How to Plan Your First Inquiry Learning Unit

Inquiry learning can be intimidating at first. It’s a shift from traditional methods of teaching to one that both teachers and students are probably somewhat unfamiliar with. If you’re new to inquiry learning, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. There are plenty of articles online about the phases students go through during an inquiry and what the benefits are. However, very few address the practicalities of planning and executing an inquiry unit.

Designing and planning an inquiry unit is best done by working backwards and developing broad goals that align with curriculum standards. Once these big ideas are in place, you can then build in opportunities for skill-building, assessment, and reflection.

The article below will break down each step teachers should work through in order to become familiar and comfortable with inquiry-based learning – eventually leading to the execution of a powerful and engaging inquiry project or unit.

Step 1: Examine your overall expectations and work backwards

A good place to start with inquiry learning is by working backwards. Determine the big ideas or objectives that students should know by the end of the unit, and work backwards. Here are some examples:

Grade 6 Language – C3.4: analyze cultural elements that are represented in various texts, including values, rituals and ceremonies, architecture, art, and dance, by investigating the meanings of these elements, making connections to their lived experience and culture, and sharing their interpretations with others
In plain language, the “big idea/objective” might be: Students will analyze cultural elements represented in ____ [book/text of their choice] by investigating these cultural elements and making connections to their own life and share these interpretations with ___ [class/school/community, etc.]

Grade 3 Social Studies – A3.7: identify a few key treaties relevant to Indigenous people in their region during this period, and explain how some of these agreements affected various peoples and communities in that region and beyond
In plain language, the “big idea/objective” might be: Students will identify a key treaty relevant to Indigenous people in ___ region during this period and explain the effects of this treaty on peoples and communities in that region and beyond.

Once you’ve got your big ideas pinned down, create more specific framing questions. These smaller questions will act as specific pathways students can take in their inquiries.

Developing broad inquiry questions to help guide students

Helping students develop strong questions can be tricky. They need to be open-ended in order to facilitate investigation, but they need to also be narrow enough to be workable. These questions should ignite student curiosity and encompass ideas that students find interesting and important. Furthermore, they should motivate students to ask more questions and make sense of the answers they find in a context that is relevant to them. They should also:

encourage students to approach the question from a unique angle
spark discussion or debate, and raise further questions that align with students’ own curiosity and experience
align with the curriculum goals

I encourage students to be curious and ask lots of questions in any subject. These dry erase speech bubble cutouts (pack of 48, 15% off right now) are great for pinning to a working wall with a marker so that students can jot them down when they arise.

Questions that are cross-curricular are important as well because students often have trouble understanding how two concepts can be connected to each other. Just ensure that you’re helping students stay true to their original question. It can be tempting to steer students in a direction that you find interesting, but remember that the questions are theirs.

Kath Murdoch’s recent book Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning (20% off right now) is an awesome resource that helps teachers understand how to let students take ownership of their learning so that inquiry learning can be more meaningful. It also offers ways to “honour the learner’s right to own their learning” by acting as a facilitator of learning.

More guidance can be found in our article about how to modify student questions for inquiry learning.

Plan assessment opportunities

Assessment in inquiry-based learning is based on a few key ideas:

Assessment will take many different forms – assessment for, as, and of learning
Students should be given multiple ways to demonstrate their learning, which gives teachers more options for collecting assessment information
Assessment happens in an ongoing manner throughout the inquiry cycle

Most importantly, the emphasis for assessment should be placed on the process of inquiry as opposed to the final product. During inquiry learning, teachers use multiple methods for collecting assessment information. For instance, they use observations, discussions, conferences, and demonstrative tasks. Each assessment should focus on gathering proof that your students have acquired a certain skill or learning objective.

