Nine Thousand Straws: Teaching Thinking Through Open-Inquiry Learning » (1st Edition)

JEAN SAUSELE KNODT is an educational consultant, studio artist, and former director, designer, and teacher of an open-inquiry instructional lab program, focused on mainstreaming gifted and talented instruction for all children of a Fairfax County, Virginia Public Elementary School. She has published articles in the ASCD journal, the ALPS website, and others about the open-inquiry approach to learning.

Based on nine years of design, research, and open-inquiry lab teaching experience with over 600 children annually, Nine Thousand Straws presents an inquiry instructional approach that engages the inquisitive energy children naturally bring to the learning table. It offers practical methods and concrete guidance that will enable you to open, employ, and guide this energy towards developing productive and globally applicable thinking skills and dispositions.

Introduction History, and Acknowledgements

Ch. 1 Cultivating Innovative and Industrious Thinking 1

Ch. 2 Project as Medium, Teacher as Coach 17

Ch. 3 Setting Up Inquiry for Mindful Practice 47

Ch. 4 Focus Theme Sampler 55

Ch. 5 Inquiry Project Design 115

Ch. 6 Inquiry Project Sampler 125

Ch. 7 Finding Parents as Partners and Sending Inquiry Home 203

Ch. 8 Setting the Open-Inquiry Stage 209

Appendix A 225

Appendix B 231

Appendix C Quick Link: Focus Theme Conversations to Build Habits of Mind 241

Appendix D Quick Link: Lab Time Conversations to Build Habits of Mind 247

Appendix E Quick Link: Target Inquiry Lab Skills 255

Appendix F Co-Educator Questionnaire 257

Appendix G Lab Rubric: Inquiry in Action 259

Appendix H An Eye on Open-Inquiry 261

Appendix I Additional Inquiry Possibilities 263

Appendix J Potential Suppliers 271

Appendix K New Lab Challenge Idea! 273

Appendix L Student Lab Project Advice (for Clipboard or Notebook) 275

Appendix M1 Analyze It! Moving From Three to Two Dimensions 277

Appendix M2 Analyze It! What System Are You Using to Solve This Challenge? 279

Appendix M3 Analyze It! How Does This Do That? 281

Appendix N Words for Thinking and Doing 283

Appendix O Student Lab-Time Question Card 287

Appendix P Project Card Master Example 289

Appendix Q Beginning Middle End Graphic 291

Appendix R Store Sum Student Worksheet and Price List 293

Appendix S Magnet Mural Shape Possibilities 297

Appendix T MI Student Interview Sheet 299

Appendix U Mobile in Balance Building Instructions 303

Appendix V Habits of Mind Student Reference Sheet 305

Appendix W Geodesic Dome Nonverbal Instructions 309

Appendix XStrawberry Basket Clipboard Graphic 311

Appendix Y Name That Bone! 313

Suggested Readings 315

Theories and Methods 315

Theories and Methods Web Sites 317

Application and Project Support 317

Application and Project Support Web sites 319

Index 321