This document outlines an agenda for an education class that focuses on inquiry-based learning and group monographs. It begins with a presentation on social justice picture books. It then discusses inquiry-based learning and contrasts it with traditional teaching methods. The key aspects of the inquiry model are explained, including exploring topics of interest, developing essential questions, researching, collecting evidence, and creating an authentic product. Expectations for the group monographs are outlined. Students are then instructed to meet with their monograph groups to understand features of monographs, develop deep questions for their inquiry topics, and begin researching directions for their monographs.

1. 8P20
Week 12
Inquiry Based
Learning and
Group
Monographs

2. TODAY’S AGENDA
• SJBPB –ALYSSA
• INQUIRY BASED LEARNING
• BREAK
• MONOGRAPH EXPECTATIONS
• MONOGRAPH EXPLORATION AND BRAINSTORMING IN GROUPS FORMED IN LAST
WEEK’S INTEREST BASED GALLERY WALK

3. SOCIAL JUSTICE PICTURE BOOK PRESENTATION

4. THE EXTREME OPPOSITE OF INQUIRY!
• HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=YUJHSBJXUXA
From Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
-teacher lectures
-teacher poses
questions having one
right answer
Teacher has to
answer own
questions as the “sole
Possessor” of
knowledge!
-students not
engaged
NO ONE TRULY
LEARNS!

5. “I WONDER” THE POWER OF QUESTION

6. “I THINK” – THE POWER OF VALUING STUDENT
IDEAS

7. THE INQUIRY MODEL
• AT ITS HEART:
•
INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING REQUIRES A MINDFUL SHIFT FROM TEACHER AS EXPERT
TO STUDENTS AS AGENTS OF THEIR OWN LEARNING.
•
INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING IS A COLLABORATIVE JOURNEY THAT NURTURES A
GRADUAL RELEASE OF RESPONSIBILITY OVER CONTROL OF LEARNING
•
INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING IS A WAY TO HONOUR STUDENTS, THEIR PASSIONS, THEIR
GOALS, AND TO TIE THEM INTO THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF YOUR CLASSROOM.
•
PLANNING FOR INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING DIRECTLY FOLLOWS THE BACKWARD-
DESIGN MODEL (CURRICULUM → ASSESSMENT → LEARNING)

8. THE INQUIRY MODEL

11. The inquiry model
The Steps of Inquiry
1.Exploring a topic of
interest
2. Creating an Essential
Question
3. Creating the plan for
inquiry
4. Exploring and
Researching
5. Collecting Learning
Read aloud/video inspiration
Topic chosen
KWL Charts
(What do you know, what do you
want to know, dig a little deeper,
what questions can you find
answers to, what big questions
do you now have?)
Personal Links:
What interests you? What are you
passionate about? What do you
want to do/try/achieve?

12. The inquiry model
The Steps of Inquiry
1. Exploring a topic of
interest
2. Creating an Essential
Question
3. Creating the plan for
inquiry
4. Exploring and
Researching
5. Collecting Learning
Evidence
6. Creating Authentic Piece
Essential questions must be:
-Open-Ended
*Not answered in a quick
Google
search, discussion with a
friend, or
single lesson.
*Not have a single right
answer
-Meaningful to the student
*Need to think critically about
a
response, and put in the
time,
and they will do better if they
care.
-Appropriate to the level of the
learner
*A Grade 4 student will have a

13. The Steps of Inquiry
1. Exploring a topic of interest
2. Creating an Essential Question
3. Creating the plan for inquiry
4. Exploring and Researching
5. Collecting Learning Evidence
6. Creating Authentic Piece
The inquiry model

14. The Steps of Inquiry
1. Exploring a topic of
interest
2. Creating an Essential
Question
3. Creating the plan for
inquiry
4. Exploring and
Researching
5. Collecting Learning
Evidence
6. Creating Authentic Piece
The inquiry model

15. The Steps of Inquiry
1. Exploring a topic of
interest
2. Creating an Essential
Question
3. Creating the plan for
inquiry
4. Exploring and
Researching
5. Collecting Learning
Evidence
6. Creating Authentic Piece
The inquiry model

16. The inquiry model
The Possibilities for sources of
information are endless:
*websites
*books
*podcasts
*blogs
*newspapers
*museums (live or virtual)
*interviews
*skype interviews
*surveying peers
*conversations with others
*observing performances
The Steps of Inquiry
1. Exploring a topic of
interest
2. Creating an Essential
Question
3. Creating the plan for
inquiry
4. Exploring and
Researching
5. Collecting Learning
Evidence

17. The inquiry model
The Steps of Inquiry
1. Exploring a topic of
interest
2. Creating an Essential
Question
3. Creating the plan for
inquiry
4. Exploring and
Researching
5. Collecting Learning
Evidence
6. Creating Authentic
Piece

