Inquiry Framework

Spiral Question Ladder — See Differently. Think Deeper. Redesign Everything.

A practical framework to build questions that change how minds work. Spiral isn’t about knowing more; it’s about seeing without bias, illusion, or default — across five recursive layers of inquiry.

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Model

The Five Layers of Spiral Inquiry

These layers don’t stack — they spiral. Loop back, surface blind spots, and reframe.

Clarifying, Causal, Ethical, Transformational, Meta—five-layer spiral

Clarifying — What are we really saying?
Causal — What’s behind what we see?
Ethical — Should it be this way?
Transformational — What could we redesign?
Meta — What are we not seeing?

Comparison

Spiral vs. Bloom vs. Socratic

	Spiral	Bloom	Socratic
Focus	Depth via recursion	Hierarchical steps	Open questioning
Structure	Looping layers	Linear levels	Dialogue prompts
Outcome	Reframe & redesign	Mastery/recall	Clarify assumptions
Use	Complex, real problems	Curriculum progression	Philosophical probing
Learner role	Co-designer of inquiry	Task receiver	Respondent

Option: swap “Socratic” with DoK in a second row if you prefer.

Fit

Who It’s For

Educators
Classroom-ready spirals, rubrics, printables

Facilitators
Meetings, workshops, retreats that think deeper

Strategists / Leaders
Reframe problems before solving

Coaches / Students
Daily spiral habits & journals

Inside the Book

Built for Utility, Not Just Understanding

Fillable templates, rubrics, and a Spiral Question Map
Classroom tools for math, science, literature, student-led inquiry
Facilitation resources for coaching, meetings, strategy retreats
Daily habits & journaling practices to spiral on the fly
Appendices: Generator + 100 prompts + toolkits

From the Preface

Beyond Smarter — Toward Seeing

We don’t lack information — we face a crisis of interpretation. Spiral offers structure without rigidity, depth without dogma, motion without collapse. It’s a dashboard for thought in an age of complexity, contradiction, and speed.

Example

From Yes/No to Multidimensional

Prompt: “Should school start later?”

Clarifying: Define “school start”; which age group?
Causal: Why do schools start early? What history set this up?
Ethical: Is it fair to teens who need more sleep?
Transformational: What would flex-time school look like?
Meta: Why do we always adjust time, not curriculum or format?

Contents

What’s Inside the Book

Part I: Spiral Ladder + five layers, templates & examples
Part II: Classroom spirals (math, science, literature)
Part III: Facilitation for leadership, coaching, strategy
Part IV: Daily practice & curriculum design
Appendices: Generator, 100 prompts, team toolkits

Ready to Spiral?

Get the book, download templates, and start spiraling your next lesson, meeting, or decision.

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