This document discusses inquiry-based learning and provides examples of different types of project ideas that teachers can use to engage students through this learning model. It outlines the key steps of the inquiry process, including asking questions, developing hypotheses, experimentation, analysis and conclusions. Various strategies are presented for developing engaging driving questions and branching sub-questions to guide student research. Examples of different categories of project types are given such as solving problems, educating others, persuasive arguments, speculative scenarios and more.

1. My adventures withMy adventures with
Inquiry based learningInquiry based learning

2. BCTLA versionBCTLA version

3. Ibl: The Learning ModelIbl: The Learning Model
1.Ask a question
2.Generate a hypothesis
3.Develop an experimental design
4.Collect and record data
5.Analyze data
6.Reach a conclusion
7.Communicate learning

4. How do we start this process?How do we start this process?
Seek out learning
Interact with facts

20. K-W-LK-W-L

21. Even more!Even more!

22. Improving QuestionsImproving Questions
Thin / Fat questions
Driving questions
Adrienne Gear
◦ Non fiction Reading Power
◦ Interact with what we learn

24. 📐 📐 Solve a Problem: Solve a Problem:
There’s a real-world predicament with
multiple solutions.
How can we stop phantom traffic jams?
How can we beautify the vacant lot across
the street for $200?
What’s the best way to stop the flu at our
school?
Design a better lunch menu for our school.
Design a safe and sturdy bridge to replace
one in our city.

25. 📐 📐 Educational:Educational:
 The purpose of the project is to teach
others.
How can we teach second graders about
helpful insects.
Create a campaign to teach senior
citizens how to use an iPad.
What do the students at our school need
to know about being respectful?

26. Convince Others: Convince Others:
Students persuade a specified audience to
do something or change their opinions.
Create a public service announcement (PSA)
that persuades teens to drink more water.
Drive yourself to define a question and then
Prove It to your classmates.
Convince grocery shoppers to return their
shopping carts.
How can we convince our principal that we
should have a party in December?

27. Broad Theme: Broad Theme:
The project tackles big ideas.
What does it mean to read?
How does conflict lead to change?
How does math influence art?
How do writers persuade others?
How are good and evil depicted in
different cultures?

28. 📐 📐 Opinion:Opinion:
 Students need to consider all sides of an
issue in order to form and justify their
opinions.
Should pets be allowed to attend class?
Why has a woman never been a U.S.
president?
What makes a good astronaut?

29. Divergent:Divergent:
 Students make predictions about
alternative timelines and scenarios.
What if Rosa Parks gave up her seat?
What if the world ran out of oil
tomorrow?
How might your city change if the climate
became an average of 10°F warmer?
What if the USA switched to the metric
system?

30. Scenario-Based:Scenario-Based:
 Students take on a fictional role with a mission to
accomplish.
 You’re a NASA engineer, and you are in charge of building a
moon base. What are the ten most important things to
include and why?
 Imagine that you are King George. What would you have
done differently to keep American part of England?
 You are the CEO of a company that is designing a new social
media app. Present a business plan to your investors that
explains how your company will make money.
 You’ve been hired to revamp your local shopping mall.
Come up with a plan to increase business.
 How would you spend $1,000,000 to help your community?

31. Branching QuestionsBranching Questions
 A good driving question will lead to more questions.
Students will generate these sub questions and their answers
are important for the project. These sub questions branch
off of the driving questions and each other. They are specific
and can guide student research.
 Let’s take the driving question, "What if we had a chicken
house at our school?” Students might brainstorm branching
questions like:
 What do chickens eat?
 How often do they eat?
 How large of a house do they need?
 Does the house need to have different rooms?
 Do chickens fight with each other?
 How many eggs will they lay?

32. My grade 4 exampleMy grade 4 example
 What a cheetah does all day

 it wakes up at about 9:00 am

 Hunts for about 5 min.

 Can only run for a few min. until it needs a
rest and go again

 Eats for a few min.

 Teaches young

 Play

 Gets a drink

 Teach and play again

 Hunts again and get a drink

 Eats

 Sleeps for about 6 hours

 Hunt eats

 Teach and play

 Run and run

 Go to sleep and wakes up at 9:00 am


33. BCTLA versionBCTLA version

34. InvestigateInvestigate
Research skills
◦ Encyclopedia
◦ Books
◦ Websites
 Teach advanced searches
◦ 1st
hand Sources
◦ Interviews

35. How have our sources changed?
- Non fiction sections in our library
- Grade level specific
- Stable? or stagnant?
- Information is limited and therefore not so
overwhelming
- Determining importance – non fiction reading
power

36. FactFact
monstermonster

37. Readwritethink.orgReadwritethink.org

39. Pros andPros and
ConsCons

40. PrimaryPrimary

42. Where to from here?Where to from here?
Blogs about inquiry based learning
Also sometimes project based learning
My favorite – passion based learning
http://essinquiry.weebly.com/
Genius Hour
20% time / projects

43. If you assign a project
and you get back 30 of the
same –
that is not a project.
That is a recipe