https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning This curated collection highlights sources that are focused on my primary inquiry question of 'How can inquiry learning be incorporated into the teaching of the early years curriculum?' en-us 2018-08-27 02:09:39 UTC 2025-12-15 16:35:58 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Apple.png carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/275424633 Kath Murdoch is an education consultant who is passionate about developing inquiry programs and practices within schools. This Tedx talk extends my understanding of inquiry learning in the early years by identifying that students' curiosity is the key to opening up authentic learning. By tapping into student's own questions or wonderings, teachers can spark ideas for exploration and guide students to identify, gather, create and share knowledge about a question relevant to each child and the world in which they live. The Tedx talk includes a practice-based example of inquiry in one primary school setting (about a praying mantis) and how this simple creature sparked students curiosity about life cycles. Kath clearly communicates the importance of tapping into students' curiosity in the classroom and confirms that inquiry learning results in deep learning.]]> 2018-08-27 02:17:37 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/275424633 carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276066980 This article explains the importance of nurturing curiosity of students in the early years, allowing them to be actively involved in their learning to co-construct new knowledge about the world in which they live. Inquiry learning is key in this process. It fosters problem solving and critical thinking skills... the skills required in the 21st Century. The article goes on to describe a Science based example(Kindergarten and Grade 1) and follows the guided inquiry model:
1. Nature walk (Open).
2. Gather initial understandings (Immerse).
3. Observe habitats (Explore).
4. Pose inquiry questions and seek answers (Identify, Gather).
5. Share learning through photos, drawings, sculpture, puppet show, worm books, posters (Create and Share).
6. Social action (Evaluate).
The last step in this inquiry moves the learning from Generic to Situated in Lupton's GeST Windows of information literacy. 
This example of inquiry learning integrates a number of curriculum areas including Science, English and The Arts. The students became deeply invested in the learning journey and participated in authentic learning (with a purpose) confirming the benefits of using inquiry learning in the Early Years classroom. ]]> 2018-08-28 23:05:27 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276066980 carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276073388 This paper was written for Queensland Studies Authority. It explores 'purposefully connected curriculum' where teachers plan and implement teaching and learning that integrates curriculum areas, rather than teaching the single curriculum approach. Dr Nayler concludes that effective integrated curriculum should be inquiry based and planned using an inquiry based learning model. The paper recognises that curriculum integration and inquiry based learning have a symbiotic relationship - they work hand-in-hand with one another, confirming that when teaching the Early Years curriculum, inquiry learning sparks the interests of the learner and answers questions relevant to the student. Students construct knowledge rather than be passive receivers of information and requires learners to use higher order thinking strategies. 
This paper then proceeds to give explicit examples of how the Australian Curriculum can be purposefully connected using Science and Geography and English and Science.
This article confirms that inquiry based learning is an effective way to integrate the curriculum in the Early Years classroom. ]]> 2018-08-28 23:54:25 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276073388 carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276081924 This Tedx talk explores the use of inquiry learning in a Kindergarten (Queensland equivalent is Prep) classroom based upon the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Amanda describes students at this age to be 'sponges' who are eager to learn and having high expectations of their ability to learn leads to better learning outcomes from students. She discusses a journey of inquiry she completed about self-portraits integrating HASS (Social Science), The Arts and English. This is an explicit example of how inquiry learning can be incorporated into the Early Years curriculum. The learning of the students was evident (using comparative pieces of work) as well as their developing use of language throughout the unit of work. Students were self-directed in their learning and gave, received and acted on feedback from peers and the teacher. This article confirms that inquiry learning is an effective learning model in the Early Years and allows for curriculum integration resulting in deep, authentic learning.]]> 2018-08-29 00:49:50 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276081924 carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276107532 This article was written for National Geographic. Dr Cabe Trundle reports that when students engage in scientific experiences in the early years of education, the skills they acquire using inquiry can transfer to other curriculum areas. The article also explains that science education is built on a constructivist philosophy and by using a guided inquiry based learning approach, learners construct their own understanding about the world around them. When students are active agents in Science, they take ownership of their learning and are motivated to search for answers in a collaborative learning setting. Dr Cabe Trundle also reports that the use of guided inquiry is the most effective form of inquiry in Science in the early years as the teacher can scaffold the learning of new scientific ideas. The article further reports that as students inquiry skills develop, they can move closer to open or free inquiry, where students investigate their own questions (see 'How to ease students into independent inquiry projects' by Trevor MacKenzie and Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt). Dr Cabe Trundle also discusses the effective use of non-fiction texts in the inquiry process that can activate students prior knowledge and help them to make scientific predictions before, during and after the inquiry process. This article confirms that students in the early years have a natural propensity to observe and have wonderings about the environment in which they live. By using a guided inquiry model to teach Science, teachers are activating and stimulating this curiosity and nurturing their need to explore the world around them.
