 When I was taking my teacher education I was looking at inquiry and I think a lot of times there's this mentality that it's let the kids go play and they'll learn something. And it's not, it's definitely not something that's just free reigns and go for it. There's a lot of planning that goes into inquiry, but for me it's harvesting and harnessing that natural curiosity that kids have. And it's also, it's true learning. So when you're an adult you don't go to your textbook and you have a curious question. You're thinking of things you want to know and how do you figure out the answer to that and you have a natural learning process. So I think it's really a natural way of learning that we need to facilitate. I think that you need to be strong in classroom management, but often times when there's not opportunities for kids to explore and to be curious about things, that perhaps there's a connection or a correlation between classroom management being difficult. Not always, but they need to have the freedom to explore and to answer those questions. So what I've done is I've set a tone in my classroom that your behavior, there's clear expectations for it and that's regardless of what approach we're using. And because they understand that that's the expectation we have more freedom and they're able to go within the parameters of what's accepted in our classroom. In my own experience what inquiry has allowed me to do, like I said before, was giving me freedom to be inspired and to inspire the kids to learn. So with the new social studies curriculum the approach is I think quite a bit different than perhaps the older social studies curriculum. Something that I focus on is multiple perspectives and something else that we are looking at specifically are histories and stories of the ways of life in Canada. So respecting and honoring that culture is developed through time and that everybody's story is important and unique. So looking and honoring a lot of the values and attitudes that are in the social studies curriculum, when you have inquiry it opens up the process for that and for them to explore and demonstrate those values and attitudes. And that's been the biggest thing for me is that with values and attitudes you don't necessarily teach them. You allow them to engage in things where they're developing those values and attitudes. Well in my classroom there's been quite a few projects that we've undertaken and with those projects there's planning with the end in sight. So looking at what are the curricular outcomes that I need to address and are mandated to address. So understanding by design. Exactly, so working backwards. And so I'm looking at what's the big question, what's the point, why are we learning these things and sharing that with the kids. So that they're aware of why they are engaged in this, why we're learning about this person and this person and their effect. And moving from that big question back to how do we accomplish that. So that would be one of the best practices that I see inquiry as being a really strong fit with is that effective planning. Another best practice that inquiry lends itself to is assessment for learning. The kids are given control over their learning and they are given accountability and responsibility for their learning. So with some of my projects, well actually all of my projects, there's a component for self-evaluation and reflection. And they have to know whether or not they've met the ICANN statements or the curricular outcomes. So the curricular outcomes are often our base for inquiry. How did this person affect Canada's history? What does the story, your own personal story, your history, how does that affect Canada's diverse culture and heritage. And then they go through that process of inquiry and after they've completed that or as they are. And they're thinking critically as well. Yeah, they're thinking critically, they're thinking outside of the box, they're having to justify and explain. But they're reflecting and evaluating on what they've learned. So it's not just we close a textbook and we're done. It's that lasting understanding and that enduring understanding. I'm very excited about this project. It's something that it just goes to show actually how when you choose to engage with your students, it will stick with them. When I was in grade five, I had an awesome teacher and he wanted us to connect to history. So he had actually done a smaller version of what I'm trying to do with my students right now. And he had had us dress up as characters from history. So I have taken that idea and it stuck with me for years afterwards. And I thought, how can I use this? Because it was so influential to me. I still remember who Madeleine de Vercher is and how often do we read about her? It was so authentic. It was so authentic and it was building that understanding. And this was very effective in my own learning. So I thought to myself, how can I do this with my kids? When I look at the new social studies curriculum, I was so excited because in grade five, it's all about stories in that second topic and it's all about explaining how that affects our understanding and what do the stories of these people, how do they contribute to our diversity? So what we've done is created this project where the problem is that there's a case, an epidemic of misunderstood and forgotten history in our nation, which is true in fact. So the kids have been sent on this mission, so it's very mission impossible. They're all agents. They have their own agent numbers. I can hear the music. Yeah, and they... I'm so excited. I have to try and... They all have this mission to bring back a person who is significant to Canada's history. So in integrating language arts and social studies for grades four, five and six, and then differentiating for grade levels, our school is working towards solving this epidemic and preventing it from continuing. So the kids now have chosen their person. They have to persuade headquarters why they are going to bring this person back to life in Canada's history, explain the significance, and in that they're being inquirers. They've chosen an individual. It has to meet the criteria of being Canadian, being significant, being someone that has made an impact on Canada's history. And now they are researching. We're meeting all of the expectations for the research component of language arts and social studies, but they are in control of that, and I'm facilitating. So I'm teaching them ways that they can approach it, but they're driving it. And it's really exciting, and I can't wait for... I can't wait to see what they come up with. Well, again, I go back to it's exciting, and when I'm motivated, that wears off on the kids. People say that. It's contagious. It is. It's very true. When I'm excited and motivated, then I'm modeling what learning should be and what it can be. It's an exciting thing. And I think social studies gets a bad rap sometimes, and it's not just memorizing dates, and it's not just knowing what page in the textbook you get it from. But inquiry has allowed me, and it's a process that I use because I can motivate my kids. It's exciting for me to come and teach them because I'm learning along with them. And it's really neat to see how they develop and to see their ideas, and it's very open-ended, so you get a truer picture of your learners in your classroom when they're allowed to demonstrate it in a way that makes sense to them within parameters, of course.