connect
wonder
investigate
construct
express
reflect
Drawing on what you might
already know in order to
better understand what
you do not yet know
Identifying those questions
that will best guide
your investigation
Knowing what scholarly
resources are available
and being able to use
them effectively
Evaluating how you have
worked and what you
have produced
Making the most compelling
case given your evidence
and audience
Building an accurate
understanding based
on factual evidence
Skills Framework
Skills Framework
Read Moreconnect
Drawing on what you might already know in order to better understand what you do not yet know
Read Morewonder
Identifying those questions that will best guide your investigation
Read Moreinvestigate
Knowing what scholarly resources are available and being able to use them effectively
Read Moreconstruct
Building an accurate understanding based on factual evidence
Read Moreexpress
Making the most compelling case given your evidence and audience
Read Morereflect
Evaluating how you have worked and what you have produced
Read MoreExplore the FOSIL Inquiry Cycle by clicking on Connect | Wonder | Investigate | Construct | Express | Reflect
Download the FOSIL Inquiry Cycle as a PDF or PNG
NEW: Download a simplified version of the FOSIL Inquiry Cycle for use with younger students (PDF or PNG).
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Inquiry is an approach to learning. FOSIL is a model of the inquiry process with an underlying PK-12 (age 4-18) framework of skills. These tools help educators to design and resource effective inquiries – often as a collaborative team involving teachers and librarians – and to support students engaged in inquiry.
The FOSIL Cycle, based on Stripling’s Cycle of Inquiry, begins at the top with Connect. The arrows between phases are double-headed because students will inevitably move backwards and forwards between stages as they make their way clockwise around the Cycle. Without intervention they may become stuck in a particular stage or miss another out altogether, and a part of the educator’s role is to intervene appropriately, either directly or by providing scaffolding resources.
Use the links in the Cycle above to explore each inquiry stage, including examples of scaffolding resources, and the underlying skills framework.
The skills that enable the stages in the inquiry learning process form skills sets, which occur in logical order within each stage, and which may be downloaded below as A3 PDF documents or PNG images.
FOSIL Inquiry Cycle Skill Sets | Download as PDF or PNG
FOSIL Inquiry Cycle Skill Sets (Vertical) | Download as PDF or PNG
