Providing clear explanations of inquiry-based learning in the light of the Common Core, this book is a practical and graphical guide that will serve as a much-needed primer for librarians and educators.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are putting educators under pressure to examine what works and what doesn’t. Even with the best efforts, integrating new strategies into daily practice in the classroom or library can be frustrating. This book will help. Providing a professional development toolkit that trains school librarians and teachers and enables them to train others, it presents a sequence of scaffolded essential questions that results in a customized blueprint for effective teaching. The book assembles background building blocks for inquiry and the Common Core, illustrates and connects key concepts on how to introduce inquiry-based learning, and provides effective tools for igniting the Common Core through inquiry-based learning methods. Developed from the crucible of six years of professional development to real-world audiences with deep experience in teaching and school librarianship, this book makes implementing inquiry learning and embracing the Common Core easier for classroom teachers and school librarians who understand the value of these teaching methods but are unsure of the best way to implement them.

Presents essential questions and key concepts as the framework for efficient, effective change

Provides readers with an understanding of the basics of inquiry learning and preparation to use methods and tools to implement inquiry learning

Explains the rationale for the need to redesign instruction in the context of 21st century education

Examines the Common Core and its relationship to inquiry learning

Prepares readers to use a toolkit for implementation of the skills called for in the CCSS, such as synthesis and evaluation, and in order to train others in the implementation of inquiry-based learning and the CCSS