Students today are swimming in information. From TikTok clips, YouTube reels, and endless Google search results, they are constantly consuming content. But here’s the critical question: are they truly making sense of it? Are they learning how to think critically about what they see, hear, and read?

As educators, our challenge isn’t just giving students more information; it’s helping them wonder, question, and dig deeper. That’s where inquiry and disciplinary literacy come in. In this approach, literacy isn’t just about reading and writing; it’s about thinking, questioning, and communicating like experts in their field of study.

So how do we help students do this? Inquiry is the engine of expert thinking. When students engage in meaningful investigations, they move beyond surface facts to build deep, evidence-based understanding.

The Five Phases of Inquiry

To support this work, we draw on the Model for Inquiry-Based Disciplinary Literacy (Spires, Kerkhoff, Graham, & Lee, 2014). This cycle guides students through five interconnected phases of inquiry:

1. Ask compelling questions: Moving students from typical Google search questions (e.g., “What is the Pythagorean Theorem?”) to debatable, investigative questions (e.g., “How does the Pythagorean Theorem relate to architectural design today?”) invites students to learn more and makes the learning more authentic. As the teacher, you can provide a driving or compelling question for students to start with and structure the cycle of inquiry so students continue to ask questions, generate their own questions, or create the question together.
2. Gather and analyze sources: This phase requires them to use the discipline’s tools to gather information and conduct research, as an expert in the discipline would, and to use discipline-specific language. In a science unit focused on Natural Selection and Adaptations, students may engage with lab reports and scientific journals on the topic, examine the authors’ credibility, and apply knowledge of the discipline to the concepts and terms under discussion, such as traits, survival, and extinction.
3. Creatively synthesize claims and evidence: Students move beyond summarizing information to constructing an argument/claim, supported by evidence from their research. In history, students may explore this question: “As a result of the Industrial Revolution, why did society begin to value technological innovation as the ultimate measure of a civilization’s success, regardless of the human or environmental cost?” With this inquiry, students organize information chronologically or geographically, compare evidence from their sources (such as letters, photographs, and artifacts), and construct an argument.
4. Critically evaluate and revise: Inquiry requires teaching students to actively seek out counter-evidence and refine their initial claim based on rigorous analysis, just as an editor, peer reviewer, or research supervisor would demand. Teachers may prompt revision with questions such as, “What evidence weakens your claim?” or “How might someone disagree?” Students may engage in peer feedback at this stage to make these revisions. In English Language Arts, students may revise to ensure that their claim is coherent, is in the appropriate style, and expresses their voice.
5. Share, publish, and act: The final product should be an authentic communication to a specific audience, moving past the traditional essay toward genuine purpose (e.g., a policy brief, a technical proposal, or a documentary). This connects learning to the real world and gives students the opportunity to practice critical communication skills while connecting with their community.

These five phases form the foundation of the inquiry model. In our upcoming workshop, we’ll dive deeper into practical strategies for implementing each phase.

Ready to Dig Deeper?

Join us for Engaging Secondary Students Through Inquiry and Disciplinary Literacy, a one-day professional learning experience on February 25, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM EST. You’ll explore the inquiry model in action, experience protocols like small-group collaboration and peer feedback, and leave with practical strategies for implementing each phase in your classroom.

This workshop is for 6-12 teachers. The cost is $25, and you’ll earn 6 SCECHs.

Register Here!

Written by Statia Davey, Early Literacy Coach, Sonali Deshpande, Early Literacy Coach, and Lindsay Lane, Innovative Teaching and Learning Consultant, all at Kent ISD, with support from AI writing tools. Edited by Amanda Walma, T&L Marketing and Communications Specialist at Kent ISD.