A disappointing week of teaching

This second week of the term has been hard. I tried a cooperative learning activity with inquiry learning with one class. The Big Question was "Is is right to spend millions of dollars saving our endangered species?" Each group of 3 students had to answer this question using the example of one animal. The first task was to come up with some questions that help answer the Big Question, such as: What is special about our animal? What are the threats? However even though I thought I had modelled this the previous week using the example of the Kakapo, groups were unable to ask similar questions about their own species. A suggestion was made that the group members have assigned roles. I will try this.
The second problem was with my chemistry class where I started off the topic using a Guided Inquiry Learning approach; by getting the students to construct the ways of solving quantitative problems by looking at examples. I ended the week lecturing and giving them algorithms that would help them pass the assessments, but probably would not require them to use problem solving skills. I was disappointed that I could not find the energy to continue with the first approach.
Another difficulty was getting a class to make an animation of the reproductive process. I used cardboard sperm and eggs with magnetic strips on the back and moved these around the whiteboard, taking photos every time they were moved. I imported these the Windows Movie Maker and added an ad libbed narration. I put the movie on youTube (private). Then I showed it to the class and asked them to improve on the narration and record their own. This did not happen. They could not write their own narrations well enough and would not record what they did write. I am trying to be positive about what we did achieve but it was disappointing. Another of their teachers has offered to help them with their writing. I cannot say the students were excited about putting something of their own on the web; I am beginning to lose interest as well. Perhaps it is all in the scaffolding, and I am not doing enough of this. I guess I will need to spend more time this weekend writing resources.