This week my students participated in an inquiry lesson that was used to teach them about osmosis and diffusion. The students used the egg as a model of an animal cell. It started by having the students use vinegar to dissolve the egg shell. Then the students put the egg in a variety of liquids including syrup and water (they got to choose the final liquid) in order to see what happened. The egg changes drastically during the experiment. It is awesome as the teacher to get to see how excited and engaged they are in their learning. The students come into class eager to see what has happened. They ask great questions and stay very focused and involved. They do a good job of using the class discussion to figure out what is happening to the egg. They have a harder time applying that to an animal cell. They need guidance in order to figure out what would happen in a real cell. Overall I think that this is a great experience for all of my students!
Below is a link to some samples of student work as well as a copy of the rubric that i use.
http://aloyal.decatur.dms.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/group_files.phtml?parent=11215972&gid=430826&sessionid=73d9be6508fcfbd8e30663b6d07b385a
