The Art of Inquiry | Nov 6, 2025

This segment includes instruction on sourcing and analyzing assets from the Library of Congress (LOC) digital archives, equipping educators with concrete ways to bring authentic, historical voices into the classroom.

1. Introductions and Icebreakers: Includes an introduction to inquiry and identifying compelling research questions.
2. Art of the Interview Presentation: Filmmaker Colin Gray speaks on the Art of the Interview and his inquiry process in creating Unzipped: An Autopsy of Inequality in America. Includes live Q&A.
3. Art of Inquiry Workshop: Journeys in Film staff will introduce the Project-Based Learning Toolkit and how this template can support educators.
4. Hands on Research / Group Work: Groups will work together to craft a driving question for a Project-Based Learning inquiry. Participants will also explore LOC’s digital collections in a guided web crawl activity as they practice sourcing primary materials and deepen their understanding of how to support student-led research using verified, non-AI-generated content.

Project-Based Learning Toolkit

Participants will co-create a Project-Based Learning Toolkit in the course of the three-part webinar series. Dedicated interactive activities at the end of each session will guide the toolkit development. Informed by the strategies and themes explored in each webinar, the toolkit will include practical insights, customizable templates, sample student project ideas, curated Library of Congress (LOC) resources, and ready-to-use classroom strategies. It will be designed to strengthen learners’ research skills, particularly their ability to navigate archival collections, critically evaluate primary sources, and engage thoughtfully with multimedia cultural products.

To take full advantage of this learning and tool-building opportunity, we recommend participating in all three webinar sessions.

Speakers

Colin Gray

Colin Gray is an award-winning writer, director, and executive producer.  He has filmed around the globe – from the Gaza Strip, the slums of Mumbai India, and the jungles of Panama, to Olympic stadiums, family homes and Fortune 500 boardrooms.  Uniting every project he tackles is a fierce commitment to crafting powerful stories, often featuring over-looked communities, that challenge the status quo.

An accomplished doc filmmaker, Colin just wrote and directed his seventh feature documentary Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality, about the growing affordable housing crisis in America. His past credits include Being Canadian, Atari: Game Over and Freedom’s Fury.  He has created, directed and executive produced countless award-winning TV programming, digital & branded content, and social impact/advocacy campaigns. He is also an in-demand scripted writer.  Colin recently finished the screenplay adaptation of the historical fiction novel The Road Dance; he co-wrote the new psychological thriller Cages with his sister Megan and Izabel Acevedo; and he’s attaching talent to his revisionist historical epic Savage Lands about the Lewis & Clark expedition. He is currently a staff writer on the new Netflix kids series Phantom Pups.