Nutty Narwhals - Inquiry Project

What is an Inquiry Project?

All Microcampus students spend a significant amount of time each week devoted to investigating a topic of high personal interest that relates to the Xizhou area. Students actively seek and depend upon the wisdom of the people living in and around Xizhou to support their active investigation into their chosen area of interest.

During their exploration of one of the wide range of possible topics, students will be supported by a framework for inquiry that features the following four main phases:

1) Posing Real Questions

2) Finding Resources

3) Interpreting Information

4) Reporting Findings

The process is designed to be cyclical in nature, however, and will involve plenty of reflection, questioning, and reframing their research as new information is found. All student work will be made public during the research process online; it is hoped that readers will provide feedback to students during the research process and follow along as the students report their learning.

Latest Posts

Phase 1: Posing Real Questions

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

alba01px2020's picture

In Phase 0, I worked on finding and Inquiry Project and making a final decision. In Phase 1, I have gathered questions and information about my topic (Photography and Farming).

Phase 0: Getting Started: Topic Exploration and Selection

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

angelesia01px2020's picture

Twelve 8th grade students from Shanghai American School have boarded the plane on March 5th to Xi Zhou. Xi Zhou is a location consisting of beautiful nature and history that most of us were limited to experiencing.

Final Product: Reporting and Reflecting

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

chelsea01px2020's picture

Phase 4: Preparing to Share: Emerging Ideas

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

chelsea01px2020's picture

In Phase 0, I have decided my topic for my Inquiry Project- comparing the differences between the lives of boys and girls in Xizhou.

Phase 3: Interpreting Information

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

chelsea01px2020's picture

In Phase 0, I chose my Inquiry Project topic- comparing the lives of boys and girls.

Phase 2: Finding Helpful Resources

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

chelsea01px2020's picture

In Phase 1, I have gathered some background information on my Inquiry Project and have come up with ten major questions to guide me through my topic research.

Phase 1: Posing Real Questions

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

chelsea01px2020's picture

In Phase 0, the previous phase, I have chosen my Inquiry Project topic- comparing the lives of boys and girls in Xizhou. I will be studying this topic and finding more about it during the Microcampus trip (which is coming soon in Spring).

Phase 0: Getting Started: Topic Exploration and Selection

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

chelsea01px2020's picture

From March to April 2016, we, the Microcampus O-Group from SAS Puxi, will be spending 28 days in Xizhou, in Yunnan, to explore what it is like to live outside of the busy city of Shanghai.

Phase 3: Interpreting Information

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

seyoung01px2020's picture

In the third phase of the stages of Microcampus, I will be conducting a research process about the cuisine in Xizhou. As a recap, Phase 0 was the stage where I decided on a topic, using questions that specified between many other topics.

Final Product: Reporting and Reflecting

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

alba01px2020's picture

Phase 4: Preparing to Share: Emerging Ideas

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

alba01px2020's picture

In Phase 0, I chose my Inquiry Project, farming, and explained why. In Phase 1, I started to do deeper research and developing 10 big questions.

Phase 3: Interpreting Information

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

alba01px2020's picture

In Phase 0, I chose my Inquiry Project of photography and farming. In Phase 1, I worked on gathering some background information on my topic and I generated some questions about my project.

Phase 2: Finding Helpful Resources

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

alba01px2020's picture

In Phase 1, I created ten questions that would help me start my interactions with the people of Xizhou. In Phase 2, I have found in depth answers to these questions and created new questions.

Phase 0: Getting Started: Topic Exploration and Selection

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

alba01px2020's picture

For a month in 2016, 12 students have traveled to the beautiful Xizhou. The goal of this trip was to get out of our comfort zone and out of our 'bubble' life in Shanghai. In Xizhou, I worked on an Inquiry Project where I had researched on a topic that interest me. While I was looking at the list of all the possible projects there were a few that caught my eye.

Final Product: Reporting and Reflecting

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

ani01px2020's picture

Phase 4: Preparing to Share: Emerging Ideas

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

ani01px2020's picture

During Phase 3 of my Inquiry Project, I was able to conduct some background research, as well gather information from local contacts here in the village. As I move forward and near my Final Product, I will be doing quite a but of planning.

Phase 3: Interpreting Information

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

ani01px2020's picture

Phase 3 is where I will be conducting the background research of my topic, water usage and treatment in Xizhou. This phase is one of the key phases in my Inquiry Project because it sets the stage for my learning and knowledge as I move forward in my project. It will also give me a reference of my research, if I do not remember all of it while I am in the village.

