The last post was on the first stage of engaging learners, the Invite phase. Once students’ curiosity has been sparked, the next phase of the inquiry process—Explore—encourages them to dive deeper into a topic, broadening their understanding through diverse sources and experiences. In this phase, students engage with different perspectives, media, and hands-on activities to build a rich foundation of knowledge before drawing conclusions.

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For example, in a social studies lesson on immigration, instead of simply reading a textbook passage, students could explore the topic through multiple lenses:

• Primary Sources: Students analyze historical letters, photographs, or diary entries from immigrants in different time periods.
• Hands-On Activities: They pack a suitcase with only the belongings they could take on a long journey, considering what they would bring and why.
• Interviews: They speak with community members or watch recorded oral histories of people sharing their immigration stories.
• Videos & Documentaries: They watch short clips highlighting migration patterns, personal narratives, and challenges faced by immigrants.
• Books & Articles: They read fiction and nonfiction accounts to see the emotional and societal impacts of immigration.

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By engaging with a variety of sources, students gain a multi-faceted understanding of the topic, helping them make connections, challenge assumptions, and develop critical thinking skills. The Explore phase ensures that learning is immersive and dynamic, setting the stage for students to formulate deeper questions and insights as they prepare to take the next step in the inquiry process.