The Lighthouse Diary #79: From Curiosity to Inquiry: How the Library Can Help

 I am a Louise Rosenblatt bias and a KWL junkie. It’s not surprising that I anchor my library skills and ATL sessions on Transactional Theory, Metacognitive Awareness, and Constructivist and Inquiry-Based Learning. The recent integration of the BA Library’s research services and reference program shows how theory, approach, and strategy converge. Helping students move from curiosity to inquiry, and inviting teachers to collaborate with the library in guiding authentic research.

Using a KWL chart as a springboard for crafting research questions is grounded in constructivist and inquiry-based learning. The chart activates prior knowledge (K), surfaces curiosity (W), and guides learners to frame meaningful, researchable questions. This practice also nurtures metacognitive awareness, as students reflect on how their own knowledge connects to what they want to explore. In line with Rosenblatt’s transactional theory, it positions learners as co-constructors of meaning, with the teacher scaffolding their movement from curiosity to inquiry.

In this Grade 8 skills class, students were tasked with drafting research questions on the theme of colonization by the Spanish, American, and Japanese. Using the KWL chart (except for L), I guided them in framing their questions. Their drafts already show a move beyond recall; many are asking about legitimacy, effectiveness, impact, and influence—questions that invite deeper critical engagement. To sustain this trajectory, I recommend that Grades 7–8 be given more opportunities to read widely and intentionally select subject-related texts and materials. For Individuals & Societies (Group 3), a layered reading strategy can help:

• First pass: textbooks and timelines (to establish the big picture)

• Second pass: short essays and secondary readings (to explore causes, effects, and interpretations)

• Third pass: primary sources—diaries, posters, speeches, documents (to engage with authentic voices and perspectives)

This progression ensures that students move from broad context to deeper analysis, ultimately developing the skills and confidence to frame thoughtful research questions and pursue authentic inquiry.

Step by Step With Teacher Zee: Inquiry-Based Learning

My grade 8 student and I are exploring a unit on Basketball and NBA legend, Kobe Bryant. It is a sport he is eager to learn and takes interest in understanding the life of a professional basketball player. I took this as an opportunity to engage him and learn skills in reading, writing and metacognition.

Here is a snippet of our recent activity involving the viewing of Bryant's short film, Dear Basketball.

Let me unpack this simple activity based on pedagogy and teaching strategies.

Pedagogy: Inquiry-Based Learning

Curiosity and critical thinking are fostered by encouraging students to ask their own questions. Instead of feeding them information, guiding them to discover meaning themselves, empowers deeper learning and personal connection to the material. Teaching Strategies:

1. Active Viewing • Students are not passive watchers of the film. They are given a purpose for watching—to find answers to their own questions which makes the viewing more intentional and analytical.

2. Question Generation (Metacognition) • Asking students to come up with their own questions encourages them to think about their thinking. It helps them process what intrigues or confuses them, and it activates prior knowledge and emotional engagement.

3. Scaffolded Reflection • The follow-up task of finding answers, writing them down, and paraphrasing supports comprehension and builds confidence in expressing ideas independently.

4. Personalized Encouragement (Positive Reinforcement) • Your feedback to Lonzo (“These questions show your engagement…”) reinforces participation and effort, building a positive learning environment and student-teacher rapport. This activity blends emotional engagement (through the inspiring story of Kobe), cognitive processing (via questioning and paraphrasing), and autonomy (student-directed inquiry).