleuth reminds the sleuths about the inquiry rules
and might reveal a hint, now, about the case discrepancy,
if sleuths doubtlessly need a little help.
The super sleuth will encourage sleuths to rethink the case question.
It is time for your classroom sleuths to work in small groups with
other sleuths.
a. Working in a small group, your goal is to sum up information
and theories.
You seek to broaden what you know about the case by reviewing materials,
questions, answers, theories, hypotheses, and testing.
b. You are using scientific inquiry.
c. Meaning of science: to know.
d. Meaning of scientific inquiry:
* The asking of questions, observing, researching, investigating,
guessing, setting and resolving propose, forming theories, hypotheses,
and testing.
12. You ask questions that can be defined, measured, and controlled.
a. Example questions:
* Are those storm clouds?
* Did George Washington know if he had enough food to feed his army?
* How did Native Americans hunt buffalo?
b. Inquiries are based on noticing: detail, what you recall, and by what
you find out from gathered data, plus research.
Questions are the first step.
c. Sleuths use decision-making by paying attention to:
* patterns;
* if the information is completed;
* if the research gathered is completed;
* if the claims, that certain clues seemed true, were verified;
* if the meaning behind uncertain key clues were proved;
* if the sleuths resolved the value of hypothetical and theoretical questions;
* if the verbal and written exchanges, reasons, and review
strategies opened and if the questions were answered.
13. What are the trends in the data gathered?
Do the results of your inquiry still support the case theories
and hypotheses?
Were your questions answered?
Have new questions popped up after reviewing the results of your inquires?
a. Testing your inquiry. Define the uncertain.
14. Test example:
a. What do we need to measure in our test?
b. Sample: The sleuths might need to study the growth of insects.
Why? Because insects were found at the the crime scene.
c. Possible test variables include items similar to the following:
* Crime scene: insects. How many days it takes for certain insects
to hatch--the insects found at the crime scene, or mentioned in
the discrepant event case;
* Crime scene: pollen.
In the place where the plant grows, pollen grains were found on
a victim’s paw pads (a rabbit named Tex from Maine).
d. Test example:
* The clues and data that vary during the testing;
this type of data often changes as other clues and data are added.
e. Example:
* Sleuths rule out the things that show zero differences.
Sample:
* A sleuth marks out the names of pollen, as in the prior test
example, where the plants’ pollen could never grow.
15. Making Predictions.
a. A sleuth’s prediction is a statement of the expected results of the
testing from the case’s clues, theories, and hypotheses.
Try your prediction with an "if/then statement."
b. Prediction example:
If the plants found at the crime scene are only found in New York,
then the crime was probably committed in New York, though Tex the
rabbit had always lived in Maine.
16. List the key concepts of the case:
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17. Data Evaluations and Conclusions
a. Do you believe, and do the other sleuths believe, that the gathered
information from the case supports your best hypothesis?
Are you beginning to wonder if you and the other sleuths will ever
know, for sure,the answer to the case?
b. If you believe that you and your fellow sleuths have solved the mystery
case, write your answer:
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Congratulations!
You are a problem-solver,
with a sleuth’s eye,
like Sherlock Holmes,
for inquiry!
Video: Queen Mary's Garden & Sherlock Holmes Museum
NASASciFiles - The Case of the Barking Dogs
How to form hypotheses, collect data, and build data matrices
NASA
56 min 34 sec - Jan 20, 2003
www.open-video.org
NASA Why? Files Video containing nine segments as described below. NASA Why?
Files segment explaining how to form hypotheses, collect data, and build data matrices.
NASA Why? Files segment explaining how bats use high-frequency sound to navigate.
NASA Why
To watch it, you will need the Google Video Player.
William C. Bruce
Associate Dean and Professor
College of Education and Psychology
Phone: (903) 566-7048
e-mail: wbruce@uttyler.edu
http://www.hometreemedia.org
Fax: (903) 566-7036
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