Guided+Inquiry

**Arnold, David. "Inquiry Learning: Making History Active." //National Museum of Australia// (2010): 1-7. //EBSCO//. Web. Sept. 2010. **

In the article “Inquiry Learning: Making History Active”, David Arnold explains his seven step model of inquiry learning (1). “Inquiry learning makes history an active, satisfying, and ultimately rewarding learning process.” (Arnold 7)The author stresses the importance of flexibility in his own model and the classroom and in realistic of the limitations in the classroom such as time constraints and teacher control (2). Offering his own method as a template for use, Arnold encourages the user to tweak and personalize the article to fit the situations and circumstances of the classroom. The seven steps of Arnolds Method are as follows “//1.// //Engage, 2.Tune in, 3. Hypothesize, 4. Structure and Inquiry, Critically examine evidence, 6. Reach a conclusion, 7. Reflect and apply”// (2). The author explains how this method is designed to draw the students in and allow them to connect on the material on a personal way. The article then provides a detailed lesson plan on the effect of World War II on the populations of Australia using Arnold’s inquiry method. Through the method provided it is clear that students would be able to apply the content in the lesson plan directly to their own lives and perspectives leading to a greater understanding of the content. In the article the author explains that the step by step process also plays a key role in not only bringing the work to life but making it entertaining and fun for learners so that the interest leads to other discoveries. The article was immensely interesting to me and provided a clear plan to attempt to incorporate inquiry into the classroom. (Chris Horton)

**“An Introduction to Inquiry-Based Learning: A (somewhat) New Approach to Educating and Inspiring Kids.” //Techsoup.// Techsoup, 2 Aug. 2001.Web. 29 September 2010.**
====In this article, “An Introduction to Inquiry-Based Learning,” it explains aspects of inquiry-based learning in comparison to the traditional approach of teaching. This article gives the key points of how inquiry- based learning enhances student learning and success in this type of learning environment. The article also provides information for teachers on how to design an inquiry-based environment.==== ====Inquiry-based learning is driven by the learners asking questions and it is the teachers’ job to support and encourage students on the path to asking questions and learning. Teachers in an inquiry-based learning environment should act more as a guide and coach to help students realize questions that they really care about. In contrast, teachers in a traditional classroom are generally invariant teachers who come to the classroom with an extremely structured lesson plan despite what the students might or might not be ready to learn. “They act as the source of knowledge and as the person who determines which information is important” (An Introduction…). For teachers to create an inquiry-based learning environment a teacher must practice asking questions and work on their listening skills. A teacher must choose their words carefully to encourage students to ask questions. When teachers ask students questions the questions must be answerable.==== ====Inquiry-based learning is driven by the student’s questions as opposed to a teacher’s lesson. The goal of Inquiry-based learning is to assist students in discovering in asking questions and facilitate them in finding the answers themselves. As a result students will develop a motivation to learn because they have a sense of ownership of the material. (Sarah Ekdahl)====


 * Baker, William P., Michael Lang, and Anton E. Lawson. "Classroom Management for Successful Student Inquiry." //Clearing House// 75.5 (2002): 248. //Academic Search Premier//. EBSCO. Web. 28 Sept. 2010.** Teachers all around have heard of inquiry based learning yet, most of them stick to traditional learning practices. There are many reasons why inquiry based learning is not used but, they main reason is that teachers don’t know how to manage an inquiry based classroom. According to the article Baker states that “It is extremely important that a teacher develop techniques that allow them effective implementation of inquiry based activities” (248). In his article he researched teachers and their main reasons for not implementing and inquiry based classroom. Then he breaks down those reasons and provides teachers with solutions to their problems with inquiry learning. Some examples of common problems are, it takes too much time and energy, concerns for the student’s safety, there is not enough classroom space, and there is a lack of money for materials. Baker gives teachers solutions to these common problems while emphasizing the important of inquiry learning in the classroom setting. He fights to take teachers minds away from thinking that traditional practices are the only way of teaching children. He further states this by saying “going along with traditional practices does not create a better educational atmosphere” (250). He argues that there are other forms of teaching that provide students more in-depth learning. Teachers are hesitant to try inquiry learning because it is something new and they only have assumptions of what the end results will be. In his article Baker try’s to break down these wall and let teachers understand that teaching inquiry based learning doesn’t have to be a scary thing. Teachers will have to think creatively and may at first spend extra time planning lessons but after time they will adapt to the inquiry learning process just like they have to traditional processes of learning.(Erin Niles) **Bennett, Katie, and Laurel Hiebert. "Growing up in the Ocean: Complex Life Cycles of Common Marine Invertebrates."** //**Science Activities: Classroom Projects and Curriculum Ideas**//  **46.4 (2010): 18-25.** //**ERIC**// **. EBSCO. Web. 28 Sept. 2010.**

