Overview
Students delight in questioning and discovery - building connections to prior learning and experiences while they develop as independent learners. Questions not only drive learning but also are outcomes of learning as well.
Create many rich and varied opportunities for students to make observations, ask questions, seek answers, and design solutions to personal, community, and global issues. Support students in making their thinking visible so they can build on their own learning and that of others in their community. The thinking and questioning of students are the focal points in an inquiry-driven classroom.
What Is Inquiry-Based Learning?
Introducing An Inquiry: Engage Students with Photos
Educator Robin Shaw explains how discussing images with students can leave a lasting impression.
Insights on Inquiry
Educator Robin Shaw shares insights on engaging students and recognizing student comprehension in an inquiry-based classroom.
Supporting Inquiry
Think, Puzzle, Explore
This routine activates prior knowledge, generates ideas and curiosity, and prepares students for deeper inquiry. It works especially well when introducing a new topic, concept, or theme in the classroom.
What Makes You Say That?
This routine helps students describe what they see or know and asks them to build explanations. It promotes evidential reasoning (evidence-based reasoning) and because it invites students to share their interpretations, it encourages students to understand alternatives and multiple perspectives.
Parts, Purposes, Complexities
This thinking routine helps students slow down and make careful, detailed observations by encouraging them to look beyond the obvious features of an object or system. This thinking routine helps stimulate curiosity, raises questions, and surfaces areas for further inquiry.
Circle of Viewpoints
This routine helps students see and explore multiple perspectives. It helps them understand that different people can have different kinds of connections to the same thing and that these different connections influence what people see and think.
3-2-1 Bridge
This routine helps students understand their own process of learning by considering their conceptions of a topic before and after a learning experience and how their conceptions changed.
Reflection Questions
- How can inquiry develop academic ownership and honor students' experiences?
- What does inquiry currently look like in your practice? What is working well for students? How do you know?
- What are the implications for your own practice? What will you do first?
Want More?
This page was last updated on May 17, 2023