7 Essential Inquiry Resources for Any Classroom

All classrooms benefit from the inclusion of inquiry tools, resources, and routines. They encourage curiosity, exploration, and critical thinking, which leads to greater engagement and better understanding over time.

Providing the right inquiry resources in the classroom can enhance inquiry-based learning drastically. From robotics kits in STEM class, to microscopes in the science lab, inquiry-based learning is enriched by the inclusion of hands-on resources that allow for practical and tangible opportunities for learning and soft-skill development.

This article offers seven useful and practical inquiry resources that support an inquiry-rich classroom environment, along with suggestions for how to use them effectively. Some links in this article are affiliate links. Read our full affiliate disclosure here.

Inquiry Resource #1: STEM Kits

STEM kits bring a sense of excitement and engagement to the inquiry classroom. They support inquiry-based learning by providing hands-on, interactive experiences that spark curiosity and promote a deeper understanding of science, math, and technology concepts.

By enabling students to explore real-world concepts through experimentation, STEM kits make abstract ideas tangible. They cater to different learning styles and encourage students to collaborate, think creatively, and think critically. In addition, students gain teamwork, perseverance, and problem-solving skills. They also build communication skills by explaining their designs and findings to peers.

Interdisciplinary Benefits

In science, STEM kits allow students to simulate experiments, allowing them to more deeply understand scientific principles. For instance, building and testing structures with STEM kits help students to see the practical application of forces like tension and compression. Another example could be a hydroponics STEM kit where students can grow plants without soil and observe how nutrients in the water help plants grow. By adjusting light, water, and nutrients, students see how these changes affect growth in a tangible way.

Related Inquiry Resource: 10 Pod LED Hydroponic Growing System (30% off right now)

In math, STEM kits help students to visualize abstract concepts like geometry and measurements. For example, geometry kits are an excellent way to let students play around with 3D shapes to understand concepts like edges, vertices, and faces. Simple geoboards are excellent for this too.

In other technology courses, students gain insights into programming, robotics, and engineering processes, equipping them with skills for future careers. This long-term benefit is a key advantage of incorporating STEM kits into inquiry lessons, as it prepares students for the increasingly technology-driven job market. Using a robotics STEM kit like the Solar-Powered Robots (under $20) is a fun way for students to apply psychics and engineering principles in a tangible way.

Other Ways to Use These Inquiry Resources:

Using Snap Circuits, students can design simple circuits and learn about electricity and energy flow.
Students can explore the laws of motion by building 6 different working models (with a step-by-step guide and 3D models on the app) with the Engino Physics Model Building Kit
Provide time in class for students to tinker with LEGO Gearbots to understand engineering concepts and how things like gears, levers, pulleys, circuits, and motors work together as a system

Inquiry Resource #2: Interactive Globes and Maps

Interactive globes and maps make geography and history come alive by giving students a hands-on way to explore spatial relationships, cultural diversity, and historical events. Moreover, these tools turn abstract data into meaningful visuals, which help to enhance comprehension and retention.

Interacting with globes and maps not only enhances geographical and historical knowledge but also cultivates soft skills such as analytical thinking, spatial awareness, and empathy by understanding global interconnectedness. Students often find it more manageable to understand modern-day relations when they have a foundational knowledge of the world’s geography and history.

Using These Inquiry Resources in Geography and History Classes

Interactive globes, such as the LeapFrog Magic Adventures Globe, open up a world of discovery for students. They can explore continents, climates, and cultures that they’re exploring in class, and make sense of things like:

Physical features – for instance, students can explore mountains, rivers, and oceans and their proximity to one another and how they formed
Historical events – by pinpointing locations of historical events, students can connect those events to real-world places that currently exist
Connections between regions – students can better understand the relationships between countries by examining things like migration paths, cultural exchanges, and historical artifacts to make global interactions easier to understand

Our article on how to teach events that occurred at the same time in history helps students understand that different events occurred simultaneously during history, just in different parts of the world. This is often something that students struggle with. The Orboot Interactive Globe + App (30% off now) is also a great tool with an app that includes 3D images and facts for students to enhance their understanding.

Other Ways to Use These Inquiry Resources:

Students can use interactive globes to learn about holidays in different countries, which helps to build cultural awareness
Tracing historical trade routes, such as the Silk Road can help students understand economic and cultural exchanges, as well as learning how goods, ideas, and technologies moved between regions
Using globes and maps allows students to compare changes in land use, deforestation, and other environmental shifts to understand how human activities and natural events are interconnected

Inquiry Resource #3: Digital Microscopes

Digital microscopes are incredibly helpful in that they allow students to better understand scientific materials and samples. Most classrooms do come equipped with things like magnifying glasses and petri dishes. However, investing in high-quality tools like microscopes and other investigative technologies are game-changing when it comes to student engagement.

As noted in Foldscope Instruments’ article, microscopes offer experiential learning, expands student’s worldviews, enables exploration, and rewards curiosity. Using microscopes also helps students build patience, precision, and attention to detail while promoting teamwork during collaborative investigations.

Benefits for Science and Technology

Microscopes help explore biology, geology, and chemistry in science. They also enhance observational skills and are a perfect complement to inquiry learning.

