Inquiry-Based Learning: Preparing Young Learners for the Demands of the 21st Century
SUMMARY it is our responsibility to nurture and Learning begins with defend the threads of curiosity and the In this classroom early a sense of wonder wisps of wonder in order to best equip learners are challenged — a sudden spark that ignites a curious our youngest learners with the skills to explore a hands-on mind and propels it into action. to become the future problem-solvers, investigation in science. Children are born with this innate Using inquiry to inform researchers and critical thinkers of the the process, students are sense of wonder. They begin their lives 21st century. led through a carefully already demonstrating the skills of a developed and exciting scientist, observing and questioning the The learners of the 21st century are study on the life of environment in order to make sense of poised to join a workforce that requires worms. Across observa- tions, rich discussions, their place in the world. They totter to them to ask questions, problem-solve and nature journals, a and fro, experimenting, fumbling, won- and think critically, pursue investiga- multi-sensory experience dering and thereby creating their own tion and share and apply their findings unfolds in one urban understandings. Unfortunately, in this through multisensory lenses. Many of classroom. educational climate’s push toward stan- today’s jobs require workers to think dardization and a one-size-fits-all cur- outside of the box and problem-solve riculum, it is all too easy to lose sight of from different angles, always being the natural curiosity piping from young ready to construct and defend a new children. As early childhood educators, way of thinking. In order to provide
Melissa Fine is a kindergarten teacher at Manhattan New School in New York City. She has been working in the New York City Department of Education as an early childhood teacher for six years. Fine is an ardent supporter of arts education and embeds art, drama and movement into all areas of curriculum.
Lindsey Desmond is a kindergarten teacher at Manhattan New School in New York City, where she has been an early childhood educator for 11 years. She is passionate about validating and nurturing the child’s natural curiosity and sense of wonder. She continues to marvel in the discoveries young children happen upon as they engage with, and investigate, their own environment.
Educator’s Voice n Volume VII n Page 2 Melissa Fine, United Federation of Teachers Lindsey Desmond, United Federation of Teachers Many of today’s Inquiry-Based Learning: jobs require Preparing Young Learners workers to the learners of today with the tools to Inquiry-Based Learning think outside participate fully in this challenging Our pedagogical method of choice is of the box and for the Demands of the workforce, the understandings of inquiry-based learning. This approach problem-solve teaching methodology in the classroom invites children to take center stage in 21st Century must be altered. their own learning. Children pose from different meaningful questions and are encour- Gone are the days of regurgitation of angles, always aged to solve problems by experiment- facts and figures or filling in bubbles on ing and evaluating possible solutions. being ready to an examination. John Dewey in Teachers guide children to apply this Education and Experience (1938) construct and newly constructed knowledge to broad- described this rote process of learning en, analyze, critique, and ultimately defend a new as “static,” referring to traditional edu- defend new hypotheses. The teacher’s cation as an “imposition from above way of thinking. role within this framework is that of a and from outside” (p. 16). Instead of facilitator, guiding learners to explore teachers filling young minds with iso- their questions and decide on a course lated skills and required subject matter, of action. Teachers pose carefully craft- Dewey advocated that children should ed, open-ended questions that allow be actively involved in their learning learners to deepen their thinking and and help co-construct knowledge that investigate further, rather than respond has both interest and meaning to them. with one correct or incorrect answer. In order to facilitate this progressive These open-ended questions are a pair- branch of learning, he maintained that ing of the teacher’s goals and learning the image of the role of the teacher objectives but also follow the lead of the should change from that of an “exter- children’s own thinking. Teachers nal boss or dictator” to that of a “leader actively listen and reflect upon the of group activities” (p. 45). It is essen- thoughts of children in order to provide tial that we take a cue from Dewey’s resources and provocations to extend research and begin to transform teach- the learning. They document the pro- ing and learning into two-way dia- cess of learning and make it visible to logues that prompt active participation others through such mediums as pho- for our 21st-century learners. tography, narratives, transcripts, videos, or audio recordings.
