Three-Phase Inquiry Learning Cycle

Inquiry CycleScience Classroom
Exploration

Open Inquiry

Student Exploration of phenomenon

  1. Student engages with the phenomenon
  2. Student determines a question for focused exploration
Experimentation
and
Data Collection

Student Developed Inquiry
Student designs an experiment and gathers data about the physical phenomenon or question
Sense-Making

Conceptual Inquiry
Student analyzes data to make a finding. The student organizes / displays the data as a tool to illuminate the question and then communicates their investigation and findings.

Modified from Making Science Mentors by Bernie Zubrowski, Vivian Troen, and Marian Pasquale (NSTA Press, 2007) by Fiona McDonnell and David Burgess.