Full Description
To immerse students in the richness and intrigue of the content areas, let the kids lead the way!
In Inquiry Illuminated, Anne Goudvis, Stephanie Harvey, and classroom teacher Brad Buhrow shine a light on researcher's workshop—an approach whose true north emerges from kids' curiosity. Adapting structures you already know from reader's and writer's workshop, they share a predictable, proven, and—most importantly—authentic approach that:
creates irresistible investigations in science, history and social studies, or language arts
increases students' independence and agency by gradually releasing responsibility for inquiry
effectively integrates literacy and content through strategies for comprehension and critical thinking.
With copious full-colour photographs and classroom video, Inquiry Illuminated shows how to create a culture where thoughtfulness, creativity, and collaboration can turn wonder into powerful inquiry. Then, with researcher's workshop, you'll uncover a process that transforms curiosity into opportunities to ask questions and follow a path to new understandings. Throughout you'll discover how to bring in what you already do in reader's and writer's workshop to support students' investigations as they read, write, create, and take action.
Wonder without inquiry is like a mere spark in the darkness. Read Inquiry Illuminated and find out how to light up the possibilities for your learners. Samples Preview sample pages from Inquiry Illuminated
Contents
1. Creating a Culture for Inquiry
To build a culture for inquiry in our classrooms, six cornerstones foster spirited, thoughtful learning: curiosity, workshop, content, comprehension, collaboration, and environment. These provide a strong foundation for inquiry at every grade level and across the curriculum.
2. Researcher's Workshop
Enter Brad Buhrow's classroom to see how the cornerstones come to life in researcher's workshop. We introduce eleven core practices and lessons to teach the research process. We launch the inquiry process with whole-class research and gradually release kids to take more responsibility for the process. Finally kids take off on their own, confident as they use their repertoire of comprehension strategies and research tools to investigate their questions and interests.
3. Reading and Writing in Support of Inquiry
In this chapter, you'll find more than twenty additional lessons and practices that are essential tools for readers, writers, and researchers. We often introduce these in reader's and writer's workshop, but students use them throughout the day and across the curriculum as they read, write, talk, listen, create, and investigate.
4. Inquiry Across the Grades
Peek into classrooms where researcher's workshop is central to learning. Examples of inquiries in science, language arts, and social studies in grades one through four will spark your own ideas for inquiries with your curriculum. Inquiries featured here include investigating various cultures, learning to think like scientists, and exploring different perspectives in history.
5. Inquiry Across the Curriculum
Weaving together literature, poetry, social studies, and history, intermediate teacher Karen Halverson describes how reading, writing, discussion, personal reflection, and creative expression come to life when kids tackle issues involving social justice and historical and cultural perspectives. With a firm foundation in the research process, inquiry is a way of life for these fifth graders.
