Introduction Chapter 1. "What's Wondering Got to Do With It?": An Overview of Inquiry Chapter 2. "This Is Better Than Recess!": Why Inquiry Is Important Chapter 3. "How Do We Begin?": Modeling Our Inquisitiveness Chapter 4. "How Do We Build Inquiry Into Our Classrooms?": Initiating Inquiry With Problematic Scenarios Chapter 5. "When Is It Chaos?": Developing and Refining Units of Instruction Chapter 6. "Why Are Mountains Necessary?": The Nature of Good Questions Chapter 7. "How Do We Know They Understand?": Performing Our Understandings Chapter 8. "How Do We Integrate Technology?": From Crystal Radios to "Explain Everything" Chapter 9. "How Do We Involve Families in Our Inquiries?": Encouraging All to Help Chapter 10. "We Don't Learn That Way": Inquiry and Students With Special Needs Chapter 11. "How Do We Effect Change in Our Classrooms?": Positive Professional Development Conclusion Appendix: Templates Glossary References Index
Using examples from real classrooms, the book shows teachers how to connect inquiry to required content while still moving students toward more control of their own learning. Teachers can learn to help all students, including those with special needs, to reform their initial playful, tangential, or shallow questions to deeper questions about content that will help them develop the thinking skills that they will continue to use throughout school and into adulthood.
Learn more about John Barell's PD offerings John Barell is Professor Emeritus of Curriculum and Teaching at Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, and former public school teacher in New York City. For the past several years he has been a consultant for inquiry-based instruction and creation of science/social studies networks at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. For most of his educational career he has worked with schools nationally to foster inquiry, problem-based learning, critical thinking, and reflection. Barell is the author of several books, including Teaching for Thoughtfulness: Strategies to Enhance Intellectual Development (1995, 2nd ed.) and Developing More Curious Minds (2003).