The Inquiry Cycle

We talk a lot about inquiry learning and today I wanted to break down some of the steps we go through in the inquiry cycle to give you a better understanding of the pathway we take on our journey of inquiry.

Each step has a statement that guides us. The first is 'I am curious' and it is the stage where we talk about our wonderings and ask lots of questions. It is also the stage where we can share some of our own knowledge about things. We started with some curious questions about music and this helped lead us down the pathway for the rest of our inquiry.

Next we start exploring. This stage is the discovery and research phase where we start to learn all we can about the subject. This might include reading information or being exposed to new things so that we can have a go and see what happens. This is a hands on stage and many of the areas around the classroom become filled with things to explore and discover. 

For our music inquiry this included learning to play different instruments and experimenting with how we make sounds. We also began to explore patterns as a part of maths and explored how there are patterns in numbers, shapes as well as patterns in music.

Next we move into the sorting and creating stage. This is where we start making and building as a way of showing some of the things we have learned so far. One of the activities we did was to sort different instruments by the way they make sound. We built our own instruments using the knowledge we had gained by exploring how sound is made. This is also where our show started to come together. We wanted a way to share our Kaitiaki learning that used lots of the new things we had learned about music and dance.

Finally comes the 'I am celebrating stage'. This stage is where we put all the elements together and take an action to share our learning. The Art Celebration was a natural fit for us to share our learning with the wider school community and we were so glad that we could share our show with so many people and that you could celebrate with us. 

But thats not the end. From here we can reflect on the entire process and see if we answered those questions and wonderings we had right back at the beginning. The great thing about inquiry learning is that it just naturally flows towards the next inquiry. Inquiry doesn't just happen in the classroom and we invite all of you to have conversations at home about some of the things we are exploring in the classroom. Our community is filled with musicians, artists, scientists and all sorts of amazing people. So share your stories and help be a part of the ongoing learning that is inquiry.

Hopefully that answers some of your questions about inquiry but if you want to know more than stop in anytime. We have a classroom full of inquiry experts that would love to share their learning with you.

Learning through Action and Play with our parents!

We had our learning through action morning this morning. It was so great to see so many parents come and learn and play alongside their children. This was our learning scavenger hunt that worked as a guide through our morning. Children chose what they wanted to do with their parents.

There were lots of letters written to the witch

Children were choosing books they wanted to read.

Scientists were looking closely, observing what they were seeing and drawing in their visual diaries.

 Many were practising typing the computer password on the keyboard so that they can turn the computers on themselves!

We had measuring and pouring at the water table.  This is looking at capacity.  One container is much wider than the other, while one is longer and thinner.  Which one holds more liquid I wonder?

Children went outside and made up games of catch and tag.

 There was lots of maths thinking happening.  This is our calendar wall where we keep track of the weather, the days of the week, the month, and how many days we've been at school.

The beetle game is popular.  There's lots of sorting, categorising,  and colour recognising going on here. 

There was patterning here, blue, black, blue, black.  We counted that there were 10 penguins altogether.  5 blue and 5 black.  So we figured out 5 + 5 =10!

Here there were ice cream cones being made with playdough and kinetic sand was burrying treasure.  

 Some of us were finding words we know and reading poems.

 Here we have lots of marbles being transported with long bits of the marble run.

 There were aliens being made and trees with koalas.

There was so much fun and learning going on and parents had a great time too! Thanks again!

Here is the scavenger hunt sheet for those that couldn't make it.  You could talk with your kids about what they did for some of them!

Name:                                                Go in any order and choose which things you’d like to do. Highlight what you’ve done

Show the treaty and explain what it says	Choose a book and a comfy place and read a story	Go outside and make a potion or build something with the sand	Create something at the making table
Show me the calendar wall.  What do we do here? Let’s sing the days of the week song.	Let’s do some yoga. Teach me some of the poses. Which one is your favourite?	Show me the poem of the week.  Let’s read it together.  Then we can practise typing the password in for the computer.	Let’s play with the playdough or kinetic sand.  How does it feel? We can squish it, build something or just have fun with it!
Let’s choose something off the maths shelf to explore.  We might make a pattern, build a tower and count, or more!	Let’s look closely and do some careful observational drawing of what we can see!	Let’s choose something off the ABC shelf to practise. We can string our letters or make words, use playdough, stamps matching shells or more!	Let’s build something at the construction area. What can we build?
My Choice for something that’s not on here that I want to show you or do with you.	Let’s write a letter to the witch. You’ll have to help me write it! But I can help with the idea, a picture and what I want to say!	Let’s go outside and make up a game with some materials! I’ll show you where we are allowed to play.	My Choice for something that’s not on here that I want to show you or do with you.