Identifying Research Questions (15-20 min.)

Starter:

Students will review Stop & Jot notes or any questions they have written down and highlight things they found interesting.

Worktime:

As a whole class, brainstorm possible research questions. Record students' ideas using a SmartNotebook slide, a Google doc, or chart paper. 

Sort the questions and categorize them into 5-7 "Emerging Themes" that will become their Inquiry Questions. The librarian will lead the discussion of relevant and irrelevant questions. Once sorted into emerging themes (ie. shelter, diet, customs), questions are then refined into researchable questions. Students will be assigned an Inquiry Team and will be responsible for becoming the research expert on their 1-2 questions. 

Gather Process-May take several class periods/days.

Work Time:

Students studying the same tribe may be grouped formally or informally to create a support structure for the Gather phase. For information on Inquiry Circles, see Guided Inquiry Design p. 122-123.

Reflection: 

The Pair Share Protocol (Guided Inquiry Design, Figure 8.4) offers ideas for prompts to guide the reflection process as students move toward creating a product.

Inquiry Booklets

• Inquiry Journal - Native Texans - English
• inquiry Journal - Native Texans - Spanish
• Inquiry Booklet 

Multiple Inquiry phases are covered in this packet. It appears on this page because it illustrates where students write their notes.