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To channel The Benefits of comparison kindergarten group lack- Inquiry-Based Learning ing the inquiry component to the but- this level of Inquiry-based learning is a method of terfly study. Results showed that engagement in teaching and learning that extends learning outcomes were richer and the level of student engagement was higher the classroom, across content areas. Inquiry, as char- acterized by the National Science when teachers allowed students to fol- our youngest Education Standards (1996), refers to low the leads of their own questions students must the multifaceted process of gaining and engage in authentic exploration information through diverse levels of within the inquiry group. Students be actively present investigation. The standards compare were encouraged to make predictions, and instrumental in the inquiry process in the classroom to observe, investigate, and share their the activities and thinking processes of findings through discourse, drawings, their own learning. real-life scientists. Inquiry in both and book readings (Samarapungavan, realms requires all participants to make Mantzicopoulos & Patrick, 2008). observations, pose questions, actively Inquiry-based learning also enables engage in the research process and children to find their individual voice share their findings. In order to chan- (as opposed to that of their teacher) nel this level of engagement in the and critique their own thinking. classroom, our youngest students must Research conducted by Hamlin and be actively present and instrumental in Wisneski (2012) emphasized the pow- their own learning. This inquiry model erful learning that preschoolers echoes the constructivist theories of engaged in when simply responding to Freire, suggesting that children must an open-ended “what if” question be active participants in their learning, posed by their teachers (p. 82). as opposed to vacant minds waiting to be filled with preordained information Conezio and French, designers of a (Freire, 1970). preschool science-based inquiry cur- riculum, also noticed a correlation From the preschool to university set- existed between inquiry and the ting, research points to growing evi- strengthening of literacy and language dence that inquiry-based learning in the classroom environment. When fosters problem-solving, critical-think- students were engaged in a rich dis- ing, and meaningful ways to co-con- course about their learning, both struct knowledge (Wells, 1992). receptive and expressive language skills Samarapungavan, Mantzicopoulos, were exercised (Conezio & French, and Patrick (2008) compared the 2002). A discourse between children learning outcomes from a kindergarten involves the ability to actively listen to guided butterfly inquiry with those of a others and take note of different
Educator’s Voice n Volume VIII n Page 4 perspectives or opinions. Ellen Doris Sample facts from the classes included: in Doing What Scientists Do (2010) “Worms help trees.” emphasizes the importance of this “Worms eat in a compost.” exchange of information as children collaborate to deepen their knowledge “Worms eat mud sometimes.” and understandings. “I know about worm’s doo doo. Children examining This is soil.” worms during a nature walk to the park. “Worms can grow a part of their The Beginnings of body back if it gets cut.” A Worm Inquiry “Worms eat dirt.” In our urban public school on the “Worms only live underground.” Upper East Side of Manhattan, an inquiry process unfolded within a Both classes engaged in direct, worm and composting investigation hands-on exploration of a worm bin “Worms eat in done in collaboration with a kindergar- with Red Wiggler worms to allow the compost.” ten and first-grade classroom. Our children to further their observations classes began the year engaging in and begin to pose wonders. The weekly nature walks to a nearby park, children took part in setting up the accompanied by teachers and family habitat and spent time observing and volunteers. The children were tasked interacting with the worms. with collecting samples, sketching interesting findings, and jotting down “I know about worm ideas and observations in their nature Formative assessment interactive chart doo doo. This is soil.” journals. Through the course of several outings and rich discussions about the children’s questions and observations, we noticed a propelling interest sur- rounding worms and the mystery of their life underground.
We gathered the children’s initial understandings about worms through conversations, drawings, and written facts. This dialogue served as a forma- tive assessment of the children’s origi- nal understandings about worms.
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During these observation times, we filled our notebooks with the thoughts and questions of the children. “Do they like light or dark?” “Do they like to be touched?” “Can they hear?” “How long will they get?” “Why do they squirm?” “Why do worms curl up?” “Where are their eyes?” Children prepare the worm habitat The strips of newspaper must be “What is the ring around the body?” by gathering strips of newspaper. damp. The children are dipping the paper in water. “What do they like to eat when they go outside?” “What do the babies look like?” “Do worms have mothers?” “Do they grow in their mother’s belly?” “Why are they wet?” “Do worms have a heart?” “Where are their teeth?”
The worms are placed into the bin. Kindergartner and first-grader exploring worms during buddy time.
