Ms. Beason's fourth grade high ability class recently studied ancient Egypt, but in a very different way. Ms. Beason used a method of study called inquiry circles. By definition the word inquiry means, a process of learning to discover knowledge, and to construct their own meaning, with guidance, rather than lectures, from teachers. This process encourages student collaboration and increases a student's ability to comprehend as well as deepen their understanding of the topic.
First, the students began by reading books and writing down any questions they had about ancient Egypt in their response journals. Second, the students selected their most burning question and Ms. Beason helped to organize the questions by common topics. Third, the students were grouped according to the common topics and began in-depth research about their topic. Finally, students had time to create a final product to highlight what they learned. Final products included: presentations, imovies, puppet shows, re-enactments, and models.
Friday, November 2, 2018, the students presented their final products as a part of a community day. It was obvious that students were engaged in their learning and it was led by their curiosity, questions, and interests.