In this article, Bennet and Hiebert take a commonly associated word, in this case, metamorphosis, and expand students’ thinking on the word through inquiry based learning. They start off by having the teacher ask the students about what animals go through the metamorphosis process. Butterflies and frogs appear to be the most common answer among students. After the discussion is over, the teacher may begin their guided inquiry. A blank sheet is handed out and the students are asked to draw what they think the infant lifeforms of certain organisms, such as crabs, barnacles, sand dollars, and starfish look like. Most, if not all, the students should draw “minuscule replicas of the adults” (18). This is because most students, when asked about biological development, usually think infants are small versions of the adults and simply grow bigger and bigger. After all of the students have finished their drawings, slides of an infant star fish are shown, which looks drastically different from it’s adult form. The students are, then, guided through the definition of metamorphosis and asked what animals, that they can think of undergo this process. More questions are asked about how these animals move, and what they eat during these different developmental stages of their lives. The students are separated into groups to observe and record differences between adult crabs, the larva stage, and the mid-life stage as well as draw pictures about noticeable difference between each form the crab takes. The students inquire about the many differences each stage of metamorphosis the crab goes through, which is the purpose of this exercise. The purpose is to build on the students’ basic skills of inquiry through detailed and careful observations, asking questions they think of and trying to find answers to their questions, which will, hopefully lead to more questioning about life in the ocean or life science in general. (Colin Ramsey)
 * Bibens, Robert, Thoery into Practice Spring80, Vol. 19 Issue 2, p87, 6p, //Using Inquiry Effectively,// Academic Search Premier. **

This article is a demonstration on how to incorporate and use inquiry effectively in a classroom setting. Throughout this paper the author, Robert Bibens, infers that “promoters of inquiry maintain that knowing about content is not the same as understanding that content, and being able to apply and interpret it”(88). He is surmising that the meaning and use of inquiry is wrongly used by students and what inquiry really entails is learning and developing information in a much more complicated way than just knowing the basics of a particular subject. Bibens believes that inquiry revolves around three basic learning phases, exploration, invention, and discovery. These phases open student’s eyes to inquiry and how it is used or gathered but also how much more complex inquiry and the process of inquiring information really is. Not only does this article cover the use and techniques needed to encourage students to look deeper into their knowledge base, but it distinguishes the old fashioned procedures of students trying to convince their teachers they are accomplished achievers. Although teachers enjoy the idea of their students being “over achievers” in the end majority of the time it is just a cover up and a way of sliding under the educational radar. Inquiry and the usage of inquiry takes immense amounts of time and thought but in the end it can convert a pupil from being an average student with little comprehension, to a resourceful student that uses inquiry to obtain information in a more suitable and educational way.(Carissa Kellogg)
 * Chinn, Clark A., Ravit Golan Duncan, and Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver. “Scaffolding and Achievement in Problem-Based and Inquiry Learning:A Response to Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006)” //EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST// //42//.2 (2007): 99–107. EBSCO. Web. 15 Sept. 2010.***

In the article Chinn is trying to disprove the claim that problem-based learning(PBL) and inquiry learning (IL) are ineffective and contain very little guided instruction. Throughout the article the authors talk about what problem-based learning and inquiry learning are and how scaffolding is involved. They also talk about why these methods are efficient and how there is a significant amount of guidance involved in both approaches.

