Inquiry-Based Learning

This week’s question comes from a high school science teacher who writes: “You showed a matrix during your presentation with processes across the top (generate, critique, support, refine, problematize) and products down the side (model, explanation, argument, and so on). Can you explain what each of those processes and products actually means, and give some examples of what the tasks look like when you pair them up to assign group discussion tasks?” Thank you for sending this

A pre-service teacher I was observing asked me this question after one of her lessons did not go the way she had hoped, and it is one I get a lot. Whenever she sets out the materials and tells students to start working, the same thing happens. A few minutes in, hands go up. A line forms by her desk. Students who do start working are uncertain about what they should be measuring or how to use the equipment in front of them. The pattern is familiar, and it is not a student-mot

Assessment has always been more than a neutral measure of student achievement. In science classrooms, assessments shape what gets taught, how it gets taught, and how students see themselves as learners. They signal what counts as important knowledge. They influence how classroom time is spent. And they affect which students come to believe they are “good at” science. At their best, assessments illuminate student thinking, guide instruction, and provide meaningful feedback. At

A question I hear from teachers all the time is this: “My district is requiring us to devote more time to reading and writing in all subject areas. I already have too much content to cover. Is there a way to teach literacy skills without sacrificing time for science?” It’s a fair concern and an important one. The short answer is: you don’t have to choose . But making that possible requires rethinking what we mean by “literacy” and how it develops in a science classroom. The P

Understanding the Difference Between Inquiry and Three-Dimensional Instruction Teachers who begin using Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) sometimes notice something that feels different from other inquiry-based lessons they have taught. A common question sounds something like this: “I’ve just started my first ADI lesson and noticed that students read quite a bit of information early in the activity. Normally I would have students investigate first and discover the pattern themsel

Open educational resources like OpenSciEd offer powerful storylines, but many teachers struggle with pacing and student engagement. Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) provides a practical jumping-off point—ready-to-use, hands-on investigations that fit naturally into OER units. Learn how ADI can serve as a benchmark or mid-unit checkpoint, giving students a complete cycle of questioning, data collection, and argumentation while keeping your NGSS instruction on track.

Crosscutting concepts help students see connections across science disciplines, from patterns and cause-and-effect to systems and stability. In ADI investigations, these concepts are woven into every stage of inquiry, giving students the tools to think more deeply, make sense of complex phenomena, and apply their learning in meaningful ways.

Critical thinking in inquiry encourages students to question, analyze, and evaluate information. It pushes them beyond passive learning to active discovery.