Creating an Active Learning environment Using Inquiry and Primary Sources

What is Inquiry? A process of learning that is driven by questioning, thoughtful investigating, making sense of information, and developing new understanding Cyclical in nature Goal is not accumulation of information. Instead it is exploration of significant questions and deep learning

Connect Connect to self, previous knowledge Gain background and context Identify key concepts, themes, and vocabulary Observe, experience

Wonder Develop questions Make predictions

Take a moment to read article on Butler Investigate Use questions and background knowledge to develop search strategy Find, evaluate, and select sources Find and evaluate information to answer questions, test hypotheses Identify main ideas and supporting evidence Seek multiple perspectives Think about the information to illuminate new questions and hypotheses Take a moment to read article on Butler

Construct Construct new understandings connected to previous knowledge Draw conclusions about questions and hypotheses What new understandings do you have about the political cartoon? Take a moment to write down your thoughts.

Turn to the person sitting next to you and share your findings. Express Apply understandings to a new context, new situation Express new ideas to share learning with others Turn to the person sitting next to you and share your findings.

Reflect Reflect on own learning Ask new questions

Reflection Techniques Progress log, journals Self-reflection questions Oral reflections Peer review and feedback

What new questions do you have? How has your understanding of occupation changed?

How does Inquiry relate to Literacy? Decoding "Decoding is the ability to figure out how to read unknown words by using knowledge of letters, sounds, and word patterns. Decoding skills are essential to being a fluent reader. " (Royer, James M. PhD. 2005) Comprehension Building understanding Skills such as cooperative learning, graphic and semantic organizers, question generating, question answering, and summarization are used in both building literacy and inquiry. Reading and inquiry are so closely aligned that you cannot teach one without teaching the other!

Literacy and Inquiry in Middle School Moving from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” Find information Determine main points and supporting ideas Analyze an argument

Literacy and Inquiry in High School Reading multiple perspectives Weighing evidence Evaluating arguments Making judgments

Using Inquiry to Teach Social Studies Background information is essential Need to see multiple perspectives Address students’ misconceptions Evaluate sources Primary sources are essential Evaluation of specific information and evidence Examine evidence critically Use of graphic organizers for note-taking and organizing information Reflection as key component Identify text structure Availability of a library is key to inquiry

Using Inquiry to Teach English/Language arts Thinking skills Questioning, finding main ideas and details, summarizing, interpreting, making inferences, determining importance of ideas, identifying author’s purpose, synthesizing Each step of inquiry is important but not essential in every assignment Recognize and derive meaning from different text structures Use of graphic organizers to analyze text

How do I create a culture of Inquiry in My classroom? Role of student – ask questions and seek new understanding Lead students to hypothesize, explore, reflect, and make meaning Role of teacher – provokers and guides of student learning; interact with students and mediate the environment

Creating a Culture of Inquiry Encourage collaboration and reflective practice Target major ideas in curriculum by defining enduring understandings and essential questions; integrate literacy and inquiry skills as appropriate in the different content areas Design learning experiences that are authentic – minds-on, not hands- on learning Teach for understanding through collaborative, inquiry-based approach Teachers provoke inquiry through questioning strategies Teachers combine provocation and support (scaffolding) Teacher use diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment Reflect, Revise, Re-engage