Biology: Using an LED Dual Microscope, students can explore the process of mitosis in a variety of fruits and vegetables, documenting each phase with sketches
Geology: Students work in pairs to view thin sections of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks under microscopes to observe grain sizes and patterns, then use a diagram to record their findings. Using a Portable Handheld Microscope means students can observe and examine rocks outside in nature
Chemistry: To learn about the microscopic structure of crystals, students grow their own salt or sugar crystals on slides and observe the geometric shapes and patterns, then compare with other items and their structure

Other Ways to Use These Inquiry Resources:

Elementary-aged students can use the National Geographic Microscope for Kids to examine onion skin or cheek cells to see their structure, helping to introduce the concepts of cell walls, nuclei, and organelles
Students can conduct a soil or bacteria analysis by comparing samples in terms of their particle size and composition differences
Pairs of students can test the quality of water by collecting various samples of water from fountains, pools, or ponds. Using microscopes, they search for organisms and document and compare their findings

Inquiry Resource #4: Primary Source Documents

Primary source documents, such as historical speeches or letters, are indispensable in giving students a window into the past and guiding them to engage with history authentically. They promote critical thinking by challenging students to interpret, analyze, and contextualize information. Unlike secondary sources, they provide raw, unfiltered accounts of historical moments. Incorporating primary sources into the inquiry classroom helps deepen students’ understanding of the past and allows them the opportunity to truly connect with history.

Primary Sources and Civic Engagement

Primary sources enhance student’s understanding of social justice, politics, and civic responsibilities by connecting historical events to contemporary issues. This connection not only makes the material more engaging for students, but it also helps them see the relevance of history to the present day. We’ve written extensively on teaching social justice in the classroom, as it’s imperative for students to make these past-present connections.

Soft Skill Development

When interacting with primary source documents, students gain several benefits:

Critical thinking skills: When working with these documents, students are required to interpret the document in context. What this means is that they must ask questions to understand the intended purpose and audience, including any possible biases that might be present, thereby developing critical thinking skills
Building empathy: Working with primary source documents lends itself to student immersion. For instance, by reading letters of enslaved people, women’s suffrage activists, or immigrants during the Great Depression, students gain insight into the lives and challenges of these individuals, which allows students to empathize with personal accounts that humanize these historical events
Promoting independence: Students become empowered to think critically and formulate their own interpretations of the past through the use of primary source documents. By posing their own questions and seeking evidence, students learn how to construct and defend arguments based on evidence and inquiry

Recommended resource: Inquiry-Based Practice in Social Studies Education

History and Civics Project Idea Library:

4 Powerful and Purposeful Inquiry Questions for Teaching Black History
Thinking History – excellent website with practical idea for engaging history lessons
Historical Thinking Concepts
Free PDF Download: 50 Historical Inquiry Questions:
A Complete Guide to Using Historical Inquiry in the Classroom

Inquiry Resource #5: Collaborative Board Games

Collaborative board games have become increasingly popular in the classroom. These games not only encourage students to engage in teamwork, problem-solving, and effective communication – all vital soft skills necessary for success in academic settings and life beyond the classroom – but also play a significant role in fostering a sense of community within the classroom.

At their core, collaborative games are not only about winning, but about working together to achieve a common goal. They have the ability to enhance soft skill development and complement traditional learning methods. Moreover, they are an ideal tool in the inquiry classroom because they align well with the principles of inquiry – collaborating to solve problems, reflecting on decisions, and engaging in discussions that deepen their understanding of concepts.

Enhancing Soft Skills

While playing collaborative board games, students must listen to one another, share ideas, and make collective decisions. This kind of cooperation teaches students the importance of compromising, as not all players may agree on the best course of action. As students engage in these interactions, they learn to value different perspectives, manage disagreements constructively, and work towards a consensus. These exchanges often involve explaining strategies, justifying decisions, and providing feedback, all of which help students improve their ability to express themselves. One of my favourite games to play in the classroom that offers these kinds of exchanges is Settlers of Catan – a reliable favourite (my students absolutely love playing this game together).

Other popular board game series: Peaceable Kingdom Board Games – a previous school I taught at had stacks of these games, all very popular among various age groups.

In some instances, collaborative board games also provide students with chances to practice non-verbal communication (facial expressions, gestures, body language, etc.) to express themselves. Through these interactions, students become more aware of how they communicate and how others interpret their messages, which is an important skill in both academic and real-world contexts.

Furthermore, students learn to be flexible and resilient when playing collaborative and strategy games with their peers. For instance, most games involve moments of success and failure, during which students must learn how to manage their emotions. These emotional responses provide opportunities for reflection and growth. In addition, responding to the emotions of their peers by offering encouragement or supporting someone who doesn’t know how to play builds empathy and teaches the value of supporting one another.

Another awesome choice is Forbidden Island – a super fun strategy game with the goal of capturing treasure (also only $20 on sale for Black Friday on Amazon)

Inquiry Resource #6: Coding Kits

Coding kits, such as robotics kits and programming tools, are powerful resources in the inquiry classroom. They offer hands-on, engaging experiences that encourage students to ask questions, experiment, and solve problems. These kits are not only designed to teach students the basics of coding and robotics, but also to develop practical problem-solving skills that are valuable inside and outside the classroom.

