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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

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inquiry

Learn more about inquiry

Why inquiry?
The rationale for using discovery learning methods in teaching science.
Bringing current science into the classroom
Activities for middle and high school on groundwater, water quality, and environmental stewardship have students exploring current environmental research without leaving the classroom.
Format: series (multiple pages)
The learning cycle
A three-part model of scientific inquiry that encourages students to develop their own understanding of a scientific concept, explore and deepen that understanding, and then apply the concept to new situations.
Format: article/best practice
By David Walbert.
Reading primary sources: Newspaper editorials
This interactive guide to reading a 19th-century newspaper editorial steps through layers of questions, guiding the reader through the process of historical inquiry. This edition is one in a series of guides on reading historical primary sources.
Format: newspaper (multiple pages)
A perspective on inquiry
In this interview, Norman Budnitz, cofounder of the Center for Inquiry Based Learning, talks about inquiry and how to teach with it in a K–12 classroom.
Format: article/best practice
By Waverly Harrell.

Find all 184 resources in our collection.

Active approach to learning in which students investigate a problem based on a model of scientific inquiry. Students or teachers pose a problem, form hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and compare findings with initial hypotheses.

Examples and resources

LEARN NC offers various resources that examine inquiry practices in the classroom: