Inquiry Based Learning in Social Studies

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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose and what are the steps of inquiry?

Inquiry is the process of asking meaningful questions, gathering and analyzing evidence, and reaching conclusions based on that evidence. Crucial steps also include communicating those conclusions to others, and taking action on them, particularly in a democratic society.

What is the relation between inquiry and democracy?

Democracy depends on people having reasons—good reasons—for what they do, grounded in logic and evidence. Inquiry is all about developing these reasons, and it is crucial for social studies education.

What are the characteristics of good inquiry questions?

Good inquiry questions have to be open-ended, with multiple right answers but also the possibility of wrong answers, if the information is incorrect or applied illogically. It should benefit from examining multiple pieces of evidence.

Name 3 choices teachers must make in designing inquiry projects.

<ol> <li>What is the best mix of teacher-created and student-created questions? 2. What sources should be used, and how should students access them? 3. How much time should students spend on inquiry?</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

List 5 criteria for evaluating informational text.

<ol> <li>Is the text clearly and engagingly written for the grade level I want to use it for? 2. Are there photographs, diagrams, or other visual features that add meaning to the text? 3. Is the content up to date? 4. Are there text features that help students navigate the content? 5. Does the book represent a variety of experiences?</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

List some text features of informational texts.

Table of content, indexes, chapter titles, section headings, and page numbers. Signup and view all the answers

List some methods for helping students collect information from informational texts.

Glossaries, definitions, diagrams, captions. Signup and view all the answers

List methods of scaffolding for inquiry projects, including the different ways of encouraging interest, what constitutes a probing question, and the characteristics of critical feedback.

Model procedures, break tasks into manageable parts, and use sentence and paragraph templates. Interest: jointly examine a visual image, share personal connections to a topic, provide hands on experiences or unstructured exploration of sources, suggest puzzling situations to be solved, read children's literature. Probing Question: 'Have you tried?' 'What about if you?' 'Could you look at it another way?' Critical feedback: identify specific elements of students' achievement. Signup and view all the answers

List some additional means of activating background knowledge with inquiry projects and when to use each.

Ask what they already know about the topic, use a KWL chart. Signup and view all the answers

What is the meaning of primary sources?

Items that come directly from the time and place being studied. Signup and view all the answers

List two educational advantages of primary sources.

<ol> <li>They often are interesting to students and stimulate their engagement with a topic 2. They help students understand how knowledge of other times and places is created.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

List criteria for evaluating primary sources.

<ol> <li>Rich in detail but students can make sense of it 2. Uses clear images 3. Written sources should have info relevant to the question students are investigating, and should be written in simple enough language 4. Represent a variety of forms of diversity.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What are 3 choices teachers must make in designing inquiry projects?

<ol> <li>What is the best mix of teacher-created and student-created questions. 2. What sources should be used, and how should students access them. 3. How much time should students spend on inquiry.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What are the differences between inquiry in early and upper elementary grades?

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What are methods for locating info text?

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What text features are common in informational text?

Table of content, indexes, chapter titles, section headings, and page numbers Signup and view all the answers

What methods can help students collect information from informational texts?

Glossaries, definitions, diagrams, captions Signup and view all the answers

Describe methods of scaffolding for inquiry projects, including ways of encouraging interest, what constitutes a probing question, and the characteristics of critical feedback

Model procedures, break tasks into manageable parts, and use sentence and paragraph templates. Interest: jointly examine a visual image, share personal connections to a topic, provide hands on experiences or unstructured exploration of sources, suggest puzzling situations to be solved, read children's literature Probing Question: "Have you tried?" "What about if you?" "Could you look at it another way?" Critical feedback: identify specific elements if students achievement Signup and view all the answers

What are additional means of activating background knowledge with inquiry projects and when to use each?

Ask what they already know about the topic, KWL chart Signup and view all the answers

What are two educational advantages of primary sources?

<ol> <li>They often are interesting to students and stimulate their engagement with a topic. 2. They help students understand how knowledge of other times and places is created.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What are criteria for evaluating primary sources?

<ol> <li>Rich in detail but students can make sense of it. 2. Uses clear images. 3. Written sources should have info relevant to the question students are investigating, and should be written in simple enough language. 4. Represent a variety of forms of diversity.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What principles guide teaching about social issues and about people experiencing social issues such as housing insecurity or food insecurity?

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What is the nature and characteristics of culminating performances?

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What are five criteria for evaluating informational text?

<ol> <li>Is the text clearly and engagingly written for the grade level I want to use it for. 2. Are there photographs, diagrams, or other visual features that add meaning to the text. 3. Is the content up to date. 4. Are there text features that help students navigate the content. 5. Does the book represent a variety of experiences</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What are the methods for locating informational text?

The content did not provide an answer to this question. Signup and view all the answers

What are the text features of informational texts?

Table of content, indexes, chapter titles, section headings, and page numbers Signup and view all the answers

What are the methods for helping students collect information from informational texts?

Glossaries, definitions, diagrams, captions Signup and view all the answers

What are the methods of scaffolding for inquiry projects, including the different ways of encouraging interest, what constitutes a probing question, and the characteristics of critical feedback?

Model procedures, break tasks into manageable parts, and use sentence and paragraph templates. Interest: jointly examine a visual image, share personal connections to a topic, provide hands on experiences or unstructured exploration of sources, suggest puzzling situations to be solved, read children's literature. Probing Question: 'Have you tried?' 'What about if you?' 'Could you look at it another way?' Critical feedback: identify specific elements if students achievement Signup and view all the answers

What are the principles for teaching about social issues and about people experiencing social issues such as housing insecurity or food insecurity?

The content did not provide an answer to this question. Signup and view all the answers

What is the nature and what are the characteristics of culminating performances?

The content did not provide an answer to this question. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Purpose and steps of inquiry

A process of asking questions, gathering evidence, analyzing, and concluding. Communication and action are also crucial.

Inquiry and democracy relation

Democracy relies on logical, evidence-based reasoning, which inquiry cultivates. Inquiry skills are essential for social studies.

Good inquiry questions - characteristics

Open-ended questions with multiple valid answers, but incorrect answers are still possible if based on flawed logic or incorrect data. Benefits from examining multiple pieces of evidence.