Recommended time
Minimum 60 minutes, maximum 90 minutes

Important: Before doing this session, check out the article on inquiry-based learning.

Goals for session

• To build vocabulary
• To think critically
• To work cooperatively
• To practice writing words and sentences
• To practice forming investigative questions

Outcomes

• Journal writing and drawing
• Idea Map
• Inquiry process writing
• Newsletter

Materials and equipment

• A computer with Internet access
• A copy of The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
• Composition books (one for each child and facilitator)
• A newsprint pad or roll of butcher paper
• Regular pens and/or colored gel pens
• Colored markers
• Copies of inquiry process handout sheets
• Copies of newsletter template sheets

Part 1: Journals

What is it?
Have the group do a journal exercise that relates to investigation.

Sample exercises

• In words and pictures, show how you would figure out how milk gets to the grocery store. Whom would you ask? What information would you need?
• In words and pictures, show how you would figure out how many cats and dogs live in your neighborhood. Whom could you ask to help get the information? What tools would you use to get the information?

Part 2: Read-Aloud

What is it?
Suggested reading is The Important Book, by Margaret Wise Brown. This book describes the "important" characteristics of ordinary things like grass, spoons, rain and apples. Click here for other recommended books.

Sample questions

• The Important Book says that the important thing about snow is that it is white. Do you agree?
• The Important Book says that grass has "a sweet grassy smell." Can you think of other words to describe how grass smells?

Part 3: Finish Work on Partner Interviews

For 30 minutes, continue work on the writing, drawings, photos and slides from the interview exercise in the previous session. Any incomplete work can be finished during future sessions.

Part 4: Idea Map

What is it?
The group will perform idea mapping exercises to decide what it would be like to investigate and put information in a book about the neighborhood. The mapping will also help students decide on a field trip they could use to collect information for the book. The goal of this exercise is for the group to brainstorm and come up with great questions to find answers to. Create two or three maps, or more if time permits.

Map ideas

• Central words: People in the neighborhood
• Question for the first circle: What people do we know in the neighborhood?
• Question for the second circle: What do these people do?
• Question for the third circle: What are the important things about these people?
• Question for the fourth circle: What do we want to find out about these people?

• Central words: Places in the neighborhood
• Question for the first circle: What are the important places in the neighborhood?
• Question for the second circle: What do people do in these places? What do animals do in these places?
• Question for the third circle: What is important about these places?
• Question for the fourth circle: What do we want to find out about these places?

Part 5: Inquiry Process Writing

What is it?
Participants will write words and sentences defining the questions they want to investigate, what they already know about the questions, and what they need to do to find answers.

How to
Print out the inquiry process handout sheets available from the article on how to develop an inquiry-based project or make your own handout sheets. Participants should have the following:

• A question-focused handout where they can write words and sentences about the questions they want to find answers to (I want to know...), what they think they already know about the questions (I already know...), what they think they don't know about the questions (I don't know...) and what they think the answer might be (I think maybe...).
• A handout that helps them refine their questions (My main question is....Another question I have is….Another question is....etc.).

The idea of this exercise is to continue refining the questions until the most interesting questions (and the questions that best lend themselves to investigation) are uncovered.

Ask participants to work on their question sheets in pairs. Bring them back together to share their questions. Write the questions on cards or on a sheet of paper and post them.

Following this activity, the adult facilitator should examine the questions generated by the participants to determine what type of field trip would be best suited to collecting information about the questions the group would like to explore.

Ideas for field trips (beyond the usual sites such as museums, zoos, aquariums and parks):

• A local restaurant. Make plans ahead of time with the restaurant owner and staff. If possible, ask the restaurant to prepare food for the participants to taste. This trip could help teach children about nutrition, cooking, food from other parts of the world and cultures from other parts of the world.
• A place where you can see something being made or repaired, such as a local bakery, bike repair shop, shoe repair shop, pottery studio or carpenter's workshop.
• A workplace. Interview people at their place of work about their jobs.
• Interview a local small business owner. Is there a bookstore, music store, clothing store, corner grocery, crafts boutique, gym or some other business in your area with a friendly owner?
• A place where people help other people, such as a fire station, a hospital, a community police station or a senior care facility.
• A local radio or television station.
• Places to learn about animals other than zoos: a pet store, kennel, veterinarian's office, nature preserve or farm.
• Places to learn about plants, trees and flowers other than parks and museums: a florist shop, community garden, university or government botanical research center, a neighbor's garden.

Part 6: Daily Newsletter

What is it?
Instructions for creating a daily newsletter are in Session 1, Part 6.