Recommended Inquiry Resources

Alberta's Focus on Inquiry document (2004) is a valuable guideline to use for implementing inquiry-based learning in your classroom.

I also highly recommend the book Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action by Harvey and Daniels (2009).

Intelligence Online (IO) provides a collection of project ideas and resources for inquiry. The site offers a free 10-day trial (after that it's about $60 for a 12-month membership for 11 or more staff). See what it's all about by taking their tour.

Thirteen Ed Online has a free professional development workshop series called "Concept to Classroom" which shows inquiry-based learning in action with examples and video clips.

Modeling Questioning

In order to establish a culture of inquiry, teachers must be modeling their own thinking and learning. Here is my most recent question...

While I was camping this past weekend, I awoke to the silhoette of an inchworm crawling above me on the tent. I got to thinking...do inch worms change into anything like moths or butterflies or do they stay inch worms? Let us research...

WHAT DO INCH WORMS TURN INTO?
My findings..."The caterpillars of Geometrid moths have a characteristic way of moving (geometrid means "earth measurer") and this gives them their familiar name (inch worm). There are thousands of species in the huge geometrid family, but they all turn into moths." Yahoo answers
Aha!

"The scientific mind does not so much provide the answers as ask the right questions." - Claude Levis Strauss

Identity Day

Check out this great idea for Identity Day, a school-wide initiative in which the passions of students and staff are displayed and shared.