Setting the Stage for Inquiry

As teachers begin to launch their fourth units of inquiry for the year, I've been thinking a lot about setting the stage for inquiry. In a unit of inquiry we obviously want the students to be asking questions. This is something we have had lots of discussions about during our PYP meetings. Many of you have expressed concern that it is difficult for students to generate questions or that they often generate low level questions.

If we want students to ask questions, we need to provide them with something that truly sparks curiosity. Something that they can relate to on some level and that they want to learn more about. I think this starts with our provocations.

Before you even introduce the central idea, think about how you want your classroom environment to look during this unit of inquiry. Some things to consider displaying include:

• Related pictures and vocabulary
• Real world items
• Books and magazines
• Posters

The First Graders in Mrs. Hargrave's class are already beginning to wonder about these famous world leaders

Could someone infer what you might be studying by looking around the room? Will the items you have on display spark questions? Could students predict which transdisciplinary theme the unit will fall under? Could they make a guess as to what the central idea might be?

If students are asking questions before the unit begins, you are setting the stage for a great unit of inquiry!