Argument-Driven Inquiry in Life Science

Are you interested in using argument-driven inquiry for middle years lab instruction but just aren’t sure how to do it? Argument-Driven Inquiry in Life Science will provide you with both the information and instructional materials you need to start using this method right away. The book is a one-stop source of expertise, advice and investigations to help life science students work the way scientists do.

The book is divided into two basic parts:

1. An introduction to the stages of argument-driven inquiry – from question identification, data analysis, and argument development and evaluation to double-blind peer review and report revision.
2. A well-organised series of 20 field-tested labs designed to be much more authentic for instruction than traditional laboratory activities. The labs cover topics in four broad areas of life science: molecules and organisms, ecosystems, biological evolution and heredity. You can use the introduction labs to acquaint students with new content or the application labs for deeper exploration of the use of a theory, law or unifying concept.

Because the authors are veteran teachers, they designed Argument-Driven Inquiry in Life Science to be easy to use and aligned with today’s standards. The investigations will help your students learn the core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices found in the Next Generation Science Standards.

Many of today’s teachers – like you – want to find new ways to engage students in scientific practices and help students learn more from lab activities. Argument-Driven Inquiry in Life Science does all this even as it gives students the chance to practise reading, writing, speaking and using maths in the context of science.