In this article, the authors introduce a series of interconnected, inquiry-based activities from a fifth grade social studies curriculum, "My Place in Time and Space," which was developed in part through a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Regional Grant Program--Eastern Region. These activities are designed to…

How effective is reflective teaching in increasing the engagement and achievement of pre-service teachers when utilized by a first-year college instructor? This article documents a practitioner inquiry project in which I reflected both on my own observations and student feedback regarding what teaching methods were most beneficial in an…

With the advent of Common Core standards that focus on speaking and listening, discussion should be a tool in every elementary teacher's tool belt. As they discuss a topic, elementary students learn not just the content, but also the skills and social norms they need to become contributing members of our society. Discussion helps students to…

Suggests activities that focus on the beginning of a new school year for grades K-6. The activities are designed to give students open-ended questions. Students may work on the activities individually, in pairs, or in small groups. Activities may be adapted to grade level and integrated with other subjects. (AIM)

Activities to help the classroom teacher involve students in the process of raising, defining, investigating, and resolving problems and questions are suggested. Selected references are included. (Author/RM)

Art lessons can teach concepts and develop students' self-confidence when they are encouraged to discuss their work. Activities and suggested questions are offered. (DF)

Considers carefully what might interest and engage students and uses activities and questions that will enable them to see how a topic can unfold and be dealt with in depth. (Author/RK)

Argues that show-and-tell is an important school learning activity that gives students an opportunity to practice and improve their oral language abilities. Offers a technique for the informal assessment of show-and-tell activities. (FL)

In a classroom setting, as distinct from other settings, a teacher asks questions in order to evaluate the correctness of the reply, not to seek information. (JD)

High-low sponges are short, science-related activities or questions that require students to analyze a situation or produce a new idea during extra time that otherwise would be wasted. (PR)

A sharing period in the first grade can provide children with many opportunities for developing both personally and educationally (e.g., becoming aware of others' attitudes and expressing themselves orally). Moreover, much can be learned by the teacher about students' interests, needs, and abilities when they are encouraged to "brainstorm" such…

Defines aesthetic scanning, the perceptual activity that artists use when creating art and that connoisseurs use when contemplating it. Shows how to ask questions that elicit information about the sensory, formal, expressive, and technical properties of a work of art. (JDH)

Suggests: (1) activities to enhance interest during observations of animals in the elementary science classroom; (2) possible questions to ask during these observations; and (3) sources for observing animals such as pet stores and farms, as well as bringing pets into the classroom. (DS)

Not all content teaching is necessarily good second language teaching. The typically used question/answer sequence could be replaced with a more effective use of carefully contrived activities that bring into the classroom authentic language in its full functional range. (Author/CB)