ABSTRACT
Learning is more effective and motivating when students are active and engaged rather than passive. An activity has a learning goal or outcome, directions for what students should do and why, and a tangible product that is sometimes formally evaluated. In primary and intermediate grades, the teacher writes the topic and records what students suggest on chart paper or a SMART Board, flipchart, blackboard, or projector. A related cognitive strategy activity is predicting, which can be introduced even before students can independently read or write. Sustained student participation over extended periods of time is a key feature of inquiry. The teacher should initially facilitate this process with the class. Elementary schools in Tucson, AZ, animate students through the arts. New Zealand first-grade teacher Samantha Diggins starts by finding out what her students already know about the sun. Upper-elementary grade teacher Melaney Watson uses brainstorming with her students as they set out to write a story.
