By Dr. Salika Lawrence
When I first started teaching, textbooks were my safety net. I stuck to the pacing guide, followed scripted lessons, and assessed students with traditional quizzes and tests. It felt organized. But when I asked my high school students what they remembered most from our government unit, it wasn’t the list of amendments—it was the courtroom debate we held about police surveillance. That moment was a turning point.
I began designing inquiry tasks that connected course content to current events, lived experiences, and essential questions. Instead of memorizing the Bill of Rights, students now explore: “How do laws reflect the values of a society?” The shift made learning messier—but far more meaningful. Students debated, explored case studies, and shared personal stories that made the content stick.
Moving beyond the textbook doesn’t mean abandoning structure; it means designing with purpose. Inquiry-based learning allows students to explore big ideas through real-world entry points. That shift has changed how I teach and how students learn.
InquireEd studio 