Problem-based learning and inquiry learning are very important aspects of learning. “In PBL, students learn content, strategies, and self-directed learning skills through collaboratively solving problems, reflecting on their experiences, and engaging in self-directed inquiry. In IL, students learn content as well as discipline-specific reasoning skills and practices (often in scientific disciplines) by collaboratively engaging in investigations” (100 ). With both of these methods students are engaged in what they are doing and they are using their inquiry skills to formulate questions and answers for things they might want to learn about or for things they are confused about and trying to understand. While the students are engaged in their work, the teacher is there to answer questions when needed. The teacher is there to facilitate the students, not just simply give them directions and expect the students to figure it out on their own. “They guide students in the learning process, pushing them to think deeply, and model the kinds of questions that students need to be asking themselves, thus forming a cognitive apprenticeship” (Chinn et al, 101 ). Not only is there a lot of teacher guidance in problem-based learning and inquiry learning, but there is a significant amount of scaffolding required in each of the learning styles. Because the students are pushed to think outside of the box and explain their thinking until they have discovered the answers, problem-based learning and inquiry learning allow the students to gain a more complex way of thinking and understanding. The authors argue that IL and PBL really involve the students and with the indepth use of scaffolding helps the studentd understand how to construct knowledge in a way the authors see as learning (105 ). Through problem-based learning and inquiry learning students use scaffolding in a variety of ways and are intensely guided through the process by the teacher making these methods not only efficient, but useful. (By Megan Damman)

**DeWitt, Scott. “Multicultural Democracy and Inquiry Pedagogy.”** __**Intercultural Education**__  **14.1 (2003): 279-90.**

Technology has opened doors to research and learning. Instead of going to the library to look for books for a research paper, you can go online, access the book or article that you want to read, and download it to your computer. Since technology is so convenient it is hard for students to go back to using old methods of research. This article explains the study and use of Internet in the classroom, inquiry pedagogy, and multicultural democracy. Internet in the classroom opens up multiple possibilities of learning. Not only is it modern which keeps the students interested, but it accesses the teachers and the students to many different resources to try and enhance learning. The study in the article states “teachers with access to computers and training in computer use in support of inquiry pedagogy find it easier to incorporate inquiry pedagogy in their classrooms”(286). Computer technology helps access an array of resources and communication that the teachers can show their students. This study also describes inquiry pedagogy and how it promotes students thinking skills. Inquiry pedagogy has four steps, “1) develop a question or problem; 2) hypothesize possible answers/solutions; 3) investigate/discuss/analyze data related to the issue; 4)revise/refine the hypotheses as necessary to incorporate the new evidence”(282). It is critical for the teacher to promote thinking skills by demonstrating these four steps in the classroom. Multicultural Democracy is also discussed in the article. When you think of Multicultural Democracy in the classroom, you should ask yourself: Who will I be teaching? Whether it is cultural diversity, interracial or community, the teacher must know that diversity is inevitable and they teacher must work around their environment. In this study, if the teachers utilize these methods it can expand opportunities and understanding in the classroom. (Jackie Domine)

**Haneda, Mari, and Gordon Wells. “Inquiry and Additional Language through Dialogic Inquiry.” //Language and Education// 22.2 (2008): 114-136. //EbscoHost.// Web. 12 Sept. 2010.** “As Bakhtin (1986) emphasised, language is not encountered or learned as an abstract system of decontextualised rules and definitions. Rather, language occurs as //dialogue//” (Haneda and Wells, 116). This article looks at and fights for dialogic inquiry in a classroom and how important it is. Dialogic inquiry seems to be brought up over and over again, and it is essential in a classroom. It’s key for the success of the EALs. One of the first benefits of dialogic inquiry is that it teaches students the different speech genres. A child’s first language is learned easily at home through every day life, repetition, etc. They learn how to talk to different people (ie friends, parents, etc). The second language usually doesn’t come that easily. In classrooms that don’t offer the students a chance to practice their new language, it becomes harder. An EAL in a classroom with a majority of L1 English speakers may have a benefit because they can listen/learn/observe. The article shows us three different cases of EALs emerging into better students through dialogic inquiry and proves, however, that even in a classroom of all EALs, English can still be learned. There are two main functions when teaching: monologic (information that is just told to and absorbed by the students; concrete) and dialogic (open-ended information that requires further thoughts/ideas/involvement from the students). A combination of the two seems to be very strong in a classroom setting. It’s important to remember the goal of the activity and to work around that. Dialogic inquiry may force some teachers to look in a new light. It’s important for them to remember to be positive and get the kids excited. Through this great teaching process the kids develop their identities in the classroom and in life and begin to see others perspectives! (Dani Driver)