At its core, coding is all about tinkering and experimenting to understand how things work and how they can be improved. Instead of following instructions from a textbook, students can actively build with real technology. For example, robotics kits like the SPHERO Coding Robot Ball offer students opportunities to learn programming and create games and commands and share their learning with others. In my own classroom, I’ve had a lot of success using the LittleBits At-Home Starter Kit during STEM sessions with my elementary-aged students. The possibilities are endless, and it’s fascinating to see how the process of coding turns abstract concepts like algorithms or loops into something tangible that students can see and touch.

Building Logical Thinking and Sequencing Skills

Robotics coding kits taps into parts of the brain that often challenges students to think more logically than they might be used to. For example, writing code requires students to break down tasks into small, manageable steps that the computer can follow (also known as algorithmic thinking). This kind of thinking forces students to slow down and focus on each step at a time, which has benefits in other subjects like math and reading. The ability to think logically and follow steps is invaluable in any area of learning.

Ideas for Incorporating Coding Kits into your Lessons:

Math:

Challenge students to program a robot to move through a maze or follow a specific path, using mathematical principles such as angles, distance, and coordinates
Program robots to make right-angle turns or draw shapes like squares and triangles
Encourage students to tinker with code to make a robot complete a task, thereby teaching them thinks like variables, loops, and conditional statements

Geography:

Create a map and simulate a journey with a robot using coordinates and navigation instructions
Design an activity where a robot “travels” to a specific point on a map, and challenge students to use code to help the robot choose the shortest or most efficient route
Challenge students to explore concepts like time zones, elevation, and terrain, using the robot to simulate journeys across different geographic regions; by doing this, students can visualize how geographic data influences real-world navigation

Art:

Coding can allow students to draw or create patterns, draw sketches, and make geometric shapes like spirals, fractals, or tessellations
Students can code a robot to change colour based on external factors such as temperature, sound, or light levels

Inquiry Resource #7: Inquiry Journals and Reflection Logs

Reflection journals and logs are powerful tools for helping students deepen their understanding and retain knowledge in any subject. By encouraging students to pause, think critically, and articulate their thoughts, these journals not only record their learning journey but also promote metacognition—the process of thinking about one’s own thinking—which is essential for long-term learning. In addition, they serve as a way for students to record their thoughts, feelings, questions, and insights about their learning.

Related inquiry resource to encourage metacognition: “What Do You Do With a Problem?” (awesome book for all ages about facing problems and discovering the possibilities they hold for discovering more about yourself)

Unlike note-taking, which focuses on facts and information, reflection journals are designed to encourage students to consider their learning process, make connections, and express their interpretations and ideas. This is important in inquiry learning as it helps to enhance their understanding of new concepts and retain knowledge. For instance, students can ask:

What was a high point and what was a frustration of the day?
What did I learn today?
How was I feeling during the inquiry process today?
What have I learned about coping with my feelings during this process?
What growth have I felt today (in my work, in my reactions, etc.)?
How can I deal with my feelings in a positive way?
What have I learned that I can use elsewhere?
How might I be feeling during the next stage tomorrow, and how can I prepare for that?

How students can use reflection journals:

There are several ways students can use reflection journals in every subject:

Science: Students can document hypotheses, observations, and experiment results in their journals. For example, after conducting a plant growth experiment, students can reflect on what surprised them, what they might do differently, and how the results relate to larger scientific principles. This process reinforces scientific concepts and helps students develop metacognition and critical thinking skills
Music: In music, students can greatly benefit from using journals to analyze their performances, track their progress in learning an instrument, and explore their emotional responses to specific pieces. By writing about their personal interpretations of a song’s lyrics or melody, they can deepen their creative and emotional connections. To make the process even more creative, encourage students to design their own reflection journals (these Blank Kraft Notebooks come in a pack of 24 and are easily customizable)
History: Reflection journals in history provide students with a valuable opportunity to engage deeply with historical events and figures. After reading a primary source, students can reflect on the author’s perspective and the historical context, linking it to present-day issues. For example, they might write about how the speeches of civil rights leaders continue to inspire contemporary activism
Social Studies: Social studies journals empower students to explore complex topics like government systems, cultural diversity, and economic inequality. For example, after a discussion on immigration policies, students can articulate their viewpoints and reflect on how the lesson has impacted their understanding of the world around them

Recommended Journals on Amazon:

3 Minute Gratitude Journal ($5 on Amazon)
A Question a Day Journal
The Five Minute Journal for Kids (I found this recently when I re-ordered a copy of the original Five Minute Journal, it’s 30% off right now)

Final Thoughts:

This article has provided some useful and practical inquiry resources that support an inquiry-rich classroom environment. Incorporating more hands-on inquiry resources allows for practical and tangible learning opportunities for students of all ages. Moreover, they enable deeper understanding of new concepts and processes in any subject.

7 Essential Inquiry Resources for Any Classroom