IB Learner Profile: Inquirer

At GIS we believe that all children are gifted with natural curiosity. It is this curiosity that drives inquiry.

What does that look like?

For our youngest students this could be exploring how sand in the sandbox changes after rain. For our oldest students it could be extensive research for their end of year exhibition. It is our goal as educators at GIS to support them as they acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and to encourage them to show independence in learning.

Inquirers learn with enthusiasm and sustain their love of learning throughout life.

There are many great children’s books that feature characters going through an inquiry process and making surprise discoveries along the way. Reading these books with children can inspire them to begin their own discoveries!

A list can be found here. You might already have some of them in your own library at home!

At an IB (International Baccalaureate) World School, we strive to educate inquirers who:

• think critically, creatively and reflectively
• build on prior knowledge
• research and gather information
• analyze their findings
• create new understanding
• understand there may be more than one answer
• refine their findings and start the inquiry process again

Here’s a great video story featuring all of these:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WHyhJOPyjw

When we read books with students, we ask them questions to get them thinking about being inquirers. Some of the prompts teachers use are:

What does it mean to be an inquirer?

How do you know (the character) was being an inquirer?

How did the inquiry help (the character)? How did they solve the problem? How did they try to find out?

Did (the character) have any good inquiry skills you can use?

Were any of the characters in the story curious? How do you know?

Describe how a character used their curiosity to solve a mystery. Could they have done anything differently?

Do you have any stories to share about your own inquiries with your children at home? We’d love to hear about them!