Observation and Reflection Tools
Use these tools to observe inquiry-based instruction, reflect on implementation, and support continuous improvement across classrooms and teams.
All Activities
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Simulation
Simulations facilitate an experience that students can reflect upon to draw conclusions about concepts or ideas. When designing a simulation, avoid those that may be triggering, including asking students to act out inappropriate dynamics or perform another person's identity or...
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Artifact Study
Artifact studies challenge students to analyze a primary source by identifying evidence, explaining interpretations, and drawing conclusions. Use this format when students analyze an unfamiliar primary source individually, in small groups, or as a whole class.
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Social Studies as Lever for Literacy
In this session, participants explore how social studies instruction serves as a powerful lever for improving literacy outcomes. Through discussion, research analysis, and classroom examples, participants examine how building background knowledge strengthens reading comprehension and supports student success on assessments....
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Whip Around / Once Around the Room
This strategy gives each student a chance to quickly share their idea with the whole class. Use this protocol when responses are likely to be only a few sentences long.
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inquirED's Inquiry Teaching Practices with Look-Fors
inquirED's Inquiry Teaching Practices include both "on-stage," observable look-fors, as well as "off-stage" look-fors that are may not be as easily observed during class. These look-fors can often be found through other means such as lesson materials, student data, and...
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Adding Curriculum
Learn how to access and add curriculum for additional grade levels included in your inquirED subscription.
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Understanding Teacher Roles
Learn how primary teacher and co-teacher permissions work in shared classes.
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Managing Lesson Status
Easily mark and reset lesson progress. Learn how to mark lessons as complete or incomplete and manage progress at the Inquiry, Module, or Lesson level.
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Question Formulation Technique: Teacher Reflections
The Question Formulation Technique, or QFT, was developed by the Right Question Institute as a simple step by step process that helps anyone produce, improve, and prioritize questions. Watch this video to hear about a teacher's journey using the Question...
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Hexagonal Thinking & Mapping
Imagine your students actively making connections, debating ideas, and visually mapping relationships between key concepts. The Hexagonal Mapping Protocol offers a flexible, engaging way for students to organize their thinking and discover new relationships between ideas. Whether used for inquiry-based...
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Inquiry Challenge Statement
Issuing the Inquiry Challenge is one of the Landmark Lessons that supports the shift to Taking Informed Action. Creating the Inquiry Challenge Statement is part of this lesson. Watch the video below to learn more about the Inquiry Challenge Statement.
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Schools List Management for Manually Rostered Districts
Learn how district leaders in manually rostered districts can add, edit, and remove schools.
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Student Log In with Clever
This article supports teachers who use Clever to manage student access to inquirED.
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Sections List Management for SSO Districts Using Clever and ClassLink
District leaders can manage sections and sharing rules in inquirED and SSO platforms to ensure accurate rostering.
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Experience Inquiry Series: Student to Student Feedback Participant Resources
Here are resources for facilitating the critique and learning more about student to student feedback.
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From Ideas to Impact: Rubric Tools for Informed Action
To support teachers in guiding students through meaningful Informed Action, we've developed resources and templates to assist in the co-creation of rubrics. These tools are designed to help translate inquiry products and success criteria into clear, student-friendly assessment frameworks that...
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Jigsaw
Jigsaws support students in deep research on a specific topic, then provide an opportunity to share that research with other students or groups who explored different topics in depth. Use this format to empower students to go deep and become...
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Reading Strategy: Text Comprehension
Strategies that support students in understanding key concepts and details as they read promote deeper analysis of the text after they finish. Here are several strategies that teachers can use to support students, and students can use to support themselves....
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Using Canvas to Create Assignments
Explore how teachers and students use Canvas to assign and complete inquirED lessons.
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Yes, and...
Yes, and... is a structured protocol that helps students respond and add to others’ ideas rather than critiquing or modifying them. Use it to support students’ development of individual project ideas and their ability to thought-partner with each other.
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The Human Story: Early People and Ancient Civilizations
The Human Story: Early People and Ancient Civilizations offers a thematic, inquiry-based approach to teaching World History and Ancient Civilizations in middle school. Centered on universal concepts such as cultural practices, systems of writing, and innovation across early societies.
