C101: The Properties of a Local Inquiry

Welcome to our new series on local and global inquiry.  After the book club on “Getting Personal with Inquiry Learning” by Kath Murdoch, I wanted to extend my thinking towards making local and global connections to our inquiry.  This seemed like the natural next step.  

When I think of local inquiry, my mind immediately shifts towards place-based learning.  There are numerous definitions of what it is.  I have two favorites from Edutopia and University of Liggett School: Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. ​

Edutopia

​“Place-based learning engages students in their community, including their physical environment, local culture, history, or people. With place-based learning, students get to see the results of their work in their community. They build communication and inquiry skills, learn how to interact with any environment, and gain a better understanding of themselves, as well as their place in the world.”  

My Connections

I’m immediately hooked into the notion of connecting our local physical environment to its culture, history and people.  Can you imagine how much that would open up the minds of our young learners?  It makes learning relevant to their personal lives and inspires action.  
 
In my current city of Houston, Texas.  I can see so many options of exploration through the lens of the founding of America, Mexican-American interaction, migration, industry, identity, and truth to name a few.  
 
As a teacher, I tried to expand my learners' thinking about historical events.  Instead of learning about the Battle of the Alamo as a right of taking America.  I had my learners explore this singular event from various lenses:  the Americans, the Tejanos (Mexicans),and the Native Americans. I would ask my learners these types of questions: 
 

• Who was the true winner of the Battle of the Alamo? 
• Who was the ultimate loser? 
• How do history books shape our understanding of our past? 
• How can we get a more broad understanding of past events?
• How do these events influence our culture today? 

CITL:  Chris Hemler

​“The goal of place-based humanities is to allow students to explore their locality in order to understand the trends that are going on at a larger level.  Place-based humanities, you might look at the stories of your locality and draw greater trends in history; what’s going on in the nation; the world; and how does your place fit into that?”  
 
Hemler continues, “So they (teachers) are learning about the stories that have been forgotten, purposefully or unintentionally buried and we’re helping teachers to uncover those and more importantly learn how to uncover those and what community partnerships to create in order to help to bring those stories back to the surface and bring them back to life.”

My Connections

​​I immediately zoomed into the notion that certain stories have been buried purposefully and unintentionally.  This matters.  If there are hidden stories, it changes the narrative of our history and identity when they come to light.
 
For example, being in Houston for the past 8 years, I have a fascination with all things NASA and space.  Like most people, I had the misconception that mission control was full of male engineers who guided our astronauts on their first landing on the moon.  Since the book and film, “Hidden Figures” has come to light.  It changes the narrative that women, especially black women, were involved in this endeavor. Just like “Hidden Figures”, what other stories have not come to light of events that really happened to shape our local, national, and global history? 
 
The next challenge is to identify resources within our local area that will shape the narrative for us.  Some educators who are listening right now are under control of what and how they can teach.  By partnering with our community resources, they are taking on the burden of providing the information, not you.  Consider this as a viable option. 

Simple Steps to Get Started

As I get started in uncovering local inquiry, here are some questions that percolate in my mind.  This will help you to know where you want to go with the inquiry. 
 

• What is inquiry at the “local” level?
• What knowledge and skills do we need?
• How do I actively connect with my local community?
• Where do I find the necessary resources?
• How do I know if there is an inquiry opportunity within my local community? 

Practical Connections​

Here are some practical tips that were suggested about Edutopia

• Pay attention to local events and places that impact your students.
• Celebrate unsung heroes in your community.
• Reach out to your community.
• Search the internet for ideas.
• Connect place-based learning curriculum to standards

  
Edutopia:  Place-Based Learning: A Multi-faceted Approach
CITL:  Placed-Based Learning Workshop and Video Overview