How to Apply the Components of Inquiry-Based Learning

How to Apply the Components of Inquiry-Based Learning

There is a lot of room for flexibility within the inquiry-based structure. Educators often start by applying inquiry-based learning to science instruction, but the approach can be applied to any subject and any lesson. For example, imagine a world history class using the COVID-19 pandemic as a touchstone to study and investigate pandemics of the past. A group inquiry lesson might look like this: 1.The teacher introduces the events and history of the 1918 Spanish Influenza as a short lecture or a video. Reading assignments are another way to introduce the topic. 2. Students then split into small groups to discuss how this pandemic is similar to the current one. The teacher encourages them to develop questions about ways people may have reacted differently then and/or the same as people today. Sample questions: 1. How well did society understand the plague and what caused it? 2. Did people resist quarantining measures then, and were there any political implications? The teacher can also encourage students to branch out and think deeper. Students can brainstorm questions that interest them and that touch on topics that excite them. 1. Presenting students with thought-provoking questions empowers them to investigate solutions using available resources like the library, trustworthy online research, and historical databases. This helps provide the context students need to create a connection between the similarities and differences of the Spanish Flu and the coronavirus pandemic. 2. Students can use what they learn to answer the initial questions you presented. And teachers can encourage students to use their research to support their claims. 3. Each group of students can present their findings to the class and invite questions. And the teacher can help to guide the