Inquiry Based Learning: Step Two--Developing Questions for Investigation

"The important thing is to not stop questioning. 

Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

~Albert Einstein

This is the second in a series of posts which explore the steps of implementing an inquiry based learning project. In my last post, I explained the process of choosing a topic. Once a topic has been chosen and appears to be viable, the next step is to develop questions.

Developing Questions for Investigation
Prior to developing questions which will guide the investigation of the chosen topic, the teacher should find out what experiences students have already had related to the topic, and what they already know about it.  The easiest way to do this is to make a list of what the students know. Other ways to discover what students already know include making a web, watching students show what they know in their play, having students draw what they know about a topic, having the students write what they know (if they are able), or having students represent their prior knowledge through construction or art.  If you are wanting to quickly move into the development of questions, making a list or a web are your best bets. Once you have determined what experiences the students have had and what knowledge they already possess, you can proceed into the development of questions, which will ultimately guide your project.

Questions are a key component of inquiry based learning projects. In her book, Becoming Young Thinkers, Judy Harris Helm states that, "Questions determine the direction of a project or what particular aspect of a topic will be most productive for deep project work."  She goes on to explain the benefits of focusing on children's questions during an inquiry based learning project.  These benefits include:

• The process of collecting questions provides a purpose for interesting and authentic conversations between children and their teacher and among children. Generating authentic questions provides a clear vision of what children want to know and makes conversations student-centered and dynamic.

• Because questions come from children based on what they already know and want to know, the questions are more likely to have meaning for the children.

• Children's questions utilize the three systems of long-term memory: associative memory, value-laden memory, and survival-value memory. By learning to constantly ask questions, storing and retrieving information become habits of mind.

• Because the questions are the children's, they are more attentive and will persist for a longer time in tasks involved in finding answers.

• Since the teacher can use the students' questions as the basis for decisions about which experiences and which experts to include in the project, the teacher can individualize the project to accommodate the differences in brain processes and preferences of the students. Because questions come from individuals, each child can approach and connect with the topic at his/her own level of understanding.

• Finding answers to questions generated by the children engages learners and makes projects active rather than passive. By encouraging children to develop and answer their own questions, a teacher helps children develop investigation and representation skills that they will be able to use in other learning experiences.

• When a child is asked if he/she has a question, he/she has to think about what he/she knows and does not know.  This is beginning metacognition, or "thinking about our own thinking."

• When children ask and answer their own questions, and answer thought-provoking questions by their teacher, they provide information to the teacher about where they are on the continuous progression of learning.

Children must be taught how to ask questions.  This can be done by modeling curiosity and asking questions ourselves as teachers. Also, the teacher can provoke questions by asking the students: "What do you suppose this if for?" or "What would you like to know about...?"

Once the students know how to ask questions, and have come up with a list or web of questions, it is important to make sure the questions you choose to lead your inquiry project are truly inquiry questions. Inquiry questions, according to Helm, are "questions whose answers can be discovered by young children in the ways that they learn best. These include opportunities for children to independently investigate by touching, feeling, listening, smelling, or looking closely."

When the students have a good list or web of their questions, step two is ended, and the stage is set for investigation. Children's questions are reviewed and analyzed by the teacher as field site visits are planned, experts are chosen, and investigations are designed. Using questions to shape these learning experiences assures that they will make sense and have meaning for the children.

Inquiry Based Learning: Step One--Choosing a Topic

I was talking with my principal last week, lamenting the fact that I started my blog too early. I won't have students again for another 11 weeks, so all I am writing about is what I have been learning from my research. She commented that I am "building my knowledge base," and that other people may be interested in learning from that as well.  I hope that is the case, but even if it isn't, I agree that it will be helpful to have a written record of what I have read and learned.

I just finished reading these two books, which explain the process for conducting an effective inquiry.  In this post, I am focusing on step one: Choosing a Topic.

Choosing a Topic

When considering a topic for inquiry in kindergarten, it is important to choose something that all the children can relate to. At this age, their range of experiences is limited, so it is important to consider what is close to a child's immediate daily reality in order to plan a successful inquiry. For example, children this age know very little about the Amazon Rain Forest, but know a lot about their own school playground. 

