Inquiry is in part a state of mind -- that of
inquisitiveness. Most young children are
naturally curious. They care enough to ask "why" and "how" questions. But if
adults dismiss their incessant questions as silly and uninteresting, students can
lose this gift of curiosity. Visit any second-grade classroom and you will
generally find a class bursting with energy and excitement, where children are
eager to make new observations and try to figure things out. What a contrast
with many eighth-grade classes, where the students so often seem bored and
disengaged from learning and from school!