The 9 step Inquiry Approach Simmons, A. (2005)
Stages / Actions / ICT Resources / Activities
1.  Big Idea
(overarching question) / Introduction, big picture ideas, what do we know? How is this topic relevant?
(Content shift – from doing celebrations to asking “Why are celebrations important?” / ICT tools – Inspiration or Kidspiration for concept mapping and brainstorming
Data projector for whole class concept mapping / KWL
Hot potato
Bus stops
Class discussion
2. Pondering / Questioning
Generating subsidiary questions from the big idea or essential question / Inspiration or Kidspiration - big picture mapping of questions / Post it Pondering board
Class discussion
Group discussions
Individual brain branching – associations leading to questions
3. Exploring and discovering / Looking at all aspects of topic or issue through planned discovery / Internet – cache of sites created by teacher
Data logging tools
Video conferencing or chat tools such as i-chat with experts
Visits outside of school – use tablets or pocket PCs to record information
Take video or still camera to record
View movies or presentations on topic/issue
Class blog creation to discuss topic – invite experts to take part(www/blogger.com)
4. Considering, (revising and evaluating) / What have we found out? Has this changed our initial line of questioning? Are there other questions we need to ask? / ReasonAble (www.goreason.com) debating an issue – (leads to further questions)
Excel - using spreadsheets to sort and sift data
Data projector/IWB to share movies, photos or other data collected in discovery time / Collating, sifting, sorting data collected in assigned groups
Making meaning – analysing what we have found and putting it into meaningful messages to share and discuss
“More big wonderings” post it board
Inspiration or Kidspiration class discussion after viewing and sharing discover findings
SWAT analysis
(strengths, weakness, analysis, thoughts)
PCC (pros, cons, considerations)
Bridge mapping (making analogies)
5. Querying / Finding out more
Looking at questions arising from our analysis and synthesis
Planning how to find out more / Using Inspiration and data projector to map further questions and the note taking tool to record action plans for exploring these questions / Action planning
Direct thinking
Bus stops
Round robin
6. Further discovery / Investigating further – following action plan to discover answers to questions arising from major discovery / Using some of the tools suggested for the major discovery assign groups a question to explore
Report back to class findings – choose format for presenting findings / Jig saw expert groups
7. Evaluating and creating / Looking at what we have found out and creating a product or performance of our new knowledge to show what we know now / Using data from a range of sources from both discoveries groups are assigned a question or theme from the topic to create a product or performance to show knowledge gained from the inquiry. ICT tools could be chosen from a range of presentation tools such as i-movie, Moviemaker, Powerpoint, Ezedia, Media blender, FrontPage or DreamWeaver / Slam Dunk format
(see www.fno.org/)
WebQuest format
See www.freewebs.com/blanchfield/webquest/
8. Sharing / Presenting our performance – sharing our findings with others / A concluding performance and celebration of learning as a Multimedia extravaganza which school, parents and community are invited to.
9. Reflecting (thinking about the learning journey and where to from here) / Evaluating and assessing learning and goal setting for next steps in learning – What has arisen from this learning process? What has intrigued us and makes us interested in finding out more about….? / Learning logs to be used throughout the inquiry for daily reflections
Self and peer assessment rubrics throughout the inquiry as each stage progresses
KWL
Brain branching to show new knowledge
Class discussion on thoughts and feelings about learning journey as plenary