Making Room for Inquiry and PBL in Scripted Classrooms

For many educators (especially at the elementary level), the desire to engage students in meaningful, inquiry-driven learning often runs up against the reality of teaching scripted programs. Whether it’s a tightly paced ELA curriculum or a math program that leaves little room for deviation, teachers may feel boxed in and unable to offer the kind of creative, student-centered experiences they know are best for deeper learning.

But here’s the good news: even in a tightly scheduled, highly structured classroom, there are ways to make space for project-based learning (PBL) and inquiry. You don’t have to abandon your curriculum to honor student curiosity. You just have to get a little creative.

Here are three practical ways to weave inquiry and project-based learning into your day without breaking away from what you’re required to teach.

1. Start a Wonder Wall: Curiosity is Contagious

If you want to nurture inquiry in your classroom, start by giving students a visible, dedicated space to wonder.

A “Wonder Wall” is just what it sounds like: a bulletin board or poster where students can jot down their questions about the world. These can be inspired by something they read, a science topic, a historical event, or a random observation (“Why don’t penguins fly?” “What makes tape sticky?”).

Here’s how it works:

• Provide sticky notes or sentence strips.
  
• Encourage students to write questions and post them as they arise.
  
• Dedicate 10–15 minutes each week for students to pick a question to research or explore either independently, in partners, or as a whole class.
  

Even if you can’t turn every question into a full project, this small routine tells students: Your curiosity matters. Your questions are worth exploring. And over time, you’ll find that wonder walls spark conversations, mini-investigations, and ideas that naturally feed into other subjects.

Author Trevor MacKenzie, in Inquiry Mindset: Nurturing the Dreams, Wonders, and Curiosities of Our Youngest Learners, offers practical tools and language for supporting student inquiry in K–6 classrooms. His work is a great resource if you’re looking to go deeper.

2. Project-Based Work as a Station: Authentic Work During Small Group

During small group time, teachers often run guided reading or math groups while the rest of the class rotates through centers or independent work. This time is gold, if you use it strategically.

One smart move is to make a PBL station one of your regular rotations. For example:

• During your literacy block, you could have a center called “Research & Create,” where students work on long-term mini-projects related to a text theme or science topic.
  
• In math, your station might include a real-world challenge (designing a school garden using perimeter and area, anyone?) that students tackle over a few weeks.
  

You don’t need to assess these projects with a rubric every time. Think of them as practice for real-world thinking. A place where students can try out ideas, explore topics of interest, and connect content to the world around them.

John Spencer and A.J. Juliani’s book Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning highlights how even within the structure of curriculum, students can drive their learning in meaningful ways. Their work reminds us that student voice and choice don’t need to be “extra”.

3. Social Studies: The Hidden Gem of the Schedule

In many elementary schools, ELA and math are scripted, but social studies is often the forgotten subject – under-scheduled, under-tested, and (sadly) under-taught.

But for teachers looking to integrate PBL, this can actually be an opportunity.

Social studies is naturally suited to inquiry. It asks students to wrestle with big questions: Why do people move? What makes a community fair? How do people create change? These aren’t just academic questions, they’re real-world ones that spark deep thinking and empathy.

Instead of defaulting to textbook worksheets, consider framing your social studies unit as a project:

• Have students create a museum exhibit about a historical figure or time period.
  
• Ask them to design a community park that reflects the values of a democracy.
  
• Let them produce a podcast episode answering a driving question like “What makes a community a great place to live?”
  

Even primary students can research by viewing topic specific videos or listening to non-fiction texts relevant to their projects or testing out ways to construct a model.

These projects don’t have to be long or elaborate. The key is giving students a purpose and audience for their learning – two ingredients that make learning stick.

Final Thoughts: Small Moves, Big Shifts

Even when you’re working within the constraints of a scripted program, you can create space for curiosity and creativity. A wonder wall here, a PBL station there, and a reimagined social studies unit can go a long way toward transforming your classroom into a place where students feel empowered to explore, question, and create.

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