Inquiry-Based Learning Templates You Can Use All Year Long

TeachingWithATouchOfHoney
Jul 29
3 min read

Your class just wrapped up a unit on community helpers, and next month it's rocks and minerals. Do you really need a brand new inquiry resource for every single topic your students study?

Not if you have one built to flex with whatever your class is learning. This post introduces our Inquiry-Based Learning Projects for Any Subject Area resource, and shows you how to use the same 5-step inquiry process from our complete guide to teaching inquiry-based learning with whatever topic comes up next.

Why a Topic-Free Inquiry Resource Is Worth Having

A topic-free inquiry resource is worth having because it saves prep time on every unit for the rest of the school year.

Rather than searching for a new resource each time your class starts a new topic, you use the same templates, the same routines, and the same expectations every time. Students get comfortable with the process itself, so by the third or fourth project, they need far less guidance from you.

This is especially useful for:

Cross-curricular units: Social studies, science, and health topics all fit the same structure.
Student-choice projects: Genius hour, passion projects, or free-choice research time.
Last-minute topics: When a current event or a student question sparks a whole-class inquiry you did not plan for.

What's Included in an Any-Subject Inquiry Resource

A strong any-subject inquiry resource includes blank, editable templates for every step of the process, so you can drop in whatever topic your class is studying.

Look for these core pieces:

Bulletin board headings and posters that explain what inquiry is and walk through each step
Blank question cards so students, or you, can write in topic-specific questions
Research templates in both primary lines and regular lines, to fit different grade levels
Class book templates for compiling student research into a shared class resource
Self-assessment and rubrics so reflection stays part of the process no matter the topic

How Do I Use the Any-Subject Resource With a New Topic?

You use the any-subject resource with a new topic by writing your topic into the blank templates and walking students through the same five steps every time.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

Introduce the topic and show the class the inquiry posters as a refresher.
Model a sample question using the current topic, since students may need this scaffold each time you switch topics, even if they know the process well.
Hand out the blank research templates and let students pose their own questions.
Follow Steps 2 through 5 exactly as you would for any inquiry project: research, interpret, share, and assess.

Because the structure stays the same, transitions between topics feel familiar to your class instead of like starting over.

Real Classroom Use: Any Topic, Same Process

Andrea H. shared that the resource explains the inquiry process clearly enough that she can hand it to a new topic each month without re-teaching the routine from scratch. She said the self-reflection sheets and rubrics carry over well no matter what her class is studying.

When Should I Use a Topic-Specific Resource Instead?

A topic-specific resource is worth using instead when a topic comes up often enough to be worth pre-loaded sample questions and matching visuals.

If your class studies animals, insects, weather, or dinosaurs every year, a topic-specific set saves you the step of writing in your own questions and pairs your inquiry project with themed clip art your students will love. Our posts on Animal Inquiry-Based Learning, Insect Inquiry-Based Learning, Weather Inquiry-Based Learning, and Dinosaur Inquiry-Based Learning walk through resources built the same way as the any-subject set, so switching between them feels seamless.

Many teachers use both. The any-subject resource covers the topics that only come up once, and the topic-specific sets handle the units that repeat every year.

Getting Started This Week

Pick whatever your class is studying right now and try the five-step process with the any-subject templates. Once your students know the routine, you can drop in a new topic anytime a great question comes up.

For the full five-step breakdown, visit our guide to teaching inquiry-based learning, or head to the Inquiry-Based Learning Projects for Any Subject Area listing to grab the templates for yourself.

Not ready to commit to a full resource yet? Grab our free Inquiry-Based Learning Starter Kit to try the process with your class first. And if you have students who need extra support with any topic, our guide to differentiating inquiry-based learning walks through strategies for non-writers, reluctant writers, EAL students, and more.