The Grammar Expedition: Bringing Inquiry into Grammar Teaching
Free Workbook Included
One of the most common questions I hear from English educators is this:
“How do I bring inquiry into grammar instruction?”
It’s a fair question. Grammar—unlike theme or character or big ideas—is often taught through rules, drills, corrections, and repetition. While those elements have value, they don’t always invite students to think about grammar. More often, they’re asked to memorise it.
A few years ago, one of my students—let’s call her Sara—was stuck. No matter how many times we reviewed sentence structure or revised her writing, she couldn’t seem to apply what she’d learned about run-on sentences. The rules blurred together, the worksheets felt disconnected, and the feedback just wasn’t landing. She began to doubt her ability, and her confidence in writing started to dip.
So, I tried something different.
Instead of explaining the rule again, I asked her to choose the one grammar concept that frustrated her most and turn it into a question: Why do my sentences keep running on, and how do I fix them?
Then I gave her time and tools: a research log, access to grammar websites, and even permission to ask ChatGPT for help. She explored definitions, examples, and common errors. She discovered that she often used too many conjunctions, or none at all. She designed a simple visual chart to explain what a complete sentence looks like. Then, as part of a class activity, she taught a mini-lesson to a classmate using the chart she had made.
By the end of this process, something had changed—not just in her writing, but in her approach. She had gone from passive recipient to active investigator. She felt proud. She understood the rule not because I told her, but because she discovered it. A few weeks later, she repeated the process with comma splices—entirely on her own.
That experience reminded me: grammar doesn’t have to be a chore for both teachers or students. It can be an inquiry.
That’s exactly the idea behind The Grammar Expedition — a new, free mini-unit designed to help students investigate grammar through structured, inquiry-based learning.
What Is the Grammar Expedition?
The Grammar Expedition is a student-led project that allows learners to:
Reflect on their own writing
Identify a grammar rule they want to understand
Turn that into an inquiry question
Research and make sense of the rule using appropriate tools
Teach the rule to their peers through a short lesson
Reflect on what they’ve learned and how it helps their writing
It’s simple, purposeful, and empowering—and it treats grammar as something worth thinking deeply about.
Why Use Inquiry for Grammar?
We often associate inquiry with big ideas in literature or global issues in language acquisition. But inquiry isn’t about the topic—it’s about the approach.
Using inquiry with grammar can:
Help students build metalinguistic awareness
Connect grammar to real writing needs
Encourage more ownership and motivation
Promote better retention through research and peer teaching
Foster ATL skills like research, organisation, and communication
Instead of asking students to memorise a rule, we’re asking them to explore a challenge—to question, discover, and explain. That’s real learning.
The Four-Part Framework
The Grammar Expedition follows my Expedition into Inquiry model, which maps student learning across four clear stages:
🧭 NORTH — Navigate: Students define grammar in their own words and identify where they struggle.
🌐 EAST — Explore: They research the grammar rule using sources like Grammarly, YouTube, Cambridge Dictionary, or even ChatGPT.
🔄 SOUTH — Synthesise: Students create a visual explanation and a 5-10-minute “flash teaching” activity.
🪢 WEST — Weave: They reflect on their learning and explain how it will support future writing tasks.
It’s structured, student-led, and easy to adapt for different age groups and ability levels.
What You Get (Free)
A fully designed student project booklet
Grammar research log and note-taking templates
Peer teaching activity planner
Final reflection prompts
Space for ATL skill development and metacognition
Editable format for adapting to your context
This is ideal for:
MYP Language & Literature / Language Acquisition
DP English B
IGCSE or upper KS3 grammar support
Writers’ workshop extension tasks
Independent or small group grammar interventions
Download the Resource
📥 Click here to download The Grammar Expedition Workbook.
It's completely free to use and adapt.
Support and Stay Connected
Although I create and share these resources freely, there are ways to support if you find value in them:
👉 Take out a paid subscription on Substack to support future work
🤝 Share this post with colleagues and teaching communities
📲 Tag me on Instagram @fletchucation or visit mtfletcher.com
🗣️ Let me know how you’re using it in your classroom—I’d love to hear from you