Examples in this chapter focus on the works of popular children's author Robert McCloskey. Students work together to build abstract understandings from the facts, data, and details provided by a variety of resources. Idea circles demand organization from teachers. One team learns about rivers, another team learns about mountains, a third team learns about climate, etc. This study might go on for some time.
Students learn many concepts related to their area of study as they share ideas.
Eventually, students might regroup. For example, they might form new groups, each group assigned to study a different continent. Students bring knowledge learned in their previous group to their new idea circle. Inquiry-oriented discussions, like all other worthwhile classroom discussions, involve careful teacher planning. Students discussions are centered around careful exploration of resources.