Curiosity, Creativity, and Critical Thinking

Using inquiry based projects to promote student learning

My job is to ask questions, not answer them. ~Ms. DAquila
Goal: To encourage students to engage with content in a way that foregrounds exploration and resists an
expectation of a singular right answer.
Ms. DAquila, just tell me what the author meant by this! ~Student
Observation: Ive noticed a tendency for students to pursue the right answer as opposed to engaging with
content in an exploratory manner motivated by curiosity. It also seems that students engagement with material
is generally as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. This manifests in the classroom in various ways,
such as students being reluctant to share an idea if they think it might not be right, or exactly what Im looking
for. Students seem to operate under the assumption that there is one right answer and that I have it both
fallacies, especially given that this is an English Language Arts class.
Hypothesis: Students may have this tendency because a transmission model of knowledge is commonly
reinforced in education. Students may be accustomed to receiving information from the teacher and then being
assessed on how well they can repeat it. An increased desire for the right answer over the process/journey of
learning could also be the result of students having extrinsic motivation rather than intrinsic. If their motivation
for learning in my class is primarily to get a good grade, then the surest way to do this would seem to be
searching as efficiently as possible for the right answer. Without sufficient motivation, students will not be
inclined toward models of knowledge and learning that are more complex and energy intensive.
New knowledge sometimes shakes learners perspectives and their conclusions about themselves, their
relationships, and their world. ~Eric Toshalis
Solution: To encourage my students to engage with content in a way that foregrounds curiosity, exploration,
and critical thinking, I implemented a unit in which students conducted a creative inquiry project. Students used
a common text (The Great Gatsby), an additional supplemental text of their choice, and their own original
creative text to explore an essential question. The final assessment comprised a multi-modal project in which
students articulated their process of inquiry, as well as the greater understanding they came to about their
essential question.
Example essential questions: Can a person truly re-invent her/himself? Why or why not?
What does it mean to be satisfied with ones life? What causes dissatisfaction?
What is greatness? What does it mean to fail? How are these two ideas related?
Example supplemental texts chosen by students: Song lyrics, podcast episodes, films, published poems
Example creative texts made by students: Original poems, short stories, commercials, newspaper articles, interviews

Im confused. What exactly am I supposed to do? ~Student

Challenges: A significant challenge that arose during this instructional approach was adequately preparing and
scaffolding students for the new roles and expectations this project presented them with. Anticipating that
students might struggle with a more open-ended project, I built in multiple opportunities for explanation and
modeling. From my own observations, as well as other forms of formative assessment, I realized that students
needed additional guidance and resources for understanding what exactly was expected of them. For instance,
the majority of students indicated on an exit ticket that they did not know how to organize the written

explanation component, so I created my own example for them to use as a mentor text. These moments of
confusion and reevaluation taught me that while choice and freedom may increase student motivation, they
also carry the potential for increased disorientation and hesitation among students. Explicit and careful
scaffolding and support is necessary to address the student concerns that arise from open-ended projects.
Formative assessment tools used: Exit tickets, one-on-one conferences with students, observation, inquiry project
plans and outlines
Scaffolding implemented: Inquiry project checklist, structured outline, supplemental texts brainstorming session,
example written explanation component, mini-lessons to model different project elements

Ive come to realize that my essential question doesnt have a right or wrong answer. ~Student
Results: In exploring their essential questions, many students (~) expressed a high degree of thoughtfulness
and considered multiple perspectives, while some students (~) began and ended their inquiry with an
arguably superficial outlook on their question.
Essential question: What is greatness? What does it mean to fail? How are these two ideas related?
Example surface level conclusion: You need to be willing and committed to giving it your best if you want to be
great.
Example nuanced conclusion: I thought about this question by relating it to sports through the context of greatness
in athletes who have accomplished much but never [achieved] a championship.

Students had many different personal reasons for why they chose their essential question, from which I
conclude that giving students choice in this context did activate a variety of motivational elements. These
responses indicated that agency over the focus of their inquiry overall promoted curiosity and provided
students with intrinsic motivation to engage with the inquiry itself.
Reasons students gave for choosing their essential question:
Intrigue: When I first read this question it really got me thinking While reading the other questions I could pick
from, my mind was still running through answers to the question I eventually ended up choosing.
Relevance: I chose this question because I feel like I am in a point in my life where Im trying to figure out the
answer to this question myself.
Complexity: I chose this essential question because greatness is hard to define.

Reflections: While providing students with a large degree of agency did encourage thoughtful inquiry that
departed from a single right answer, some students did not explore the nuances of their essential question to
the degree that I desired. For future inquiry projects, I will build in more opportunities to formatively assess the
level of inquiry that students are engaging in (e.g. rough drafts, peer conversations that evaluate the
complexity of each others ideas, etc.) to push students toward more thoughtful and critical inquiry. This was
also a helpful lesson on the degree to which students are accustomed to prescribed assessments. While
students ultimately appreciated the freedom this creative inquiry project provided, they needed multiple forms
of support and explicit resources to guide them through it. In the future, I will begin with more scaffolding in
place (e.g. utilizing more examples and mentor texts, breaking the project into parts that we focus on one at a
time, etc.) to facilitate student learning that is bolstered by curiosity rather than hindered by confusion.