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Liza Rudick, Amanda Snyder, and Michelle Webster
Woodholme Elementary School Baltimore County Public Schools
Inquiry Circles Wondering, Questioning, Thinking, Investigating
Why do mosquito bites itch?
Outcomes Identify principles of inquiry based
learning practices, management, and resources.
Distinguish the difference between low-level, boring research “reports” and rigorous, engaging inquiry-based research models.
Lets Get Started!
Why Inquires?
Inquiry Circles Book Study Comprehension &
Collaboration Inquiry Circles in Action
By: Stephanie Harvey & Smokey Daniels
Principles of Inquiry Circles
Choice of topics based on genuine student curiosity, questions,
and interests
• Digging deeply into complex, authentic topics • Flexible grouping within a class setting • Grouping with differentiation to acquire knowledge (Harvey & Daniels, 2009)
Principles of Inquiry Circles
Student responsibility and peer leadership Use of proficient-reader/thinker/researcher
strategies Drawing upon multiple, multi-genre, and
multimedia sources Going beyond fact-finding to synthesizing
ideas and building (Harvey & Daniels, 2009)
Questions worth asking
“ Essential questions reflect the key ideas students must acquire to understand the topic. They are posed as questions to stimulate open-ended inquiry rather than propagate simple fact collection.”
(Bertie Kingore, 2004)
-Find big issues to investigate -Identify topics that are researchable
-Plan to share learning
Inquiry Learning
Value Students’ Thinking Because…
Thinking Matters!
Literature Inquiries Literature Inquiries Are…
Reader response centered A component of a
comprehensive literacy program Groups of readers formed by
book choice Structured for student
independence, responsibility, and ownership
Guided primarily by student insights and questions
Intended as a context in which to apply reading and writing skills
Flexible and fluid; never look the same twice
Literature Inquires Are Not…
Teacher and text centered The entire reading curriculum Teacher-assigned groups
formed solely by ability Unstructured, uncontrolled "talk
time“ without accountability Guided primarily by teacher- or
curriculum-based questions Intended as a place to do skills
work Tied to a prescriptive "recipe"
Inquiry Based Collaboration- Small Groups Matter!
Small group inquiries provide…
lifelike experiences collaboration interactive learning cooperative learning improved student achievement
Managing Inquiry Groups
What effective management techniques are helpful in getting groups started?
Survey students’ interests Develop an action plan Implement goal setting Determine task commitment and productivity Define quality and quantity of work Establish criteria of expectations
How do inquiries connect to elementary school curriculums?
Cross-curricular connections to content areas
STEM Fair Primary Talent Development (K-2) Current events
Kindergarten Primary Talent Development Connections
Inquiry connection to the STEM Science Units~
“Building Ramps”
Guided research of various types of ramps. Students plan, draw, discuss creating ramps. Students create and label their ramps based on
the information from their research. Pictures of the models can be included in PTD. Useful artifacts for determining persistent,
communicatative, and/or creative behaviors.
First Grade Primary Talent Development Connections
Inquiry connection to the STEM Science Units~
“Building Bridges”
Guided /Group research of various types of bridges.
Students plan, draw, discuss, create bridges. Students create and label their bridges based
on the information from their research. Pictures of the models can be included in PTD Useful artifacts for determining persistent,
communicatative, and/or creative behaviors.
Second Grade Primary Talent Development Connections
“Preservation Problem Solvers”
Group research of various environmental issues of interest to students.
Students plan, collaborate, research, draw, discuss creating a solution to an environmental issue
After collaborating, students present their problem and potential solution to the group and possibly the school.
Pictures of the models can be included in PTD folders. Useful artifacts for determining persistent,
communicatative, and/or creative behaviors.
Intermediate Connections
Choosing an Inquiry Topic Hurricanes
What would you like to learn about? What do you wonder about hurricanes?
Earthquakes What would you like to learn about? What do you wonder about earthquakes?
Volcanoes What would you like to learn about? What do you wonder about volcanoes?
Floods What would you like to learn about? What do you wonder about floods?
Tornadoes What would you like to learn about? What do you wonder about tornadoes?
Global Warming What would you like to learn about? What do you wonder about global Warming?
Students had a choice of topics and their responses were documented in research notebooks
Intermediate Connections
Research Model Inquiry
Expectations Anchor Chart
Primary Literature Circles • In the literature circles, students read and discuss a
non-fiction book and later a related fiction book.
• To help students stay focused, we use questioning rings.
• Every month, students choose a topic that they learned about in literature circles to further research and present. Sometimes they visit the computer lab or work on research in the library. Sometimes they use our classroom computers and work on it during independent seatwork time.
• The presentations might be PowerPoint slides, a brochure, a rap, a song, or something else of their choice.
Comprehension Toolkit Lessons Comprehension Toolkit lessons: teach students to think about their own thinking as
they read a text. support Close Reading ideas. provide opportunities for students to practice
strategies and make inquiries. include resources for non-fiction texts. lead to rich discussions. allow for continued learning. include academic vocabulary.
Contact Information
Liza Rudick [email protected]
Amanda Snyder [email protected]
Michelle Webster [email protected]
