Inquiry Based Math Lesson Plan

Inquiry based math lessons take a step away from the traditional, less involved forms of teaching. While teaching can, and has been done primarily through the use of lectures and by powering through textbooks, it has been found that this is not always the best approach. Inquiry based learning is based on critical thinking and requires that the students are given the tools to understand concepts in their own way. This is facilitated by teachers giving students the most basic information as a foundation, and the students using this knowledge to explore and grapple with different concepts. This form of learning is especially effective when it comes to math.

An example of an inquiry based math lesson plan can be taken from teaching a new concept in algebra, such as the Pythagorean Theorem. The traditional approach would be to open a textbook and teach students about the concepts by illustrating examples from the book. In an inquiry based math lesson a different approach would be taken. Though the same concept would be taught, instead of regurgitating information, the instructor would encourage students to find patterns in problems where the theorem is used. This could be done through group work, or by having students create their own problems using the concept. In this type of setting, the teacher would be constantly engaging with the students and asking them to explain their unique way of understanding the problem and assisting them with this thinking by asking them questions or creating other scenarios where the theorem would be applicable.




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