Build student inquiry skills

Introduction

As educators, we often feel like we are constantly racing against the clock, trying to balance meaningful, high-level lesson design with the sheer volume of administrative tasks on our plates.

Today, we’re going to look at how we can use Gemini to reclaim some of that time without sacrificing the quality of our instruction. Specifically, we are going to focus on inquiry-based learning.

By the end of this session, you’ll have a lesson plan in your hands and a framework for prompting that ensures the AI gives you what you need. Let’s dive in.

What’s the biggest challenge getting in the way of implementing inquiry-based learning in your classroom?

• Time to create resources?

• Not enough structure for my students?

• I’m not sure how to connect inquiry to my content area?

In this session, we are going to explore how Gemini can move your students from being mere 'searchers' to true inquirers. The goal today is to create an authentic inquiry-based learning activity that has a clear connection to your content, includes a hook that draws students in, and provides an opportunity for students to generate their own questions to explore. We’ll ask Gemini to find primary sources for students to analyze, shifting your workload away from searching for sources and toward the intentional design of tasks that push student reasoning.

Demo

Let’s try this out together.

For this demo, I’m a history teacher. I want to create an inquiry activity for my students to analyze the influence of 1920s jazz culture on the Civil Rights Movement. I’m going to use Gemini to build these lesson materials.

Step 1: We’ll start by opening Gemini: gemini.google.com

• Point out the interface and the prompt bar at the bottom

Step 2: Paste the following prompt into the prompt bar using the P.A.R.T.S. framework:

• Persona: Identify who you are or the role the AI should take

• Aim: State your objective clearly—what exactly do you want to achieve?.

• Recipients: Specify your audience, such as first-year college students or a primary classroom.

• Theme: Describe the desired style or tone, like "analytical and formal" or "humorous and engaging".

• Structure: Note the format you expect, such as a bulleted list, a rubric, or a 30-second script.

I am a high school history teacher. I want to build my students’ inquiry skills. The topic we are studying is the influence of 1920s jazz culture on the Civil Rights Movement. Please create an engaging inquiry activity for students. Find 3 primary source letters from musicians that will encourage students to think about how jazz integrated spaces before 1950. Provide a set of inquiry questions for students to answer starting with “What questions do you have after reading these primary sources?” Provide a structure students can follow that includes the development of a research question, researching, presenting their findings, and reflecting on the process. Format the results in a typical lesson plan format.

Step 3: Review the output.

Step 4: Type a follow-up prompt if you’d like to change anything about the lesson plan.

You can also try changing from Fast mode to Thinking mode using the drop down on the right side of the prompt box.

Practice

Now, it’s your turn.

Step 1: Start by opening Gemini gemini.google.com

Step 2: In the prompt bar, select Fast or Thinking mode.

Step 3: Enter a prompt for a topic you’re covering in an upcoming unit. Use our example as a template if you’d like:

I am a [xyz] teacher. I want to build my students’ inquiry skills. The topic we are studying is [topic]. Please create an engaging inquiry activity for students. Find 3 primary source letters [about your topic]. Provide a set of inquiry questions for students to answer starting with “What questions do you have after reading these primary sources?” Provide a structure students can follow that includes the development of a research question, researching, presenting their findings, and reflecting on the process. Format the results in a typical lesson plan format.

Step 4: Review the results and type a follow-up prompt if needed.

What are some topics you teach where it makes sense to include an inquiry activity for students to complete?

What is one thing you’ve learned today that you’ll put into practice by the end of the week?

Reflection

The value of doing inquiry isn't in the final report or presentation; it’s in the research process. By incorporating more inquiry in your classroom, you are providing students with skills they will use throughout their lives.

During the demo, we saw Gemini build an inquiry activity for students.

• Thinking of the inquiry lesson plan created in the demo today, how might it support the development of inquiry skills in your students?