Phase 2: Finding Helpful Resources

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

ani01px2020's picture

In my previous Phase, Phase 1, I looked at my topic and generated some big questions that will fuel my research as I move forward. I researched my topic, which is the water purification, treatment, and usage in Xizhou. This research can be found in my Phase 3 work.

Phase 1: Posing Real Questions

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

ani01px2020's picture

During Phase 0 of my Inquiry Project, I chose three possible topics that was going to pursue in beautiful Xizhou, as well as provided reasoning as to why I chose those three. After a very close tie, I made my final decision.

Phase 0: Getting Started: Topic Exploration and Selection

Updated 1 year 2 months ago

ani01px2020's picture

In March of 2016, eleven of my peers along with myself travelled to a small village called Xi Zhou, in the Yunnan province of China. On this trip that will span a total of 28 days, every one of us worked on an Inquiry Project. Many of my peers and myself had to step out of our expat bubble to be able to succeed in Xi Zhou.

Pages

Chelsea C. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

My name is Chelsea, I am 13 years old. I was born in Chicago, and I moved to Shanghai when I was 3 years old. Ever since then, I have lived in Shanghai. I really enjoy reading, art, music (I play piano and violin), anime, and traveling. Throughout our journey in Microcampus, I learned so much and... more

Orion L. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

I am 13 years old and an 8th grader at SAS. My inquiry project is about the Flying Tigers in Xizhou. I was born in Salt Lake City, UT and grew up in the Taylorsville Utah. I am a Vietnamese football player from and born in Utah and love physical activity (anything that will make me sweat) and... more

Alba N. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

Hello, my name is Alba and my time in Xizhou has now ended. I am 13 years old and I attend Shanghai American School. I have lived in Shanghai for 8 years now. Before that I lived in Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan. I wanted to join the Microcampus program to experience living out of the "bubble... more

Justin C. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

Hello everyone! I am currently 14 years old and I was born in New Jersey, United states of America. I lived my first year of my life in New Jersey before I moved and lived at Shanghai ever since. Because I finished my required phases, (Hooray!) I am now at a wonderful place in China called Xizhou.

Angelesia M. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

My name is Angelesia, and I was lucky enough to become part of the O.R.E.O. Microcampus group. Being immersed in this beautiful village has taught me more about myself than I could have ever learned in Shanghai. This spectacular learning experience has shaped myself in every aspect, and it has... more

Chantal L. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

Hi, I am Chantal L. I was born in Toronto, Canada and I moved to Shanghai when I was 2. I have now finished my Microcampus journey, and I have seen China outside of its bubble. I wanted to go to Microcampus because I could learn about other cultures and see China from a different perspective and... more

Nicole L. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

Hi, I'm Nicole, and I'm from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I moved to Shanghai in 6th grade, and I'm so glad I decided to join SAS's Microcampus program. I was part of the 15th group O.R.E.O. to go to Xizhou, and I still remember the kind villagers and fresh air. I just left Xizhou and... more

Aniketh D. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

Hi! I am Aniketh. I was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, but lived in Novi for a decade. I play ice hockey, as well Dj and produce electronic music. I moved to India when I was 10, and spent a year and a half there. I then moved to Shanghai last year, and will be leaving after ninth grade. I was in... more

Maya K. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

My name is Maya K, and I feel lucky to say that I was part of the O.R.E.O. Microcampus Group. I have been able to learn so much during this trip from being able to live outside the bubble that is Shanghai. Not only was I able to explore about my Inquiry Project topic, I was able to make connections... more

Max M. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

Hi everyone! I am currently an 8th grader attending Shanghai American School, and am so grateful to have taken part in the 2016 spring Microcampus trip! I am originally from New York City, where I loved visiting exciting places, eating favorite foods, and spending time with extended family. When I... more

John K. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

I was in the O.R.E.O. group and had a lot of fun. From this trip I changed in various ways. Also from my inquiry project I learnt about the impact of electricity in Xizhou. I have made relationships in Xizhou and it really helped me in the projects. I was born in Taiwan, but my parents are both... more

SeYoung K. (Alumni-O)

Inquiry Project

Service Learning

Journal

Hello! My name is SeYoung. I am currently 13, and I came back from Xizhou. I have lived in China for 7 years. I came to Guangzhou when I was 7, which I lived there for a year. After that, I lived in Beijing for three years and Shanghai since fifth grade. I decided to join Microcampus because I... more