Scientific inquiry conducted with students is not merely about teaching the results of science. Its main goal is to help children challenge and deconstruct their misconceptions about the real world in order to build new, accurate knowledge. This is why our approach is centered around questions that arise from the children themselves—either through free exploration of nature or through guided exploration prompted by the teacher.

From an early age, children form ideas about the world around them. Simply telling them their ideas are incorrect is rarely enough to change their perspective. They need to experience and test their own thinking in order to recognize where it might be flawed.

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Through the inquiry process, students learn a method for seeking answers to their questions. They formulate their inquiries, express their ideas, explain their reasoning, test hypotheses, conduct experiments, create models, observe, research, collect results, analyze them, and discuss their findings—always with a focus on rigor. As in real scientific research, trial and error is an integral part of the process.

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Oral communication between students plays a crucial role in solving problems. During group discussions, children discover that others may have different ideas—sometimes based on facts they hadn’t considered. Together, they co-construct well-rounded reasoning. Small group work encourages this kind of exchange and supports cooperation and the development of autonomy: children take on different roles and share responsibility.

Writing (both personal and collaborative) is used throughout the investigation: to record observations, experimental results, research findings, or to summarize discoveries and build meaningful, lasting knowledge.

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By engaging in scientific inquiry, children gradually develop a scientific mindset. They enhance their reasoning, oral and written communication skills, imagination, and critical thinking. This student-led research not only leads to the acquisition of scientific knowledge and skills that support a better understanding of the world around them—it also promotes the development of written and spoken French language skills