Inquiring Minds

Inquiring Minds is an exciting textbook written for Transition Year Science. Featuring chapters on Biology, Chemistryand Physics, with a final chapter on Forensics involving all three areas, this textbook will introduce students to fascinating areas in Science and broaden their interest in these subjects for the Senior Cycle. 

The key features of this textbook are:

• A wide range of engaging activities in each chapter to develop laboratory skills, with Discussion Questions to encourage active learning.
• Checkpoint quizzes and matching tasks appear regularly throughout to engage students.
• Demonstration videos are included in some chapters featuring fascinating experiments and worked examples.
• End-of-chapter summary questions complete each chapter.
• Most chapters include a ‘Delve Deeper’ section, guiding students to explore the topic further.
• Strategically designed research projects are included to cultivate students’ research skills and foster a deeper comprehension of the topic.
• Success criteria are included for research activities, to help students structure their work and to enable teachers to easily assess tasks.
• Optional activity handouts are available online and through a QR code for all activities.
• A Teacher’s Resource Book with further details on all activities and questions is available, as is a wide range of online resources on my.cjfallon.ie
• Stand-alone chapters mean teachers can choose which topics they wish to cover in class, in whatever order they prefer.
• A detailed Glossary featuring detailed definitions of all key words in the textbook is available online.

QR codes can be found throughout the book for easy access to optional activity handouts, demonstration videos and success criteria.

Teachers’ Online Resources
Inquiring Minds has an array of additional resources for teachers, including:

• A full Teacher’s Resource Book with additional information on all activities, trouble-shooting details, and answers to all questions and checkpoints in the textbook.
• Demonstration videos, quizzes and matching tasks.
• A detailed PowerPoint presentation for each chapter.
• Additional suggested student activities.
• Additional teacher support resources (e.g. details on how to prepare practical activities, suggested valid and reliable sources for research tasks).

Teachers can access all teacher’s material online at my.cjfallon.ie and also through the QR codes in the textbook.

About the Authors
Conor Eivers has a BSc in Science, Mathematics and Education and an MSc in Education from University College Dublin. At present he teaches Science, Chemistry and Mathematics at Temple Carrig School, Greystones. Conor also works as an Examiner for the State Examinations Commission (SEC). He has corrected Junior Cycle Science for the last number of years.
Barbara Kelly has a BSc in Science from University College Dublin, a PhD from Oxford Brookes University and a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Wollongong. She spent 13 years as a research scientist, with a focus on molecular biology and virology, before retraining as a teacher. For the first five years of her teaching career she taught in New South Wales, Australia. At present she teaches Science, Biology and Mathematics at Temple Carrig School, Greystones.