The Thinking Classroom: How to Incorporate Inquiry and

Project Based Learning

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entations

K-12 Social Studies Consultants Ann Carlock

Ann.Carlock@dpi.nc.gov

Justyn KnoxJustyn.Knox@dpi.nc.gov

Michelle McLaughlinMichelle.Mclaughlin@dpi.nc.gov

Scott GarrenScott.Garren@dpi.nc.gov

Section Chief K-12 Social StudiesFay GoreNC Character Education Coordinator Fay.Gore@dpi.nc.gov

Program AssistantBernadette ColeBernadette.Cole@dpi.nc.gov

Our Team

Objectives

• Discuss implementation of inquiry-based learning in the classroom.

• Understand effective guidelines of inquiry-based learning.

• Understand how to create a culture of inquiry in your classroom by effective questions that promote inquiry

Essential Elements of Project Based Learning

Significant Content

• Critical Thinking

• Collaboration

• Communication • Creativity and

Innovation

• Identify important content knowledge by specifying standards that will be taught through the project.

• Every standard needs a measurable outcome.

21st Century Skills

In Depth Inquiry

• Asking effective questions

• Making hypotheses

• Supporting answers with research and evidence

• Developing new questions as knowledge deepens

Connecting Inquiry to The K-12 Social Studies Concept-Based

Framework• Questioning is the heart of

inquiry learning.

• Students must ask relevant questions and develop ways to search for answers and generate explanations.

• Emphasis is placed upon the process of thinking as this applies to student interaction with concepts, big ideas, data, topics, issues, and problems.

Effective Questions • Captures the

issues, problem, or challenge

• Consistent with curricular standards and frameworks

• Open-ended and provocative

• Can arise from real-dilemmas that students find interesting

• Goes to the heart of a discipline or topic

• Organizes Inquiry

Adapted from The Buck Institute

Different Types of Questions

• Philosophical: When is war justified?

• Products: How can we plan an event that creates or celebrates the history of our community?

• Problem Solving: Why do civilizations fail?

• Real World/Scenario - What responsibilities, if any, does the government have in maintaining a middle class?

Adapted from The Buck Institute

Refining Questions

Google-able

Teacher Language

Too Standards Based

General

Open Ended

Engaging for Students

Relevant

Charge for Action

“Google-able”

• What are the major industries in our state?

• What were the causes of the American Revolution?

• What were the major forms of modern art?

Open Ended • Why does our state produce

the things it does?

• Could England have avoided the revolt of the American colonies?

• Does modern art reflect or inspire society?

Abstract What is justice? When is war justified? What is a hero?

Concrete Are amusement park rides safe? Is our water at our school safe to drink? Can DNA evidence be trusted?

Problem Solving

How can we improve traffic flow at our school?

Design Challenge

How could we create a school mural to express our diversity within our school?

History What is the price of “progress”? Was the American Revolution justified? What effect does the Civil War still have on us today? How can we bring peace to the Middle East?

Social Studies

What is the American Dream and who has it? How do immigrants meet the challenges of coming to a new country? Do victors really benefits from winning wars? How should we respond to terrorism?

English Why are books banned? How do we persuade others? How does literature reflect the time in which it was written?

Art How does art reflect its time? Is art worth its price? Should art be censored? Geography How does the place we live in affect how we live? How can we use geography to

interpret the past? How do human actions modify the physical environment?

Government Do we have too much freedom? What is the best form of government? How should criminals be treated? Should the Bill of Rights be revised?

Science How will the land we live on change over time? Can we predict the weather? How can we stop the spread of infectious diseases? Should we produce genetically engineered foods?

Math Is it better to buy or lease a car? How can we use probability to assess the state lottery system? Can we predict the growth of a websites use?

Sounds too Much Like a Teacher

• What did the ancient Greeks contribute to the development of Western Civilization?

• Should there be more development in wilderness areas in North Carolina?

• What were the causes of the Great Depression?

Engaging for Students

• Did the ancient Greeks help make us who we are today? OR How Greek are we?

• Should a new shopping center be built on the land by the river near our town?

• Could the Great Depression happen again?

Avoid Repeating the Standards

How effective were various approaches such as boycotting, picketing, and sit-ins used to impact NC laws?

8.C&G.2.1Evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches used to effect change in North Carolina and the United States (e.g. picketing, boycotts, sit-ins, voting, marches, holding elected office and lobbying).

6.E.1.1 Explain how conflict, compromise, and negotiation over the availability of resources (natural, human and capital) impacted the economic development of various civilizations, societies and regions.

STANDARDS QUESTIONS

Is China a powerful country today of it’s conflict compromise and negotiation over natural resources?

Aligned to Standards without restating them

Is breaking the law ever justifiable?

Why is China a powerful nation?

Are we like China or not?

STANDARDS QUESTIONS

Too General

• What is a hero?

• Which advertising techniques are most effective?

• Why did the explorers journey to the Americas?

• Who are the heroes in our community and how can we tell their stories?

• How can we create a guide for other kids so they will know how advertisers try to get us to buy stuff?

• How can we, as explorers, create a planning guide for leading an expedition?

Go LOCAL • How can we help a small local business

improve their advertising?

• Should the city of Raleigh allow street artist to help gentrify the downtown area?

• How do we design an exhibit on the Iroquois nation for the NC Museum of Natural History

Need To Knows

• Work that MATTERS!

• Students are more motivated to learn

KNOWS NEED TO KNOWS

Voice and Choice

• Student Ownership

• Independent Thinkers

• Differentiated Instruction

Revision and Reflection

• Constant and ongoing

• Variety in feedback is a key factor

– Self reflection, peer to peer, teacher

Peer Feedback • Video Writing Peer Review (Top 10 Mista

kes)

Authentic Audiences • A Younger Students

• The community (Newspaper, local businesses, organizations)

• A Scientist

• A Historical Figure

• Governmental Officials

• School Leaders

• Parents

• Family Members

• Friends

Authentic Purposes

• Take a stand

• Persuade specific audience to commit to your perspective or cause

• Alter a perspective

• Take on a different perspective

• Explain a process

• Analyze an event, experimental results, statistics

• Educate a group on a topic, procedure, or event

• Relay scientific findings

• Relay and opinion

Real World Formats • Letter

• Article

• Social Media

• Presentation

• Debates

• Experiments

• Role Play/Drama Narrative

• Lab Reports

• News Program

• Talk show

• Timeline

• Maps, Charts, & Graphs

• Data Displays

• Diagrams

• Diary Entry

Does The Inquiry? • Focus on Significant Content

• Develop 21st Century Skills

• Engage Students in In-Depth Inquiry

• Organize task around a Driving Questions

• Establish a need to know

• Encourage Voice and Choice

• Incorporate Revisions and Reflection

• Include a Public Audience

Resources• Buck Institute

• Leading Project Based Learning

• Birth of the Tubric

• Project-Based Learning 4 All

• Teach 21

• Edutopia

• The Inquiry Arc: Preparing Students to Be College, Career, and Civic Ready

• Global Project Based Learning

Research

• The Evidence Base for Social Studies: Inquiry-Based Learning

• Educational Leadership: What Research Says About Project Based Learning

• Edutopia's Project Based Learning Research Review

• What instructional or assessment practices will you adapt in your classroom after this session?

• Share with me success, challenges, or questions

• Justyn.Knox@dpi.nc.gov

• ssnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net