Inquiry Learning

Thank you to all the parents who came today to help with note-taking: Mrs. Diamond, Mr. & Mrs. Donnelly, Mrs. Fife, and Mr. Fujii. We are making good progress with our research on animals. Parents were impressed with how diligently the students worked at reading their nonfiction books and transcribing their findings into their inquiry journals.

Second graders were able to build on the geography knowledge they gained last year. We began our inquiry locating the different continents on the globe and identifying what animals live on the various continents. Students had several misconceptions. For example, a few thought both lions and tigers lived in Africa. Others thought penguins lived at both the North & South Poles.

Now that we are immersed in note-taking, misconceptions are being cleared up by reading facts. One boy said, “A lion and a tiger would never meet because one lives in Africa and one lives in Asia.” A girl added that only the South Pole is home to penguins.

We all know that when children have a strong desire to learn something, the learning becomes more authentic and long-lasting. That is exactly what is happening with inquiry. All students are well on their way to becoming experts about a particular animal.

Posted on September 20, 2007 1:06 PM | Permalink