For further information on scientific levels of inquiry read 'Teaching scientific inquiry: Exploration, directed, guided and open-ended levels' by Dr Judith Sweeney Lederman. ]]> 2018-08-29 03:13:38 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276107532 carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276119861 This is the first of two entries from the book 'Project-based inquiry units for young children'. This chapter explores the project approach in the Early Years (K-2) and describes the advantages of using this approach in the early years classroom. The project approach is very similar to Kuhlthau's Guided Inquiry Model with students investigating questions that are relevant to their own lives and motivate them to find answers through inquiry. This chapter discusses the use of informational resources in the early years and the information literacy skills early years students learn and use to source information. Dialogic reading is also explained using PEER sequencing questions when exploring informational texts (Prompt, evaluate, expand, repeat). 
This is an invaluable source for my inquiry question. It not only explains the benefits of using inquiry in the early years, it incorporates the use of information literacy and gives explicit examples of the project approach in K-2. This text by MacDonell is clearly written and contains relevant and well-researched information about how students in the early years learn best.]]> 2018-08-29 04:50:49 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276119861 carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276126297 Edna Sackson is a blogger of inquiry learning. She is a teaching and learning coordinator at an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme  (IB PYP) school in Melbourne. Her blog is an inspiring mix of practice-based examples and concepts behind inquiry learning. Edna's work does not focus solely on inquiry learning in the early years, however, many of her posts are relevant to an early years educator teaching the Australian curriculum. One particular post titled 'Planning for inquiry' describes Year One teachers planning a Science inquiry unit focusing on the holistic development of the child (not just ticking boxes of the Australian Curriculum). The infographic explains the inquiry journey including questions for learners and questions for teachers. Other interesting posts include 'The Power of Provocation' - provoking inquiry in the classroom and '10 ways to make learning more meaningful'. Posts include infographics that summarise ideas and often contain links to other blogs or inquiry learning experts, including Kath Murdoch (see Tedx presentation 'The Power of Ummmm' in this curation collection). Another interesting find in this blog is 'The Learning Challenge' infographic by James Nottingham. It explains the journey of inquiry and relates directly to Kuhlthau's ISP (Information Search Process). This blog has provides further information about the IB PYP and how this relates to inquiry learning. ]]> 2018-08-29 05:48:11 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276126297 carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276772473 This chapter by MacDonnell explores inquiry learning in Year One. She explains that having high expectations on students cognitive ability can result in deeper learning from students (also discussed by Amanda Baldwin in her Tedx talk - featured in this Curation Collection). This chapter describes how a learner in Year One sees and receives the world. MacDonnell gives four explicit examples of inquiry using the project approach. Each project describes its relevance to a Year One child, follows a sequence and can be linked directly back to Kuhlthau's Guided Inquiry Model:
1. Discussion (Open, Immerse).
2. Investigation (Explore).
3. End Product (Identify, Gather, Create, Share, Evaluate).
Each project describes effective inquiry steps, expectations of students, their likely responses/reactions, the information skills required for the project and resources that can be used throughout. Each of the projects requires the integration of curriculum areas and samples ways in which this can be achieved. 
This source provides excellent practice-based examples and confirms the effectiveness of inquiry learning in the early years setting.]]> 2018-08-30 23:41:37 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/276772473 carlahoward80 https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/277129974 This is a practice-based example of inquiry learning in a Prep/Grade One classroom. The article details the inquiry journey of rubbish at school and the establishment of better disposal methods. I have included this article in my Curation Collection because it is another excellent example of social action that can occur from inquiry based learning in the Early Years (see Preparing young learners for the demands of the 21st Century). Although it is not explicitly detailed, the integration of curriculum areas is evident throughout the project. Because of this inquiry, students in other years levels are now partaking in more sustainable projects suggesting that inquiry has positive impacts on a community with deep learning at the heart of the inquiry.]]> 2018-09-02 08:06:32 UTC https://padlet.com/carlahoward80/fruitsofinquirylearning/wish/277129974