1. Tool IF-1: Planning for IBL in mathematics
Inquiry learning
How do we plan for IBL in mathematics?
Tool IF-1: Planning for IBL in mathematics
© 2016 mascil project (G.A. no ). Lead partner University of Nottingham; CC-NC-SA 4.0 license granted. The project mascil has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ ).

2. Overview
Aim:
To think about the issues related to planning for inquiry learning in mathematics.
We will:
Discuss ideas for using inquiry learning in a lesson;
Develop a lesson plan.
The aim of this tool is to start the group thinking about how to plan for inquiry learning in mathematics. In this activity, the group work together to plan how they will teach a lesson in which students lead their own inquiry.

3. Building a school In this lesson:
Students ask and answer their own questions;
Student activity will depend on the questions they want to pursue.
Introduce the lesson ‘Building a School’ and provide the group with copies of Handout 1: Building a school with bottles in Honduras. Emphasise that in this lesson students ask and answer their own questions and, in so doing, they engage in the modelling cycle. Explain that the lesson is deliberately open and the student activity will depend on what questions they want to pursue in this context.

4. Planning for IBL
Discuss and develop a lesson plan that includes these aspects:
Organising the classroom and resources;
Introducing the situation;
Introducing the modelling cycle;
Organising the main activity;
Using questioning;
Finishing the lesson.
Provide the group with copies of Handout 2: Developing a lesson plan. Ask them to work in pairs to develop a plan that includes how they will:
organise the classroom and the resources needed;
introduce the situation to pupils;
introduce the idea of the modelling cycle;
organise the main part of the lesson;
use questioning;
finish the lesson.

5. Finishing off
Share together the main points from your discussions. Read through the sample lesson plan provided and devise a research question that you would like to explore. Before next time, complete your lesson plan and teach the lesson. Be ready to report back, with a particular focus on what you learned about the research question.
Bring the group together and ask them to share any important points that have arisen from their discussions. Provide them with Handout 3: A sample lesson plan and ask them to devise a research question together.
The group should now aim to complete their planning, teach the lesson and be ready to report back at the next session.