Inquiry Based Lessons are cross-curricular activities that build conceptual understanding of mathematical topics while students explore real-world scenarios. In an Inquiry Based Lesson, students will:
- develop the questions to answer and work together to find solutions
- be encouraged to collaborate and think critically
- never be told what operation to use or what steps to take
The open-ended nature of Inquiry Based Lessons lead to more rigorous discussion. Lessons for grades 1–5 are scaffolded with open-ended questions. Middle-school lessons do not include these scaffolded questions, allowing for more independence.
We aim to connect each Inquiry Based Lesson to a science or social studies concept associated with the specific grade level, in addition to covering specific math standards. The lessons span a wide range of engaging and age-appropriate topics for grades 1–8 including:
- taking a trip to the local library
- providing disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina
- helping the President plan the fiscal budget
- scuba diving in saltwater lakes
To explore Freckle's library of Inquiry Based Lessons, log on to the Teacher Dashboard and select Math in the left navigation bar. Select the Content tab, scroll down to the Extend Thinking section, and select the Generate button next to Inquiry Based Lessons. You can search by grade level, standard, or topic to find a lesson that works perfectly for your class.
Select IBLs are available in Spanish, with more coming soon!