Inquiry in the Classroom: Creating It, Encouraging It, Enjoying It

Dinosaurs. Life under the sea. Airplanes. Ancient Egypt.

These are the things that interest children - much more than reading period or the daily math lesson. All teachers know that interested students are better learners, and that's why projects have long been part of the elementary curriculum. But how can teachers build on the enthusiasm they generate? Can project work really become the focus of the classroom, without sacrificing important teaching and learning? And how can project wo…