Inquiry builds on children's natural curiosity by having students take responsibility for their own learning through asking questions. Teachers guide inquiry by asking questions that prompt students to identify what they want to learn and what they don't yet know. Inquiry focuses more on the process of formulating questions, making observations, and developing critical thinking skills rather than the final product. It involves finding out how knowledge is created by connecting evidence to explanations. When using inquiry, teachers listen and ask questions to guide discourse among students, who are invited to discuss and disagree with each other to build a learning community.

1. Inquirybuildsonachild’snatural curiosity.The studentbecomesresponsibleforhis/herlearning.
Questionsthatprovide the structure forinstitutinginquiryinthe classroominclude:
“What do youwant to learnabout?”
“What do youwant to know?”
“Do you know whatyou don’tknow?”
“I wonder_____________________.”
“Do you think_______________________.”
Inquiryismore aboutprocessthan product.It isabout how to formulate questions,how tomake
observations,howtodevelopthe thoughtprocess.It isfindingouthow we create knowledge.Itis
connectingevidence toexplanations.
The difference betweenthe interactionsbetweenteachersandstudentsdoinginquiryisthatteachers
are listeningandaskingquestions.Studentsare invitedintodiscourse withthe teacherandwitheach
other.Since inquiryrequiresalearningcommunity,studentsare comfortablediscussinganddisagreeing
withone another.