For Teachers
This page contains answers to frequently asked questions about the Environmental Inquiry program and resources that will help you use EI curricula in your classroom.

Have you used Environmental Inquiry resources?
If you have used EI materials in your classes, we would love to hear about it! Feel free to contact EI at EnvInquiry@cornell.edu.

Frequently asked questions

• What is Environmental Inquiry?
• How does EI relate to the standards?
• What kinds of classes conduct EI research?
• What are EI's two levels of inquiry?
• Why "Interactive Research"?
• Student peer review: what, why, and how?
• What do teachers and students say about EI?

 

Teacher Resources
Rubrics and Test Questions	Rubrics for assessment of student research, poster presentations, and written reports, and sample test questions.
Downloadable Forms for Student Work Assessing Toxic Risk Invasion Ecology Decay and Renewal Watershed Dynamics	Forms used by students in planning experiments, analyzing data, and engaging in peer review. These links lead to forms that accompany the four Cornell Scientific Inquiry Series manuals. (Assessing Toxic Risk includes bioassay experiment forms.)
Using EI in the classroom: Teacher Experiences	Ideas from teachers about how to implement EI student research in a wide range of classes.
Engineering Design Challenges	EI design challenges encourage students to work together and connect mathematics, science, and technology to make informed decisions and solve problems.
Peer Review: Guidelines for Teachers	This page contains information about what peer review is and how it is used in the EI program. You may also use this page to monitor reports submitted to the peer review system by your students.
Useful Links	Links to useful sites for science education, environmental education, and specific EI topics.