Guided Inquiry: Guided Inquiry

We will ask Essential Questions which:

1. Are interesting to you. Choose something you are interested in.

2. Are open to research. You must dig for answers which are focused and appropriate to the topic.

3. Are questions you don't know the answer to.

4. Are answered in more than one way, depending on experience. No simple yes/no. “Why,” not “what”. 

5. Are focused. They allow us to be productive in research; think of the funnel. Not too big, not too small.

6. Are reasonable. Get credible info on the topic.

7. Have no premise. Don’t ask in a way which leads to one certain conclusion.

   • ​​“Why do we only use 3% of our brain?” “Why does money destroy lives?” “How did the Bulls win the tournament without Jordan?” "What are the positive effects of libraries?" — all these questions imply something and narrow the answer.

8. Use well-defined terms. Don’t use “recent” or “nowadays” or "good" or "cool" without defining them.

9. Lead to new questions. Good inquiry never completely ends.

Active Reading

• Read with your pencil or Organizer doc open
• use research sheets to write down relevant facts/information
• don't worry about answering things in order-- this is a puzzle
• as you read, your Essential Questions or focus may shift slightly. THAT'S OK! 
• no need for complete sentences, but add your opinion and feelings

• Paraphrasing Video - Brainpop

• Plagiarism Video

• You quote it, You note it!

How to Avoid Presentation Poison - tips on making your presentation effective.

Template for Guided Inquiry presentation - template to copy and make your own.

Template for presentation script - template for your notes

Create

Below are some examples of projects from GID class

Molly's doodling presentation was geared toward teachers and presented information about the positive effects of doodling.

Melanie's informational postcard is for hikers at the Blue Hills Reservation state park. It contains information about carnivorous plants found in Massachusetts.

Ariana's Bratz discussion looked at areas of moral panic, body type, and diversity in the popular toys.

Kayvan made a Scratch game to explain the basics of coding and how it effects the brain.

Claire made a "Medicinal Herbs" info sheet for Natick hikers, local businesses, and the library:

Sophia performed a demo of softball pitching technique after and Makayla shared best shared best practices for staying healthy when playing the sport in a presentation geared toward youth softball players.

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Jack's BMX Biking recreation timeline is a draft for an Eyewitness book about extreme sports. Jack asked "How did recreational BMX come into existence?" and explored its popularity, presenting his findings in a timeline of BMX popularity.

Kyra made a timeline showing how makeup has evolved into the cosmetics industry and how makeup was used by different cultures at different times.

M's Bharatanatyam routine was a display of an Indian dance set to a voice over about Indian caste system and the gender and class roles it signifies and upholds and LGBTQ rights.

Julia's animation explains how the Immortal Jellyfish is able to regenerate itself.

On your organizer, you should fill out a proposal for your project, be sure you have the following:

• a complete sentence that explains what your project is.
• the tool you will be using, like Google Slides, Google Draw, Quicktime, Screencast-o-Matic, a green screen, construction paper, or something else from below…
• an authentic audience that will listen to your research.