By observing and listening carefully, we can determine what is interesting to the children in our classroom.  If nothing seems to present itself, we can stimulate their interest through provocations. If you are not familiar with provocations, put simply, they provoke. They provoke thoughts, discussions, questions, interests, creativity and ideas. They can also expand on a thought, project, idea or interest. Provocations are open-ended and, wherever possible, provide for a means of expression. The beautiful thing about provocations is that they allow for multiple entry points into the activity, so they are automatically differentiated for all learners. Provocations can be as simple as a photo of a rock sculpture next to some pebbles or as elaborate as a table with a book on robots and resources to make upcycled robots. Often though, provocations are simple and displayed beautifully to provoke interest. They are usually created as an option, not a required activity. You can find numerous examples of provocations using a simple Google search.

Optimally, the topic of inquiry will come from the children themselves, but occasionally, a topic will be initiated by the classroom teacher. This may be the case if you want to be certain to cover a certain curricular concept via the inquiry approach.

In her book, Becoming Young Thinkers (pp. 52-53), Judy Harris Holm suggests that a topic will probably work well if the teacher can answer yes to the most of these questions:

• Is the topic anchored in children's own experiences, and does it help them understand and appreciate their own world?

• Does the topic add enough value to the children's experience to justify the educational time devoted to the topic?

• Are there items and processes within the topic that encourage children to examine things closely and to observe with accuracy?

• Does the topic provide opportunities for children to use a variety of skills during investigation.

• Are there experiences related to the topic that would enable children to develop intellectual dispositions such as curiosity, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork?

• Does the topic provide opportunities for children to represent what they have learned in a variety of ways and to develop skills in representation?

• Is this a topic that is more concrete than abstract?

• Is there an abundance of firsthand, direct experiences and real objects that young investigators can manipulate?

• Can children do their own research with minimal assistance from adults? Can it be researched without relying only on secondary sources like books, the Internet, or video?

• Are there authentic artifacts and processes that children can study firsthand and not be dependent on adult's models, interpretations, photos, drawings, and other secondary source material to learn about the topic?

• Does the topic have related field sites nearby that can conveniently visited and even revisited?

• Is the topic culturally relevant to the children and their families?

• Will there be opportunities for children to solve their own problems and do their own higher-level thinking including analyzing, evaluating, and creating?

• Do the children find the topic engaging and interesting?

• Does it further the children's core understanding of the curriculum, and does it help children meet age-relevant standards?

Once a topic has been chosen, the teacher can create an anticipatory planning web to determine whether the topic is viable and to determine opportunities to integrate required curriculum into the inquiry. An anticipatory planning web also allows the teacher to think about what she/he already knows about a topic and to identify unknown content.  In addition, the teacher can identify possible project activities. Here is a blank anticipatory planning web that I have created, based on one I saw on Darla Myers' blog, Inquiring Minds: Mrs. Myers' Kindergarten:

On the back of the anticipatory planning web, I have a list of all of our state standards, so I can refer to them and highlight ones I feel may be covered through this inquiry. Here is what the back of my anticipatory planning web looks like:

The anticipatory planning web is prepared by the teacher without student input.  If the teacher determines the inquiry is viable, the next step involves determining what students already know about the topic and what questions they have.  I will address this step in my next post.

Why Inquiry Based Learning?

I first became excited about inquiry based learning a few summers ago when I read the book Let's Find Out by Sue Kempton.  I was mesmerized by the way Sue talked with her students and how excited they were to discuss a wide variety of subjects.  The thing that struck me the most was a comment she made in her book about how children come to school so excited about life and full of wonder and how it is often squelched out of them.  I have seen that happen many times, and I am sure I have done it myself.  I couldn't shake the feeling I had that there has to be a better way...

Returning to the kindergarten classroom after seven years, I knew I had the perfect opportunity to try something new.  I started small and added a morning sharing time into my schedule.  This is a time when students could talk about things they wondered about or discoveries they had made.  I had many magazines and books near the sharing area, and the students would look at them when they first arrived to school. I practiced asking questions like, "What makes you think that?" or "What clues do you see in that picture that would help you know if it is a mammal or an amphibian."  This became our favorite time of the day and the students and I learned many things together.  Often, we would find a video online or bring in an artifact to help us understand and learn about a topic. I knew I was doing something right when I was observed by a student teacher and she said, "I notice you never give them the answer, rather, you lead them to figure it out for themselves."

This past year, I kept the sharing time and toward the end of the year I dabbled in some inquiry based learning projects.  They were a combination of teacher-led and student-led and the students loved them!  Most exciting for me was watching the level of engagement amongst the students, especially students who struggled with learning in a traditional way.  I was hooked and knew I had to take it one step further by immersing my classroom in inquiry/project based learning all year long!