18. The inquiry model
Learning Evidence Check-Ins:
*Teacher-Student Conferences
*Check to see:
-if students are keeping their information
organized;
-if they are on track;
-if they are finding answers related to
their essential questions;
-how they are feeling about their inquiry;
-if they have any questions
*At these meetings, students are not given
a mark. Teachers just record if the
meeting was successful and if the student
is on track, and they provide specific
The Steps of Inquiry
1. Exploring a topic of
interest
2. Creating an Essential
Question
3. Creating the plan for
inquiry
4. Exploring and
Researching
5. Collecting Learning
Evidence

19. NOTE: just because the responsibility is placed on
the student, does not mean this style of learning
does not require planning. Students need to be
supported through the stages, offered appropriate
resources, and checked-in on regularly.
THE INQUIRY MODEL

20. Final Thoughts:
1. Start with Structured Inquiry – a single question, a single resource, a simple
performance task
2. Start with a topic you know or have covered before in your classroom –
something students already know about and might be able to delve deeper into
(you should always teach required base knowledge first, then dive into inquiry)
3. Start small – you don’t have to dive into full inquiry – add an essential
question to your daily lessons to start the seeds of inquiry
4. Start with the end in mind – learners need to see the end product in mind,
always keeping focus on the fact that they are responding to a meaningful
question and will have to display this knowledge somehow.
The Inquiry Model

21. 5. This is messy – embrace it! Most teachers who step into inquiry for the first
time are uncomfortable in the mess of uncertainty. This is normal. Start small
and build the confidence of both yourself and your students.
6. Assessment can be challenging when all your students are completing
different tasks. Keep your goals open and clear from the start. We have an
open curriculum, you need to adjust your approach to using it.
*Language document requires students to understand and respond to what
they read, to make connections and inferences, to gather ideas for text
production in many forms, to work through the creative process, to present
using appropriate word choices, vocal, and non-vocal cues. None of these lead
to a single assignment – they can be achieved in any number of ways.
The Inquiry Model

22. Assessment and Tracking of Inquiry
Based Learning (IBL)

23. Assessm
ent and
Tracking
of
Inquiry
Based
Learning
(IBL)

25. Assessme
nt and
Tracking
of IBL
(Inquiry
Based
Learning)

26. Additional resources on
inquiry
http://trevormackenzie.com (The Author of the amazing book
below)
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/resea
rch/CBS_InquiryBased.pdf (An informative ministry publication)
https://teachingtools.ophea.net/sites/default/files/pdf/ibl_gui
de.pdf (OPHEA’s guide to inquiry-based learning in
health/PhyEd Gr 1-12)
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/kes/pdf/or_ws_tea_inst_0
2_inqbased.pdf (A condensed version of the Alberta Learning
Reference below from Trevor’s book)

27. After break,
sit with
your
Monograph
Group
Members
from last
class.

28. INQUIRY MONOGRAPH RECAP
• YOU WILL COLLABORATIVELY CONDUCT AN INQUIRY INTO A SPECIFIC AREA OF
LANGUAGE TEACHING BASED ON AN IDENTIFIED NEED OBSERVED DURING THE
INITIAL TEACHING PRACTICUM OR AN AREA OF SPECIFIC INTEREST.
•
AS A GROUP, YOU WILL PRODUCE A PROFESSIONAL LOOKING MONOGRAPH
HIGHLIGHTING ESSENTIAL RESEARCH FINDINGS IN THE INQUIRY AREA AND
RECOMMEND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELEVANT LEARNING STRATEGIES, DIGITAL
LITERACIES, IDEAS, PROGRAMS, ETC., FOR CLASSROOM USE.
•
ALL WORK WILL BE SHARED VIA A GOOGLE FILE SO THAT ALL GROUP MEMBERS
AND THE INSTRUCTOR CAN VIEW PROGRESS EACH WEEK. A WEEKLY LOG WILL BE
KEPT AND SUBMITTED OUTLINING THE GROUP’S GOALS AND
ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR EACH SESSION.

29. INQUIRY MONOGRAPH
FOCUS OF THE DAY
• TODAY’S GOALS:
• UNDERSTAND THE FEATURES, ORGANIZATION,
AND LAYOUT OF PROFESSIONAL MONOGRAPHS
• UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT TYPES OF QUESTIONS,
AND FORMULATE DEEP QUESTIONS FOR YOUR
INQUIRY
• BEGIN RESEARCHING POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS AND
ANSWERS FOR YOUR MONOGRAPHS
*SEE SAKAI FOR TODAY’S TASKS

30. Goals and Steps for Success
Task 1: Understanding Features of Monographs
-Flip through the samples of professional monographs; make
a list of the features, layout, style, and wording you may wish
to include in your own. Ask yourselves which ones stand out
to you and why.
Task 2: Understanding types of questions, and Forming good
questions for inquiry
-read the chart about the three categories; colour code your
questions from last class; bold the ones you wish to explore
for your monographs
Task 3: Make sure you fill out your meeting log for today and