Educator’s Voice n Volume VIII n Page 6 Posing Questions and hold, measure, weigh, and prepare Seeking Answers food for the worms. Through observation, experimenta- tion, book research, interviews, and Worm bin became a favorite activity in videos, the children began exploring the classroom during choice time, and and seeking answers to their many family members were encouraged to questions. An interview with an expert volunteer to help facilitate centers. from the Lower East Side Ecology Center provided the children relevant Children designed many contests to information about the parts of the discover who could find the most worm, their habitat, and how to feed babies or hold the most adults in one Children prepare food to feed to the worms. The them properly. Families from both hand or prepare the new bedding the food comes from families classes contributed to our investigation fastest. Boys and girls equally engaged and leftovers from the by sending in food scraps for the new in exploration and observation. One school’s cafeteria. compost bins to help feed the worms. child enthusiastically noted, “Even The pictures and captions in nonfic- though this is poop, it’s not gross!” tion books helped the children investi- They had discovered that worms are, gate the inner workings of worm in fact, quite clean. bodies, including how they eat, repro- duce, and survive in the wild. The acquisition and sharing of worm facts Sharing Learning Together began to permeate the classroom on a The children used photography, daily basis, and we recorded conversa- drawing, sculpting, and writing to tions to document and reflect upon the share their findings with classmates. learning process. One group of students wrote the script for a puppet play and performed it in “The worms in our worm bin have it easy!” the class shadowbox theater, highlight- ing the day-to-day life of a worm in a “They don’thave to worry about any worm bin. predators and their food is delivered Worm exploration every week!” “I’m a Red Wiggler worm. at worm center. “I can’t believe a worm has five I live in Classroom 205. hearts! Can you?” I love to eat fruit and veggies but only after they are rotten. Excitement filled the air as the worms I squirm and dig and my poop is acclimated to the bin and children good for the Earth.” explored and investigated. The children were eager to observe, dig, continued on following page
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Another group crafted worm books in the “how-to” genre. Books with such titles as: How to Care for Worms, How to Set up a Worm Bin, How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies, and What Worms Like to Eat documented the learning children had acquired through observation and experimentation.
Posters and sculptures detailed the life cycle and labeled diagrams explained the body parts of worms, as well as their functions. Writing filled the rooms.
Excerpts from Student-Written Book: How To Care For Worms A student documents her observation of baby worms
Student-created poster documenting the parts of a worm Step 1 Get newspaper. Cut it. Soak it. Step 2 Put in worms. Step 3 Get vegetables, fruit or egg shell. No banana but peel OK. Make sure not a lot of water in it. Sculpture of the parts of a worm made *revised for clarity with modeling clay
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Educator’s Voice n Volume VIII n Page 8 Over the course of several months, the A Bend in the Road children hunted for cocoons and baby Springtime brought new and exciting worms. change to the worm bin. Children began to notice the worm castings They sorted larger worms into catego- (vermicast) filling up the bin. ries such as adolescents and adults by looking for the clitellum (the ring around the head). Conversation began “Sometimes the food gets eaten up fast and sometimes it stays in there to revolve around questions and for a long time.” observations of the reproduction activ- “Where is all the food going?” ity in the worm bin. “Why is it filling up with brown “What are the tiny yellow balls?” stuff?” “Look at the tiny newborn worms ... “It’s starting to smell just like dirt they look like strings!” in here!” “What are we going to do with all “Why is the worm bin getting these baby worms?” so heavy?” “Will we ever see any dead worms?” “When a lot of worms get close After reflecting on the content within together it is hotter than when they questions such as these, it was clear Vermicomposting are apart.” that the children were curious about results from using worms to turn left- “Did you know that a worm can be the process of vermicomposting. over food into soil. a girl and a boy?”
Another research group became inter- ested in exploring the food chain. The children marveled at the interdepen- dence of animals for survival and imag- ined scenarios in which they might have eaten an animal that, at one time, ate a worm. As they learned about pro- ducers, consumers, and decomposers, children crafted their own plays docu- menting these life cycles. “Worms eat plants. Birds and frogs eat worms. And even bigger animals eat those.”
