The Complete Teacher Guide
Everything you need to plan IB PYP inquiry units, run dual-screen live sessions, moderate student drawings, and end lessons with gamified Informed Reviews.
Creating & Planning Decks
AI Inquiry Studio
Enter your Year level, PYP Transdisciplinary Theme, and Central Idea. Or upload an existing PDF/Word planner.
- 🎯 Single Phase Deck: Generates a focused 5-slide presentation tailored to your current phase (e.g. Tuning In).
- ⚡ Generate All 6 Phases: The AI scaffolds the entire 6-week unit, generating 6 distinct decks (5 slides each) directly into your library.
Upload Unit Template (.docx, .csv, .md)
Have your own curriculum team planner? Use our official Word or CSV starter templates.
- 📦 Go to Community Library → click Upload Template.
- 🔄 Automatically splits your 30 slides into 6 modular phase decks.
- 🔒 Save privately to your account or publish publicly for fellow teachers.
The Dual-Screen Classroom Setup
InquiryCycle is designed from the ground up for two distinct views running in real time:
Screen 1: Teacher Cockpit
Kept on your laptop, desk iPad, or tablet
- • Advance presentation slides with clicker or arrow keys
- • Review incoming student drawings & text in real-time
- • Spacebar to approve thoughts • X to dismiss
- • Launch timer, lock room, or manage participants
Screen 2: Stage (Projector View)
Projected on your classroom interactive whiteboard
- • Displays the PIN, QR code, and current inquiry slide
- • Shows approved student thinking on the shared class wall
- • Presents live review game scoreboards, podiums, and secret codes
- • Never reveals student personal information or unmoderated work
Student Experience & Visible Thinking
Zero-Login Mascot Badges
Students visit inquirycycle.com/join and enter the PIN. They choose an animal mascot (or secret combo is generated). No passwords or accounts required.
Interactive Drawing Canvas
Students draw diagrams, annotate visual prompts, or prototype models right on their iPads, laptops, or Chromebooks with full undo/redo and color palette.
Harvard Project Zero Routines
Native support for See, Think, Wonder, Circle of Viewpoints, Headlines, and Think, Feel, Care with graphic organizer sticky templates and tabbed student pads.
Inquiry Phases & Visible Thinking Routines
Each phase of the inquiry journey is explicitly paired with an authoritative Harvard Project Zero thinking routine to scaffold deep cognitive engagement from provocation to real-world action:
Tuning In
Notice concrete visual details, develop early evidence-based interpretations, and surface prior knowledge questions.
Finding Out
Map initial understandings, pinpoint confusing puzzles, and formulate collaborative investigation paths.
Sorting Out
Distill the essence of researched data into a punchy big-idea newspaper headline and 1-2 sentence core takeaway.
Going Deeper
Slow down thinking to explore multiple angles. Select a stakeholder, embody their stance in first-person ('I'), and pose a deep mystery.
Making Conclusions
Reflect upon personal conceptual transformation and identify the specific learning catalyst that shifted perspective.
Taking Action
Step into the human systems affected by this inquiry. Empathize with what people think, feel, and care about to drive impactful action.
Gamified Informed Review
At the end of any inquiry session, launch an Informed Review. Choose from 5 dynamic game modes tailored to your class dynamics:
🎮 Classic Quiz
Live fast-paced individual quiz with countdown timer, star awards, and live podium.
⚔️ Team Battle (Vault & Crack Code)
Students pool correct answers into team vaults and crack rival team secret codes.
🎯 Class Mastery Run
The entire class works together towards an 80% or 90% collective mastery target bar.
💎 Mystery Chests (Gold & Steals)
Correct answers grant chest openings with surprise points, shields, and point steals.
🏎️ Grand Prix Racing
Turn every correct answer into horsepower as class cars race across the board.
⏱️ Incorrect Answer Delay
Pedagogical cooldown that prevents guessing and requires reading explanations.
Privacy & Learning Journals (PDF)
GDPR Article 8 & COPPA Zero-Data Design
Because students use anonymous mascot names, no student personal data is stored on our servers. All classroom submissions and drawings are ephemeral and wiped within 24 hours.
Before closing the session, students can click "Download Portfolio PDF" to generate a high-resolution, printable visible thinking artifact containing their own drawings and thoughts with zero cloud storage.
Instant Student Portfolios
Complete with unit context, inquiry phase, drawings, and review score.
Ready to start your next inquiry?
Generate a live deck in seconds or test a room from your dashboard.