Curriculum Archives – Inquiry By DesignInquiry By Design

Texts as Tools for Thinking: The Topic is Not the Message

by Skylar DeVos on March 6, 2018 in About Inquiry by Design, Authentic Tasks, Classroom Discussions, Curriculum, Interpretation, Reading with Comments Off on Texts as Tools for Thinking: The Topic is Not the Message

The study of literature presents interesting difficulties for teachers and students. More than most subjects, literature invites interpretation and introspection on the part of the reader—it raises questions, offers ideas for consideration, and challenges assumptions—and a text can be “difficult” for different reasons. Sometimes, it is simply a matter of dated language, but other times, the difficulty lies in the shape of the stories and characters themselves.

Inquiry By Design is not a “one-note” curriculum. Our texts contain selections that tend […]

The Power of Resilience

by Friend of IBD on September 26, 2017 in Authentic Tasks, Curriculum, Inquiry-Based Learning, Reading Strategies, Shared Reading, Unit Design with Comments Off on The Power of Resilience

By Laurie Thurston

“No fake work” is the cornerstone of Inquiry by Design. And it’s within this mindset that I approach all learning with my students. The work needs to be authentic, relevant, and meaningful. There needs to be an end product: something the students can create that is evidence of the effort and commitment they made to learning. Not all of this needs to come from the texts and lessons crafted by Inquiry By Design, however. Teachers can take projects […]

The Spiral Curriculum: Letting Go of Mastery

by Kristi Hemingway on June 6, 2017 in About Inquiry by Design, Complex Texts, Curriculum, Dealing With Difficulty with Comments Off on The Spiral Curriculum: Letting Go of Mastery

Although we debate about modes and methods, educators mostly acquiesce to the need to assess student proficiency. The problems start when, in the search for appropriate measures, we toss around words like “mastery.” As ELA teachers, we of all people should be aware of the importance of word choice. “Mastery” stresses us out because in teaching literature, what is it that we are asking students to “master” exactly? How does one master a text? We’ve been interpreting, reinterpreting, and debating […]

Metacognition and Self-Apprenticeship

by Kristi Hemingway on May 9, 2017 in Apprenticeship, Curriculum, Metacognition with Comments Off on Metacognition and Self-Apprenticeship

“All apprenticeship begins with the instructor’s capacity
to describe the performance and/or product of the novice.”

I’ve used this quote often in talking about an apprenticeship approach to teaching, and somewhere along the line I’ve lost track of the source. But that doesn’t make it any less true.

In order to move any novice along a continuum, the expert must be able to describe to the novice exactly what she is doing, where her performance places her in relation to the […]

TOP FIVE: Tips for First-Time Implementers

by Kristi Hemingway on January 18, 2017 in About Inquiry by Design, Curriculum, Resources with Comments Off on TOP FIVE: Tips for First-Time Implementers

Perhaps you, your school, or district is new to Inquiry By Design. You’re teaching the curriculum for the fist time (There are a lot of you out there.) These are our Top Five Tips for new partners, and also great reminders for the rest of us.

1. Try the recipe before you alter it.

You’re teaching a new curriculum for the first time. Our advice is to play it straight. Don’t adjust, add, subtract, cut-n-paste, or second-guess. Just teach it from […]