Choosing assessment strategies to use in your classroom will depend on the grade level you’re teaching, the inquiry topic itself, and the pace at which your students are working. In addition, take into account other factors such as initiative, teamwork, and cooperation among students. Other skills might include:

Formulating a rich, complex inquiry question
Identifying appropriate sources of information to help investigate
Analyzing the usefulness, quality, and/or reliability of sources
Perseverance in the face of difficulty or setback
Communicating and/or defending a position
Metacognition and reflection on their learning

My favourite assessment tools for teaching inquiry:

Student self-assessment: journals and reflection prompts
Two-sided dry erase answer paddles (pack of 25)
Ophea Assessment Tool (editable PDF printable)
Anecdotal Recording Chart (editable PDF printable)

Step 2: Build in opportunities for skill-building

Problem-solving, collaboration, resourcefulness, and patience are important skills to have in any classroom, let alone an inquiry-driven one. So many students go through school thinking their end goals should include:

Getting their work done as fast as possible, preferably ahead of their classmates
Being “right” about their predictions and responses
Expediting the process of problem-solving and reaping the benefits of finishing early
Memorizing every fact or piece of knowledge and recalling it better than others

Since inquiry-based learning is mostly student-led, students need to be taught skills that will enable them to work with minimal assistance. However, it isn’t useful to teach every student how to manage their time, work collaboratively, research, or organize their information all at once.

In my experience, I like to teach things like question development and personal organization at the beginning. Then, I teach skills like skimming and scanning, note-taking, and analyzing along the way. It’s important to observe students to see where they need additional support and provide reinforcement where it’s needed.

Use mini-lessons to reinforce inquiry skills

In some instances, you may decide to teach certain skills by facilitating mini activities. For example, planning a short 20-minute activity on map-reading or note-taking really pays off when students are investigating on their own. If you are teaching inquiry skills as mini activities, make sure to provide opportunities for students to use active learning and group work. Using scenario-based learning or problem-based learning can be a terrific way to challenge students to problem-solve and work together to gain the necessary skills needed for inquiry learning.

Skills lessons based on student reflection

As students move through their inquiries, they will likely use a multitude of planning tools to investigate their questions. Part of this process requires them to reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, and skills gaps. For example, they might be investigating ocean pollution and realize that they don’t know how to read a nautical chart. Upon recognizing this skills gap, students can request teacher intervention to help them learn how to properly read a nautical chart, or provide scaffolding on how to decode the labels.

It is the job of the teacher or educator to assist their students as needed, whether it’s to teach an explicit skill, provide opportunities for practice, or to help coordinate resources. Encouraging students to be able to recognize their difficulties and seek support is a skill in itself. Students need metacognition opportunities in order to better understand their strengths and weaknesses, and develop confidence in reaching out for help when it’s needed.

Step 3: Co-construct an engaging inquiry environment

Your classroom is a canvas for creativity. Building an inquiry-friendly classroom means encouraging student’s curiosity and honouring their questions. It also means sprucing up your classroom to reflect and encourage a culture of inquiry. However, intentionally creating a classroom that fosters learning and sparks curiosity doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming.

Design interactive bulletin boards

Bulletin boards, for example, can be used to spark curiosity and engage students in many ways. Using them to their fullest potential can turn any classroom into a dynamic and engaging space for students of all ages.

In some classrooms, bulletin boards are used to introduce a new topic or unit. For example, adding images of Indigenous dwellings and traditional beadwork and paintings to a bulletin board is a fun way to introduce a unit on Indigenous history. Including key vocabulary, essential questions, and interesting facts also helps to spark curiosity and engage students. Having students contribute to a bulletin board prior to a new unit is also a great way for them to feel included. For example, starting a unit on the Civil Rights movement might prompt a student to bring in photos, letters, or primary source documents that a friend or relative may have. All of these help contribute to creating an authentic learning environment.

Some other ways to make your space more inviting and inquiry-friendly include:

Displaying rules, mottos, and class values on the wall to reflect a class’s identify, serving as a reminder to everyone what is expected of them
Sparking interest and inspiration through the inclusion of artwork (professional or student-made) or the process of creating visual media
Creating a wonder wall where students post their questions, display their work, or share ideas and evidence of their work
Posting a Q-Matrix, where students can post their questions and curiosities throughout the week. Download a sample Q-Matrix template here.

Provocations and invitations

An invitation is something that encourages students to explore a concept. A provocation is something that provokes action and stimulates thinking. Both are used in the inquiry classroom to evoke curiosity and encourage play.

More specifically, provocations are open-ended invitations to explore, create, and stimulate ideas. They don’t necessarily have a specific outcome; rather, they are intended to evoke curiosity and imagination in students. Provocations are intended to provoke a response from students – a question, a wonder, a thought, or a feeling of curiosity. They are designed to spark excitement and wonder in students and get them thinking about what’s next.