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We asked the children to determine As the year and study came to a close, what to do with these rich nutrients. we reflected on the inquiry-based By taking a vote it was decided that the learning process in which our classes vermicompost would be harvested and engaged. By allowing the children to scattered in our local park to give back pose their own questions, problem- to the community. We would also use solve and investigate, children became some of the vermicompost in the class- deeply invested in their learning and, room to help our plants grow. as a result, formed and shared their own theories and findings with others.
Giving Back to the Community A Student Shares His Findings Students fertilize the soil of a Plans dramatically shifted, however, With Classmates young miniature daffodil plant when a third-grade teacher expressed with some vermicast compost. interest in obtaining some of our ver- An investigation into the life cycle of a micompost for her personal vegetable worm had naturally evolved into a garden. Suddenly the learning con- much deeper inquiry into food chains, structed from our classroom inquiry decomposition, and environmental- was directly impacting a teacher in our ism. In the process, our inquiry elicit- school community, as ed exciting social action, research, well as her garden and writing, drawing, sculpture, puppetry, all the animals and performance, and much more. insects that called it Children portrayed a sense of compas- home. Pride and pur- sion for the worms. Furthermore, the pose radiated from our worm bin acted as an entry point into a classes as the children deeper understanding of the worms’ eagerly collected several livelihood and environmental protec- gallons of vermicompost tion. Perhaps one child’s thoughts best for the teacher. She reflected the awareness to the connec- brought in a fresh salad tions within our natural world as well Above: Children collect after the garden pro- as a personal connection to the worm vermicast for a third- duced lettuce with our inquiry experience. grade teacher’s garden. vermicompost. She later “Without these worms, lots of things joined us for an interview would change.” to share how the vermi- At right: The third-grade teacher compost helped fertilize shares a home grown her garden and grow salad with the class, completing the nutritious vegetables for cycle of nature. others to enjoy.
Educator’s Voice n Volume VIII n Page 10 Calling all 21st-Century Learners Hamlin, M., & Wisneski, D. (2012). Supporting the scientific thinking and By allowing The current workforce is demanding inquiry of toddlers and preschoolers that we, as early child educators, guide through play. Young Children, 67(3), the children 82-88. children to cultivate the skills to to pose their become the future problem-solvers, National Committee on Science Education Standards and Assessment, National own questions, critical thinkers and inventors of Research Council. (1996). National tomorrow. Traditional teaching prac- science education standards. Washington, problem-solve tices that mirror a one-way line of com- DC: National Academy Press. http:// www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses munication and cater to one-size-fits-all and investigate, Samarapungavan, A., Mantzicopoulos, P., curriculums are failing to prepare chil- & Patrick, H. (2008). Learning science children became dren for the road ahead. Our yearlong through inquiry in kindergarten. Science worm inquiry opened our eyes to the Education, 92(5), 868-908. deeply invested endless possibilities that arise when Wells, G. (1992). Language and the inquiry- in their learning teachers provide children with the oriented curriculum. Curriculum Inquiry, 25(3), 233-269. and, as a result, tools, time, and trust to become key players in their own learning. It is time formed and to start building the foundation for shared their teacher practices, such as inquiry- Additional resources recommended by the author based learning, that will promote the own theories skills needed for 21st-century thinkers. Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. (2007). Tools of the mind: The Vygotskian approach to early and findings The time to begin this journey starts childhood education. Upper Saddle River, today. NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. with others. Chiarotto, L. (2011). Natural curiosity: Building children’s understanding of the References world through environmental inquiry / A resource for teachers. Oshawa: Maracle Conezio, K., & French, L. (2002). Science Press Ltd. http://www.naturalcuriosity.ca/ in the preschool classroom: Capitalizing pdf/NaturalCuriosityManual.pdf on children’s fascination with the everyday Project Zero and Reggio Children. (2001). world to foster language and literacy devel- Making learning visible: Children as indi- opment. Young Children, 57(5), 12-18. vidual and group learners. Reggio Emilia, Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Italy: Reggio Children. New York, NY: Kappa Delta Pi. Doris, E. (2010). Doing what scientists do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Freire, P., & Bergman-Ramos, M. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Chestnut Ridge, NY: Herder & Herder.
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