Place-Based Scientific Inquiry

Learn how to facilitate scientific inquiry projects by getting out of the classroom and connecting to the natural environment―in your schoolyard, or in your community!

Providing a contemporary perspective on how to do scientific inquiry in ways that can make teachers’ lives easier and students’ experiences better, this book draws on authentic inquiry, engaging with communities, and teaching through project-based learning to help students design and carry out scientific inquiry projects that are grounded in their local places. This accessible guide will help you to develop skills around facilitation, team building, and learning outdoors in schoolyards and parks, acting as a go-to toolkit for teachers to help build confidence and skills in these areas.

Written according to the Next Generation Science Standards, this book supports teachers in fostering community engagement and a justice-first classroom. The approachable resources included in this book will help teachers with all levels of experience succeed in empowering students grades 3–12 in their science learning.

Additional support materials including template documents for student use and for teacher planning, as well as examples of real student work, are available online at www.routledge.com/9781032434155.

The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license

Benjamin Wong Blonder, Ph.D. is an assistant professor and ecologist at the University of California at Berkeley.

Ja’Nya Banks, M.Ed. was a special education teacher and now is a doctoral student in education policy at the University of California at Berkeley.

Austin R. Cruz, M.A. is an ecologist and educator at the University of Arizona.

Anna Dornhaus, Ph.D. is a professor at the University of Arizona studying complex systems and insect behavior.

R. Keating Godfrey, Ph.D. is a neuroscientist at the Florida Museum of Natural History with a background in hands-on, outdoor science education and job skills training.

Joshua S. Hoskinson, M.S., M.A. is an adjunct faculty member at Tohono O'odham Community College.

Rebecca Lipson taught middle school science, math, and special education for eight years and served as the assistant director of education at the University of Arizona Sky School.

Pacifica Sommers, Ph.D. is an ecologist and educator at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Christy Coverdale Stewart, M.Ed. has 35 years of experience as a middle and high school science teacher, curriculum specialist, and teacher coach.

Alan Strauss, Ph.D. has a background in disability studies and is the director of the University of Arizona’s Mount Lemmon Science Center and Sky School.