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Using the Inquiry Method: A Practical Approach

How can teachers meet the increasing demands of the curriculum while using a seemingly open-ended approach?
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Making Learning Relevant
Inquiry-based learning can increase student motivation by making curriculum content relevant to students’ lives; but how can teachers meet the increasing demands of the curriculum while using a seemingly open-ended approach? Fortunately, standards and inquiry are not as incompatible as they may seem.
 
There are three facets to creating an inquiry-based environment:
  1. Find the “human connection “ to the literature with a “Big Idea” or essential question inherent in the content.
  2. Conduct frequent discussions to allow students to fully “engage” in the literature.
  3. Teach literacy skills in context.
Identify a Big Question or Essential Idea
The first step in implementing Inquiry is to find a connection between the literature and students’ lives. This connection takes the form of a question or idea that underlies the content.
 
Exploring literature (or any subject, for that matter) via problems or questions is nothing new. In fact, one could argue that the purpose of literature is to explore and communicate something about the human condition. The difference in Inquiry is that students take a more active role in the exploration.
 
Big Ideas organize learning around questions that are socially or culturally relevant to students. Examples of Big Questions include:
  • What is the American Dream?
  • Why Do We Read?
  • What Is Worth Fighting for?
  • What Defines a Person? 
Exploring the content to find out what clicks for students is the first step toward Inquiry, but a greater challenge lies in finding out how to engage students in the question.
 
Conduct Frequent Discussions
For students to care about and understand what they are learning, they need opportunities to discuss the central themes and ideas found in the literature. The approach will differ slightly with every class depending on each class’ sophistication and general engagement with learning.
 
It is important that teachers establish an environment in which students feel safe and empowered to discuss their ideas. Consider the following strategies to accomplish these goals:
  • Begin a new unit of study by asking a Big Question that connects important ideas or understandings to the content.
  • Create small groups for discussions.
  • Ask students to discuss opposing points of view.
  • Have students document discussions with charts, graphs, or other forms of written evidence.
  • Encourage student-generated questions about the literature.
  • Monitor discussions to keep them on track.
  • Allow students to explore Big Questions through the literature, as well as other sources.
  • Provide closure to each literature selection by returning to the Big Idea.
Teach Skills in Context
Skills are often taught apart from literature. There are ways to integrate skills instruction so that students understand their purpose and value. This practice is consistent with Inquiry because it connects the author’s technique with his or her purpose, and thus the Big Idea. To achieve this, follow these steps:
  1. Take a skills inventory.
    Analyze the text to identify the text structures and related skills needed to comprehend the text. Include reciprocal writing skills that will support skill mastery.
  2. Model skill identification
    Model for students how to identify text structures and comprehend the meaning of the text.
    • Distribute photocopied article or literature excerpts for students to make notes or highlight.
    • Conduct “Think Alouds” to verbalize your internal thoughts as you read.
  3. Provide guided practice.
    Give students an activity that allows them to practice the skill in a supported environment. Ask students to volunteer answers or to demonstrate skills. Provide support as needed.
  4. Create opportunities for independent practice.
    Create activities that allow students independent and collaborative learning opportunities. Design writing activities that allow students to produce examples of the structures found in the literature.
Inquiry’s Role
With Inquiry, the teacher has a central role in planning and facilitating the exploration of the ideas and skills required in the curriculum. The students’ role is to take the journey of exploration seriously.
 
Inquiry is sometimes misunderstood to mean that students define the curriculum or the activities used in class. If that were the case, inquiry would not be viable choice for most teachers. Rather, Inquiry has a place in standards-based education and may in fact be one of the best methods for developing mastery of the standards.
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