I ordered these books and have been reading through them since school let out for the summer.

Not only have they ignited an even larger fire inside me to teach this way, but also, each and every one of these books shares research which proves this way of teaching is not only developmentally appropriate, but helps children develop intellectual dispositions such as perseverance, flexibility, problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking in addition to academic skills. Not only that, but teaching with an inquiry/project based approach allows the teacher and students to co-construct knowledge together.

I am very excited for the new year, but I am worried as well.  How will make sure I cover all the standards? How will I balance everything? How will I share what the students have learned with parents and administrators?  I know I will figure out how to do these things because I believe this is a better way, and I can't wait to begin!

Inspiration

Waiting has never been my strong suit, so the time it will take for my room to be cleaned and ready so I can begin my classroom transformation will be agonizing! Fortunately, I have invested in some great books, including this one pictured here.

The three things I love most about this book are the beautiful color photographs that fill nearly every page, the specific ideas given for adding elements to enhance learning spaces and the seven principles of design that the book is centered around.  Oh, and the quotes sprinkled throughout the book are pretty amazing as well!

As I plan ways for my classroom to become the third teacher, layout and aesthetics are at the forefront.  I want to create a space that is not only functional, yet homey, but which invites students to wonder, explore, think and create. And, since I teach kindergarten, I want an environment which stimulates the senses. I find myself looking through this book again and again, finding inspiration within its pages.  The seven principles of design were eye opening for me and not something I had considered before for a classroom.  I am including a summary of what I learned about each of them. Words in quotations are straight from the authors: Jessica Deviney, Sandra Duncan, Sara Harris, Mary Ann Rody and Lois Rosenberry.

Principle 1: Nature Inspires Beauty

The key here is bringing the outside in.  This will provide sensory experiences for the children and will also "convey a sense of calmness and tranquility for both children and adults." The authors suggest creative ways to display natural elements such as plants, rocks, seashells, twigs, etc. For example, hanging items from a tension rod in a window, setting large natural elements like tree stumps right on the floor, suspending things from the ceiling (if your school allows it), displaying things on the wall and placing natural materials on a table for children to examine.  They also remind us to that having a variety of natural elements is important as well, including things from the meadow, beach and woods; different types of minerals; metals; and items made from natural materials, such as cork tiles, pottery, glass beads and wicker baskets. Lastly, the authors remind us to keep the senses in mind, being sure to include sounds, such as a trickling waterfall and smells such as fresh fruits and herbs.

Principle 2: Color Generates Interest

"Color can be powerful in both positive and negative ways.  It can evoke feelings and emotions, give importance to areas or objects, define spaces, and reflect children's homes or communities.  Sometimes, however, color can have a negative effect.  Using many colors in a classroom results in a chaotic feeling because it is too visually stimulating. Also, keep in mind the intensity of the colors in the classroom.  Bright yellows, reds, and blues can overwhelm children's emotional well-being, so use primary colors conservatively."  Yikes!  It is a good thing I got rid of the overkill of primary colors in my classroom!

The authors recommend using complementary or split complementary colors and looking for color ideas from our surroundings, such as nature, fashion, restaurants, furnishings, and artwork.

Principle 3: Furnishings Define Space

We can use the classroom furnishings we have to define learning spaces in the classroom.  This book has some wonderful ideas for creating different areas of the classroom, even when the space is limited. They remind us that, "it is important that everything in your classroom has a purpose, contributes to children's learning, and is aesthetically pleasing." I really took their ideas to heart and got rid of numerous items that were not serving any purpose in my classroom.  I feel so much better and my room looks much more open and inviting.  Another thing I learned from this book is the importance of providing a designated place for quiet reflection and alone time away from the classroom's busy areas.  One of the most important take-aways from this section of the book is the importance of providing authentic materials for children to interact with so that "children's play experiences mirror real life."  The book gives specific ideas for authenticating the home-living, block, art, science, music, library, and communications areas in the classroom.  So many great ideas!

Principle 4: Texture Adds Depth

I never gave much thought to the importance of paying attention to texture experiences within the classroom. According to the authors we should "Encourage children to explore textures to gain a new understanding of the world around them." We can accomplish this by having the children weave and then displaying their creations, layering multiple textures, infusing visual textures in the classroom, including recycled textures such as cork and plastics and creating tactile experiences in the sensory table. Again. there are some amazing photographs depicting the use of texture in the classroom environment included in this book.  In fact, I finally realized why our school has these metal structures with holes in them attached to walls in different parts of our building.  They are there to provide a sense of texture in our hallways.  Who would have known?!