 * Knodt, Jean Sausele. “Cultivating Curious Minds: Teaching for Innovation through Open-Inquiry Learning.” //Teacher Librarian// (2009): Vol. 37 Issue 1. 15- 22. //Academic Search// Review. Oct. 2009**

In the article, “Cultivating Curious Minds: Teaching for Innovation through Open-Inquiry Learning,” it emphasis the significance of providing open-inquiry learning labs during the students regular school hours that focuses on teaching students thinking. The goal is to provide students a learning environment with an open inquiry-learning lab to inspire curiosity and innovation from students. The author Jean Sausele Knodt states that, “Children’s innovative thinking sets sail when the natural inquisitiveness they bring to the learning table is inspired, affirmed, and cultivated” (1).

A great place to have the open-inquiry lab is the school library. The library sets the environment to construct industrious thinking and also provides the resources for successful thinking. In the environment of cultivated thinking, the instructor of the open-inquiry lab group needs to apply new and effective ways to teach innovation, collaboration, and contribution to the students. The most important aspect of the open-inquiry labs is to aid in student successes. Open-inquiry teachers ought to interact with the children by being a student themselves. Knodt asserts that educators should end up being an “apprentice-like pedagogy” (3). Students feel more at ease when they see their teacher not just as an authoritative figure but as almost an equal through the learning process.

The goal of open-inquiry labs is to create an environment to help students feel safe and aid them in launching a spirit to discover and ask questions. In order to create an environment for open-inquiry, there is a great need for teachers with creative teaching techniques and innovative minds to empower children to be inspired to ask questions, explore, and most importantly learn.

(Sarah Ekdahl)

In the article, “Cultivating Curious Minds: Teaching for Innovation through Open-Inquiry Learning” the idea of a centralized open-inquiry learning lab, (focused on teaching thinking to the students) should be a part of a child’s regular school schedule; when children are given the opportunity to openly ask and explore it is believed they will learn more and in return thrive. The beginning of the article talks about the need for flexible individuals with creative thinking minds geared toward collaboration in order to make the idea of an open inquiry lab possible. Jean Sausele Knodt asks “How are you preparing children to meet their futures—our futures—with innovative minds?” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The mission of the lab is to engage innovative thinking by opening up the children’s mind and guiding their energy in the right direction. For example a class gathers in a circle with a lead instructor, and together they spend five to ten minutes thinking and sharing their ideas about a centered concept. The topic of discussion is something that most if not all the children are interested in, that way there is never a dull silent moment. Having a “focus theme” during conversation establishes a thinking centered objective. After the circle conversation children make choices about their day’s inquiry with the help of instructors. Instructors may walk about the room fueling discussion by asking questions such as “what might you want to learn about today?” or “where would you want to go to learn about that?” the children’s choices during open lab are the fuel for the open inquiry lab. Engaging energy and experiences help them to choose how to spend their time during the open lab. After they choose an activity, the teachers move about helping build conversations, and act the role of a questioning coach. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The open lab lasts about forty-five minutes to an hour; the children place all their projects and activities away and re-group in their original circle. They continue a discussion with the instructors help, reviewing their lab time with questions such as “Let’s hear some examples of what was frustrating you today?” or “what were some ways you dealt with the frustration?” The group conversations at the end of the lab and the students’ written reflections confirm the pedagogy in action. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">An important aspect of the open inquiry lab developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihayli, is flow. When your activity flows you achieve “sustained absorption” and not only with the children lose track of time, but they will likely experience stronger levels of ownership of the information or idea being discussed. Having a lab project that must be explained over and over puts a stop to thinking and will only cause confusion, however a project that inspires flow keeps thought and learning engaged, and therefore satisfying focus again and again. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">“Collaborations with students start with their lab-time engagement of flow and their contributions to thinking-centered conversations. Once this base dynamic is established, instructors can guide children’s involvements further in a variety of ways”. A few examples of how they do this is by developing new inquiry challenges and lab projects, initiating student peer reviews, parent volunteers, and guiding children to find new resources. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">To prepare young minds for the future you need to actively engage a part of their day and devote it to helping them think and explore, guide their open inquiry lab to help them achieve different levels of thinking. (Chelsc Silva- Nishimoto)


