Critical Components of Inquiry

Critical Components of Inquiry

Complete the activity to explore the four components of inquiry—Question, Investigate, Build, and Student Discourse. Click Start to begin and Continue to move through the activity.

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Question

The first critical component of inquiry is Question. ~It sparks curiosity and invites students to wonder, observe, and investigate to discover why things happen.

For example, “Why do some trees change color in the fall while others stay green?”

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Investigate

The next critical component of inquiry is Investigate. ~Students gather evidence from multiple sources to explore the Question.

For example, students use sources like investigations or simulations to explore how plants make food—such as comparing a plant in sunlight to one in the dark.

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Build

The next critical component of inquiry is Build. ~Students use evidence from the Investigate and make connections to the Question to build their ideas about the science topic.

For example, students identify patterns—such as the plant in sunlight growing taller and greener—and use this evidence to explain and construct an argument that light is needed for plants to make their own food.

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Student Discourse

The final critical component of inquiry is Student Discourse. ~When students actively discuss ideas, share evidence, and respond to one another’s thinking during learning.

For example, students discuss why the plant in sunlight stayed green while the one in the dark turned yellow, using evidence to support and refine their ideas about how light helps plants make food.

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Critical Components of Inquiry

You just explored how the four components of inquiry—Question, Investigate, Build, and Student Discourse—work together to drive learning in science.