An invitation, on the other hand, is something that encourages students to explore a concept or practise a specific skill. Some educators refer to them as “play prompts” because the goal is to get students to engage in a particular type of play or activity. The emphasis is on students using their imagination, practising fine motor skills, and exploring sensory objects.

In my experience, authentic inquiry classrooms should include “real-life” elements. For example, challenging students to create a recycling program that is simple and easy to follow, or asking students to design a community garden for senior citizens to access.

In general, authentic learning experiences should be active, self-directed, open-ended, and garner an emotional connection with students. For more ideas on these types of activities, check out our article on Meaningful, Impactful Inquiry Projects.

Step 4: Facilitate, but intervene when necessary

Inquiry-based learning is led by students. It is based on student questions and curiosities. While this doesn’t mean you should let students have total, uninhibited free-reign over the classroom, it does mean that your role as a teacher shifts a bit. Instead of being the deliverer of knowledge and knower-of-all-things, a teacher becomes someone who instead facilitates the process of student exploration.

This may be a difficult role to transition into for some teachers. I’ve definitely struggled with letting go of rigid expectations and relinquished the need to steer students on the path I thought was the “right one”. Instead, I’ve come to embrace the process and remind myself that our students are absolutely capable of co-construction knowledge, working together, and sorting out their differences.

Have regular conversations

It’s important to establish strong, frequent, and honest communication; both among classmates and between students and teachers. Modeling short, regular conversations with students helps provide them with feedback and help if they need it. Other benefits include:

Showing students that checking in is a valuable thing to do, therefore improving the likelihood that they’ll reach out in the future
Identifying misunderstandings, allowing for timely scaffolding or corrections before students move forward
Fostering a positive learning environment, especially for students who need a bit more reassurance that their teacher is available and happy to help
Encouraging engagement within the classroom, which can keep students motivated and engaged
Helping teachers gauge how well students are grasping their material and monitoring their application of inquiry skills

If students are working as a team, spend some time showing them how to check in with each other. Model how to ask questions to ensure everyone is contributing and everyone is understanding.

Make time for regular self-reflection

Sometimes one of the hardest habits to develop in the classroom is the ability for students to self-reflect. To be successful at this, students need to understand that inquiry is a personal learning process and that everyone works at a different pace. They grapple with the idea that someone is “finished before they are” or that “someone is doing better than me”.

Emphasizing metacognitive skills (also referred to as “learning to learn” skills) is important when teaching self-reflection. So many students go through school thinking their end goals should include:

Getting their work done as quickly as possible
Being “right” about their predictions and responses
Expediting the inquiry process so that they’re “the first ones done”

In reality, it’s more important to reflect on the process rather than the feelings mentioned above. In these cases, consider using reflection journals with prompts like “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?”. Other questions include:

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?

Check out some additional tips for successfully teaching inquiry learning to help students ease into the habit of self-reflection.

Other self-reflective and mindful resources to consider adding to your classroom library:

Mind Brain Emotion: 52 Essential Coping Skills for Kids (mindfulness cards for stress, anger, anxiety, etc.)
Mindfulness Game for Kids: Mindful Talk Cards for Children and Parents
Student Reflection Questions (PDF – great for any point in the inquiry process, or to use in everyday classroom discussions)

Key Takeaways

(1) Work backwards from broad goals by identifying the overarching objectives or big ideas that align with curriculum standards, and then design the inquiry unit by working backwards to create specific pathways for student exploration

(2) Craft open-ended questions that are both challenging and interesting to students. These questions should encourage deep investigation, spark curiosity, and connect with students’ experiences while aligning with curriculum goals

(3) Design assessments that evaluate not just the final product but the entire inquiry process. Use a variety of methods, such as observations, discussions, and reflective tasks, to gauge student progress and understanding

(4) Incorporate opportunities for students to develop essential inquiry skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and research. Use mini-lessons and active learning to reinforce these skills as needed throughout the unit

(5) Set up a classroom that stimulates curiosity and supports inquiry-based learning. Use interactive bulletin boards, provocations, and invitations to engage students and make the learning space dynamic and inclusive

(6) Shift your role from being the sole knowledge provider to a facilitator who supports and guides student exploration. Encourage regular communication and provide scaffolding when necessary to keep students on track

(7) Build in opportunities for students to reflect on their learning process, helping them develop self-awareness, recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and improve their inquiry skills through self-reflection and mindful practices