Principle 5: Displays Enhance Environment

Children love to collect things. Displaying their found materials in the classroom is not only visually appealing to them, but it provides students with materials they can use to sort, examine, and create.  The authors spend a great deal of time explaining how we can display and organize these collections in our classrooms so they are not only aesthetically pleasing, but so they reflect the values of the students and the culture.  Using neutral-colored bins and baskets or transparent containers allow the materials to be the focus. Consider using blank spaces between objects on shelves as well. Finally, the authors include some fantastic ideas for unique storage that you may not think of yourself--at least I never did!

Principle 6: Elements Heighten Ambiance

Use light to illuminate and to allow children to explore the mystery of shadows.  Transparency is key to capturing as much light as possible.  Also, appealing to the senses by playing soft, soothing music and including a variety of delightful scents will add to the ambiance of the classroom.  You must read the book yourself to truly capture all the wonderful ways elements can add to the aesthetic experience.  I was blown away!

Principle 7: Focal Points Attract Attention

I watch a healthy amount of HGTV, so this is one element I knew about. Honestly, however, I never thought much about focal points when designing my classroom.  And, I never thought about focal points being either interactive or visual.  The book gives numerous tips to consider when designing your focal points, such as utilizing architectural elements, using authentic pieces and creating scenes such as camping areas or an indoor garden.

The last section of the book focuses on the design process itself.  It includes hints for mapping out your space, choosing colors and textures, and special considerations.

I seriously cannot recommend this book enough!  If it seems like I am being paid to promote this book, I am not--I just love it that much!  In fact, while I am chomping at the bit to get in my classroom and begin designing and decorating my new and improved space, I am consoled by the fact that I can look at this book over and over for inspiration.  I am also in the process of repurposing two pieces of furniture for use in my classroom--an old desk from my childhood bedroom and an old wardrobe from my grandmother's house.  I am excited to be able to include these nostalgic pieces in a place I will spend so much time.  I can only only hope that the end result will be a place where the students and I can love learning and growing together.

Update:  Literally five minutes after I wrote this post (while hosting a garage sale), we got caught in a torrential downpour and my book got soaked--as in dripping through the book soaked.  I am trying to dry it, but I fear many of the pages are ruined.  Can you believe it?!!

SaveSave
SaveSave

The Third Teacher

This journey begins with a transformation.  A transformation not only of thinking, but of the environment in which we spend our days together.

In their book, Designs for Living and Learning, Deb Curtis and Margie Carter state that, "You must act with intention to make your beliefs about the value of children, childhood, family, community, and the learning and teaching process visible in the environments you create for children."  They go on to say, "If the environment is designed to be another teacher in the program, then your work as a teacher is not only easier, but it engages more of your own creativity and learning."

Well, who wouldn't want to make their work as a teacher easier, while simultaneously engaging their own creativity and learning?  Count me in!

I have long been a fan of primary colors in my classroom.  I mean, that is what kindergarten is all about, right?  Red, blue, yellow; A, B, C; 1, 2, 3 and all that. It has served me well and I have always received compliments on my classroom environment.  However, this past year I moved into a new classroom and while the primary color scheme was cute, it has definitely run its course.  In addition, I have been reading a lot about emergent curriculum and Reggio Emilia inspired classrooms.  It is definitely time for a transformation!

With school out for the summer, it is the perfect time to make a change. Here are some pictures of different areas of the classroom BEFORE I began my classroom transformation.

             

Morning Routine Chart and Sign In Area

Free Choice Storage

Art Easel and Nonfiction Book Area

Science Display Shelves

Picture Book Bins

Math Wall

Writing Folders and Portfolios

Large Group Space

Lego Table

Books on Cd

Blocks Area

Student Browsing Boxes and Dramatic Play Area

More Books

Calendar Area

Small Group Meeting Space

Word Wall

Student Cubby Area

Storage Cupboards

Snack Shelf and Job Chart

Sink Outside Bathroom

Quiet Choice Activities

Charts

Teacher Space

Now to wait for the room and carpets to be cleaned and floor to be waxed before I can complete the transformation.  Watch for the results in future posts!