Inquiry in the Middle School

Slide 2: Big concept Big concept Fertile question Learning Intentions Success Criteria

Slide 3: Big concept Big concept Risk Taking Rights and Responsibilities Leadership Citizenship

Slide 4: Brainstorming Knowledge Saturation Knowledge Saturation Prior knowledge - past and present Questions Books, internet, video resources Drawing, sketching, making models Plays, dramas, timelines Read, watch, listen, discuss, view, think about, wonder, review, experience, mind map

Slide 5: Essential Questions Essential Questions Student’s own questions Student’s own focus Student choice

Slide 6: Hypothesise Hypothesise Based on present knowledge after research Future speculation

Slide 7: Research Investigate Investigate Key words Notetaking Sift and sort Synthesise Analyse Success Criteria

Slide 8: Thinking Deeper Thinking Deeper Revisit hypothesis Revisit original questions Create new knowledge

Slide 9: Present Present Celebrate the learning Share new knowledge Student choice ICT rich

Slide 10: Critical Thinking Reflect Evaluate Critique Reflect Evaluate Critique Feedback Feedforward Developing new ideas Other issues that arise Further questions Success criteria Reflections

Slide 11: So What! So What! Changing things as a result of new learning Social Action New goal setting

Slide 12: What makes a good inquiry unit? •What's this unit really about? •Why are we doing this? Is there a real issue or problem that might give the unit an authentic purpose? •How can we help students make connections between learning areas? •Are there opportunities for choice and negotiation in this unit? •Are we taking the students beyond the known? How challenging is this inquiry? •How will we help students (and ourselves) reflect on their learning?

Slide 13: We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species. Desmond Morris