Inquiry Teaching

A quick note on the inquiry teaching approach.

Inquiry teaching is relatively new to me. I was introduced to this type of teaching for the first time this year. After reading a few articles about it, I found one passage in Kirman's text that really gave the image of a connected classroom community:

"This assumes that the value in question observed in our society is reasonable, and that it to disregard it would obviously be frowned upon. For example, failing to help an injured person would certainly be considered a values breach in Canada. This value relates to the importance of human life. Through the inquiry process, children can determine the pragmatic base upon which this value rests; that the value and importance of human life places a canopy of protection over all, and one never knows when he or she will need help". 

I found it very interesting how the description of a teaching technique used in social studies relates so closely to the themes that are a part of social studies.