Inquiry-based Learning

While I'm sure that at some point in my life as a student, I participated in an inquiry-based learning activity, I really can't think of a particular example!  Since I don't have teaching experience yet, I also have not had the opportunity to use inquiry-based learning in a classroom setting.  However, after completing the Library of Congress Supporting Inquiry with Primary Sources Online Module, I am sold on the benefits of incorporating inquiry-based learning into my future lessons. 

As a pre-service Social Studies teacher, I am very interested in learning about ways to capture and maintain the focus of the students in the classroom and beyond.  While I cannot recall a specific inquiry-based learning activity from my own experiences as a student, I can certainly recall numerous hours of sitting at my desk, listening to the teacher lecture, taking notes, and sneaking glances at the clock.  The use of inquiry-based learning is one way that I will attempt to avoid placing my students in these types of situations. Inquiry-based learning allows students to be very engaged in the learning process.  It's almost as if they are completing a puzzle, where they first have to find the right pieces and then put them all together.  I think the process can be very motivating (and hopefully, fun) for students. Additionally, by using primary sources in support of the inquiry-based learning activity, students will be able to form their own ideas and interpretations of the content before being told what they should think it means by secondary sources or the teacher. 

Ideally, I would like to incorporate an inquiry-based learning activity into each unit of study throughout the academic year because I think it would help students to learn and retain the content, while also helping them to develop critical thinking skills that translate beyond the classroom.  However, I think I may find this to be very challenging.  I am hopeful that I would be able to work with the school librarian to help track down appropriate and effective primary sources to use in the classroom because, through my limited experience with developing lesson plans, I've learned that it can be a very time-intensive process!