Inquiry and Guided Practice strategies

1. Inquiry Strategies

To engage the natural curiosity of learners, you can pose questions, problems, or hypotheses, or relate stories with problematic situations. Their curiosity to find an answer can encourage them to follow a process of inquiry. When time is limited, this can be a simple process taking only a few minutes, zeroing in on the key question, considering available information, and proposing solutions. When appropriate and with sufficient time, it can include more formal research: asking the right question; developing an hypothesis or problem space; gathering and analyzing information; and developing conclusions or solutions. 

The inquiry process should require students to identify and meaningfully use what you want them to learn. Inquiry learning requires students to do more than learn facts, concepts, and principles; it also helps them to develop critical thinking, judgment, and problem solving skills in applying what they learn. 

The following pages describe several forms of inquiry-based learning activities.