Wonder and Question

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1 Getting Started
2 Look and Wonder
3 Our Wonder Walk
4 Build Our Wonder Wall
5 What You Covered

1 - Getting Started ~5 mins

Illustration for Getting Started Have a look at this little robin sitting on the windowsill. I am noticing its red front and its tiny shiny eyes. Now I am going to wonder out loud: I wonder why the robin's front is red?

Key point

When we look closely and ask 'I wonder...?', we are starting to think just like a scientist. Today we are going to go on a wonder walk and turn lots of things we notice into 'I wonder...?' questions.

Teacher Notes

Keep this light and short. Model one 'I notice...' then one 'I wonder...?' aloud about the robin (or any object in view). Ask the class to copy your wondering voice. Do not hand out clipboards yet, that comes next.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+5 XP

2 - Look and Wonder ~8 mins

Turn to the person beside you. That is your wonder partner for today. Let's look closely at one thing together in our room. What do you notice about it? Tell your partner one 'I notice...'. Now let's turn what we noticed into a question. We say 'I notice...' and then 'I wonder why...?'

Tip

Every wondering is a good one. There are no wrong wonders. A wonder is just the start of finding out!

Teacher Notes

Quickly point out partners first: everyone turns to the person beside them so no child is left wondering who to talk to. Stand by one object (a plant, the fish tank, the clock). Use think-pair-share: pupils say one 'I notice...' to their partner, then turn it into 'I wonder why...?'. Take 3 or 4 wonders aloud.

Misconception to head off: a wonder is not the same as the answer. We do not need to know why yet, we just need a good question. Praise every wondering equally.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+15 XP

3 - Our Wonder Walk ~18 mins

Illustration for Our Wonder Walk Now we go on a wonder walk! When you have your clipboard and your magnifier, we will set off together.

Key point

First, we walk slowly to our stop and stand still.

Next, we look closely with our magnifier and find one thing we like.

Then we say what we notice: 'I notice...'

Last, we turn it into a wonder: 'I wonder...?' Maybe you will wonder why the leaves are different shapes, or why the puddle is shiny, or where the busy little ants are going. Your clipboard is your resting spot for a quick scribble of your favourite wonder before we move to the next stop.

Teacher Notes

Hand out clipboards, paper and magnifiers during the transition from step 2 so the walk time is spent noticing, not on logistics. Agree the walking route and the 'stay with the class' rule before you set off.

Tight timing warning: with 5–6 year olds the transitions eat into this slot, so plan only 2 stops (for example the plant corner and the yard wall or puddle). At each, model one 'I notice...' then invite wonders. Keep a quick scribbled list of the best wonders so none are lost.

Children share a magnifier in pairs (most schools hold a small class set, not 30) — one looks, then passes to their partner. Pupils rest the clipboard under one arm or set it down to scribble; they are not asked to hold magnifier and clipboard and look all at once.

Differentiation

Give a sentence stem aloud: 'I wonder why...', 'I wonder how...', 'I wonder where...'
For shy pupils, whisper their wonder to you and you say it for the group.

+15 XP

4 - Build Our Wonder Wall ~9 mins

Illustration for Build Our Wonder Wall Back inside, let's share the wonders we collected. Tell us one thing you wondered about on our walk. We will write your wonder on a sticky note and put it up on our wonder wall. When the wall is full of wonders, it shows that our whole class has lots of brilliant questions, just like real scientists do. We can come back to our wonder wall and try to find out the answers another day.

Teacher Notes

The wonder wall is your existing noticeboard or a clear bit of wall, not a sheet you prepared. Children's sticky notes pinned to the wall ARE the wall.

Go round the circle: each child says one wonder. Scribe it onto a sticky note (emergent writers may add a mark or drawing) and let them pin it up. Revoice a few aloud so everyone hears the variety.

Scientists turn their wonders into questions they go and explore — say this as you build the wall. This is the 'who finds this out?' thread: people who do science start with a wonder, just like us.

+15 XP

5 - What You Covered ~3 mins

Look at our full wonder wall! Today we learned that:

Noticing means stopping to look closely and say what we see, hear or feel.
We can turn what we notice into an 'I wonder...?' question.
Asking 'I wonder...?' is how scientists start to find out about the world.
Our class added lots of wonders to our wonder wall.

Teacher Notes

Keep this oral and joyful. Point at the wall and revoice two contrasting wonders. Ask: which wonder would you most like to find out about?

Tiny home noticing task: ask pupils to find one thing at home to wonder about and tell you tomorrow. No writing needed.

+5 XP

End of lesson

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Teacher Class Feed

1 - Getting Started ~5 mins

2 - Look and Wonder ~8 mins

3 - Our Wonder Walk ~18 mins

Differentiation

4 - Build Our Wonder Wall ~9 mins

5 - What You Covered ~3 mins

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