 * Reiman, Alan J. and Sandra DeAngelis Peace. “Promoting Teachers’ Moral Reasoning and Collaborative Inquiry Performance: a developmental role-taking and guided inquiry study.” __Journal of Moral Education__ 31.1 (2002): 51-66.**

Moral reasoning and collaborative inquiry are principles that were discussed in this article. Teachers need to develop and promote moral and imaginative practices in the classroom for the students to understand and be interested in what they are learning. This article teachs role taking, peer coaching and guided inquiry to help the teachers develop teaching skills in the classroom. Through teaching role taking, peer coaching and guided inquiry, the article hopes that the teachers will gain or strengthen four main objectives that are necessary to inhance teaching. These main objectives are to prepare teachers to be mentors, to observe peer coaching and be open minded to new teaching methods, to adapt to the environment throughout the teachers career and finally to discuss the implications of role taking and guided inquiry. Teachers need to be able to understand these objectives to advance in their teaching career. Through role taking and peer teaching we read about learning teaching framework (LTF). The (LTF) is “a framework for educational programming and teacher character development programmes” (Reiman 51). Learning teaching framework is based on three skills. These three capabilities are interpersonal understanding, interpersonal skills, and personal meaning. Teaching is a very social and involved career, all three of these capabilities should be developed to try and form a successful teacher-student relationship. For the teachers to be successful in their peer coaching and they should be able to reflect on their own experiences, practice self-monitoring and be able to self evaluate and learn how to conduct reflective coaching cycles. The teachers do this by establishing relationships, assessing prior knowledge, development, competence, values, and cultural experiences. These are all very crucial to get the persons trust and be about to understand where they are coming from. Role taking, peer coaching and guided inquiry are needed and required for the teachers to be successful in their teaching career. (Jackie Domine)

Dresser, Rocio. “The Effects of Teacher Inquiry in the Bilingual Language Arts Classroom”. //Teacher Education Quarterly, Summer 2007//. 53-66. EBSCO. Web. 28 Sept 2010.
A most relevant article for all future teachers, Rocio researches and applauds Sugishita’s (2005) Classroom Inquiry Cycle (CIC) implemented in teacher education programs which has proven to a useful approach in assisting teacher candidates in developing the skills to address student needs. The Classroom Inquiry Cycle includes five phases: 1) planning 2) pre-conference 3) lesson implementation and evidence collection 4) post-conference and analysis 5) reflection and sharing. Traditionally, university mentors have been viewed as experts who transfer information to novice teachers. By contrast, the CIC provides the opportunity for teacher candidates and supervisors to share the power through collaboration and reflection. The CIC model requires that the teacher candidates interact with one another and build a community of inquiry. The CIC assists teacher candidates in becoming teacher researchers who assess and investigate ways to address the needs of all students. Future teachers become informed about theory and research regarding best practices for English learners, and understand that classroom research should be ongoing and cyclical. Rocio states the obvious when he writes, “the bottom line is that the main goal of teaching is for students to succeed in school” (65).Thus, a never-ending cycle of inquiry for teachers is essential for learning to occur. (Lynn Lewis)

**Spence, Lucy K. __ spence@mailbox.sc.edu __ “Inquiry Based Writing Workshop” Teacher Librarian(2009) Vol. 37 Academic Search Premier University of South Carolina** In “Inquiry Based Writing Workshop” a second grade teacher, Nancy, and a librarian create a lesson plan based on the exploration of inquiry in writing. Majority of the students that were presented with this curriculum were native to English language which made this challenge even harder for both Nancy and the librarian. The workshop started with the students picking an inquiry topic that they were interested in and themes that related to their cultural background, this gave the students the ability to implement creativity and individualism when choosing their subjects while, “making the curriculum organized around the social and personal questions of the learners.”(Nancy Pg 1) While reading about these techniques on how to get students to be involved with inquiry and interested in their topics, it reminded me of the book //Ladybugs, Tornadoes, and Swirling Galaxies.// Although the two separate systems worked immensely on opening English language learner’s eyes to inquiry and the capability of questioning and discovering answers to even what the student’s perceive as an impossible outcome.

