Kids need to be able to formulate theories, and then gather data to refine those theories. Today Duncan teaches gifted students in grades four and five from all schools in the Port Angeles district and heterogeneous classes of second and third graders. At the time the present writer visited Franklin, Duncan was also teaching remedial mathematics students in grades one through five. In his experience these students often need extra help because numbers and the processing of numbers are not meaningful activities for them. These students also work with manipulatives and are taught to ask the kinds of questions that will help them solve math problems.
Gifted students participate in inquiry classes.
Later, he was sitting with a paper bag over his head. These questioning games have different rules within which the students must operate, e.g., during some rounds, students may ask only yes-orno questions. One constant rule, however, is that students may not ask questions which would require Duncan to do their thinking for them. Work with the gifted classes also includes computer programming. Students use the Logowriter program to solve problems put to them by Duncan.