Some of the procedures that Nancy and the librarian use were basic skills to motivate the students to question information that they already had in their minds. One of the techniques that the professor’s use is a method called KWL which stands for What I know, What I want to know, and What I learned. The teachers also used tactics such as personal idea webs and four square organizers both of which helped students build onto their evaluations and create more ideas. I believe this article provided me with more knowledge towards creative ways to incorporate inquiry in writing. This workshop presents many new ideas and methods that would surely help any teacher but especially an English teacher.(Carissa Kellogg) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">According to a study conducted by Scruggs and other researchers, “Students with learning disabilities who learn through an inquiry-oriented approach, rather than through a textbook-based approach, performed better on unit tests” (qtd. in Science 5). Students with mild disabilities and students without disabilities had a high level of retention after two weeks. In the same study, students with more severe learning disabilities who received discovery instruction outperformed students with learning abilities who received traditional direct instruction. The Inquiry Process has four phases: Inquiry, Data Gathering 1, Data Gathering 2, and the Implementation Phase or conclusion. It is a non-linear variation of the scientific method but is more collaborative with teams, more student driven, and has more hands-on opportunities in order to develop science process skills. Using inquiry, kids can enter a phase at any time. All students, from advanced to learning disabled, go through each phase. More advanced students might look at a chart (with some kind of scientific data) and then create a research question. A learning disabled student might depend more on teacher-guided questions and investigative protocols to create a research question. Using three types of inquiry, the classroom teacher uses __structured__ hands-on activities with procedures, materials, and questions, __guided__ with a problem and supplies to solve it, or __open__ with an activity such as a field trip to a vegetable garden where students determine a problem (such as what plants grow better in shade and why), investigation, procedure, and outcome. When teachers use structured inquiry, it is less overwhelming. G.R. Lyon believes a learning disability is “usually associated with students who do not develop skills in a way that is commensurate with their potential” (qtd. in Science). Disabilities with listening, speaking, basic reading, comprehension, arithmetic calculations, and written expression affect performance. In the article, teacher strategies to support students with learning disabilities include mnemonics using visual-verbal cues, graphic organizers, peer tutoring, assistive technology for gathering and recording data, grouping strategies, think-pair-share strategy, and cognitive strategies. Teachers can model and teach metacognitive skills in order to think through problems and ask students to activate prior knowledge and make new connections. Students with LD need strategies for problem solving and should be taught skills in a systematic manner through continued practice and teacher guidance, but LDs “benefit from an inquiry-based classroom” (Science 7).

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Science Inquiry: The Link to Accessing the General Education Curriculum //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">. Rep. The Access Center Improving Outcomes of All Students K-8, funded by Office of Special Education Projects, 2002. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. ( Janice Rowland)

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**Wolf, Maya, and Alix Laferriere. "Crawl into Inquiry-Based Learning."** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//**Science Activities**// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **46.3 (2009): 32-38.** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//**Academic Search Premier**// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**. EBSCO. Web. 14 Sept. 2010.**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Maya Wolf and Alix Laferriere give an example on how easy it is to gets students engaged into inquiry-based learning. One of the easiest methods is to use life science, such as a classroom pet, and in this case, a hermit crab. The authors demonstrate through a lesson plan style of writing on how to bring inquiry into this experiment. Students are presented with a KWL (what they <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__K__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">now, what they <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__W__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ant to know, and what they’ve <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__L__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">earned) chart (33) and fill in the sections appropriately. The crabs are, then, brought out and the children will then begin brainstorming a classroom hypothesis based on their observations. Once a hypothesis is reached, in this case, “Do crabs prefer sandy or rocky beaches,” the classroom experiment begins. The students separate into groups and run a series of tests to arrive at a conclusion for their hypothesis. The results are discussed as a class as each group picks a member to report their results. While the conclusion they arrived at was not clear, based on their results being too varied, the objective of the experiment was to get the students engaged into the process of inquiry, asking questions they could test, and to come up with ways through experimentation to answer these questions. Furthermore, the students continued to question further how they could have arrived at a more concrete answer. Suggestions from giving the experiment more time to modifying the parameters under which the experiment was conducted show only the tip of the iceberg of the children’s learning process and how much they are capable of wondering about the world they live in. (Colin Ramsey)